Clown hosting plasticus

[Joshifer]

How cute. Nemo likes the fake anenome. He's one happy camper

 

Should I run the skimmer? Cycles done. I was told to keep it off til after cycle.

[smallreef]

You can turn it on...but only while your home ...and I'd say near the tank,, being that most skimmers take a bit to tune in and have a tendency to overflow if your not careful...

[gmerek2]

where is your skimmer? when mine overflowed because I didn't have an ATO consistent water level it just dripped into the sump water. 

[Joshifer]

You can turn it on...but only while your home ...and I'd say near the tank,, being that most skimmers take a bit to tune in and have a tendency to overflow if your not careful...

  

where is your skimmer? when mine overflowed because I didn't have an ATO consistent water level it just dripped into the sump water.

 

It's a small hob for 50 gallons. On loan from a friend til I get my own. It should be broken in since its used.

[Joshifer]

But I will set it to a timer to run durring hours I'm home.

[wade]

I'm whole-heartedly against not using a skimmer and running the tank per normal when cycling.  Turn it on and leave it on.  Otherwise, you will wind up with acumulated debris from the die-off that becomes an algal food source later.

 

It might (not seen evidence yet) extend a cycle a little, but if you have a fish in the tank already, then the ammonia/nitrite phase is far enough along not to worry about it.

 

Just my 200 cents.

[howaboutme]

I'm whole-heartedly against not using a skimmer and running the tank per normal when cycling.  Turn it on and leave it on.  Otherwise, you will wind up with acumulated debris from the die-off that becomes an algal food source later.

 

It might (not seen evidence yet) extend a cycle a little, but if you have a fish in the tank already, then the ammonia/nitrite phase is far enough along not to worry about it.

 

Just my 200 cents.

 

+1

 

I agree 100% with this as well. I ran everything as if it was an established tank, including a couple of water changes. You will find out (though you may not realize it at the time) a lot about how your tank functions even without livestock.

[sachabballi reef]

+1

 

I agree 100% with this as well. I ran everything as if it was an established tank, including a couple of water changes. You will find out (though you may not realize it at the time) a lot about how your tank functions even without livestock.

+2

in a little bit of shock that Jack & I are agreeing on something.....hmmmmmmm time to go play the lottery

[howaboutme]

+2

in a little bit of shock that Jack & I are agreeing on something.....hmmmmmmm time to go play the lottery

 

Haha! Our agreement ends there because I am not playing the lottery tonight. Actually, we agree on something else..that this is an awesome hobby.

 

One thing about cycling that I found interesting. I read on other forums (I didn't do this) that if you cycle BB (even if you plan on having a sandbed later) with base rock (not sure why you can't do it w/ LR too) while providing an ammonia source (pure ammonia or shrimp), you will see just how much detritus is produced even before you add bioload from livestock. Because you cycled BB, you can siphon the detritus out easily, which prevents issues later on. In a nutshell, fish poo does not equal detritus. Fish poo is just one of the parts of detritus.

[wade]

I think that people often don't full understand what a cycle is... a cycle is simply the phases of bacterial growth in a tank.  Different species of bacteria colonize the surfaces in the tank (which they have exponentially more of in sand) and at different depths.  A cycle is finished when those species are in balance with one another.  Then, if you slowly add bioload, they increase in number with no discernible difference to the tank's water.

 

Detritus is also only part of the equation, as much of the "food" that the bacteria use to expand their populations is freely dissolved in the water column.  A good bit of which comes from the decomposition (mineralization) of organic debris - both the stuff you see and that you don't.

 

Using straight ammonia to start a cycle can work, but you are somewhat short cutting the proper populations of bacteria by not increasing those that break down organics first.  

 

This is also the reason that I promote "over skimming" - of which I believe there is no such thing.  Not having enough export mechanisms built into a system (including carbon, water changes, skimmers, and other filters) allows compounds to build up.  I've never seen legit evidence that skimming hard does anything to water chemistry.  Many reefs are fed with very low DOC waters and provide much of the organics needed for life locally.

 

/end science lecture

[Joshifer]

Ok I turned the skimmer on. I don't got any gunk yet. Just white bubbles barely reaching the top of the tube. Guess it does need to break in. Thanks everyone ^_^

[Joshifer]

I just realized I posted on my wrong post lol. Was supposed to post pics on my tank build.

[AlanM]

Ok I turned the skimmer on. I don't got any gunk yet. Just white bubbles barely reaching the top of the tube. Guess it does need to break in. Thanks everyone ^_^

 

 

White bubbles just barely reaching the top of the tube sounds right.  Maybe a bit lower would be even better.  Eventually those bubbles will get bigger and dirtier, then they'll pop and deposit the doodoo into the collection cup.

[gmerek2]

When hands are in tank dirty bubbles go away for up to a half hour.

[Origami]

Moved other post to your build thread located here.