Skimmer on during cycle?

[akish5]

My tank has been cycling for 3 weeks now. I turned on my skimmer after the 2nd week. My ammonia is gone but my nitrite is still through the roof after a week. Should I turn off my skimmer, or do I just need to continue to be patient?

[FISHnChix]

Doesnt really matter.   Nitrite or nitrates still high?? What's the reading??

[akish5]

10 minutes ago, Weikel said:

Doesnt really matter.   Nitrite or nitrates still high?? What's the reading??

Actually both are high. I have the Red Sea test kits and my nitrite is 1 and nitrate is 50. Both are as high as the readings go. 

[FISHnChix]

3 minutes ago, akish5 said:

Actually both are high. I have the Red Sea test kits and my nitrite is 1 and nitrate is 50. Both are as high as the readings go. 

Yep. what did you use for ammonia source? Live rock or dry?? Did you add any bacteria in a bottle? Live sand??

[Repower]

What do you have in the tank?  Live rock and sand? I've never tried cycling with skimmer on but I would ride it out and see if nitrate goes down or double check your testing.   If all else fails, small water change.  

[akish5]

1 minute ago, Weikel said:

Yep. what did you use for ammonia source? Live rock or dry?? Did you add any bacteria in a bottle? Live sand??

Ghost feed for a week and a half. And I also used some live rock out of another tank that had been running for about 5 years. 

[akish5]

1 minute ago, Repower said:

What do you have in the tank?  Live rock and sand? I've never tried cycling with skimmer on but I would ride it out and see if nitrate goes down or double check your testing.   If all else fails, small water change.  

I was think about doing a water change. I ghost feed and used live rock from another tank. 

[FISHnChix]

Just now, akish5 said:

Ghost feed for a week and a half. And I also used some live rock out of another tank that had been running for about 5 years. 

Got ya.  You will be good .. problem with ghost feeding is you dont really know how much nh3 you added.. probably a bit much hence slow drop in nitrites... fyi the nitrates wont go away are their own you will have to do a water change to get rid of them.. (there are other ways to remove nitrates like macro alage and deep sand beds but you donr have those and most of us dont that's one of the big reasons for wc ) let your tank fully cycle then do a huge WC to reduce the nitrates 

[mcarroll]

Pretty weird for nitrites or ammonia to be around long enough to see on a test kit if you added seasoned/mature live rock to the tank.

 

How sure are you that the rock was "live" versus just "wet" when you added it to this tank?

 

You mentioned the skimmer hadn't been running.  Was the rest of the system running normally (flow, heat, et al) during these first three weeks?

 

Can you take a water sample to your LFS to have them verify your test results...and maybe give you a reading on the phosphate level as well?

[Neb]

I’m cycling mine now. 10 days in my ammonia is still about 2 mg/l and nitrite has spiked to 5 yesterday and today it’s even darker colour so I assume 6 or 7. Ammonia hasn’t moved for days.In my case it’s the generous ghost feeding + dry live rock detritus decaying that keeps the ammonia so high and will probably keep nitrite as high for a few more weeks. Worth checking rockwork for decaying macro algae and gently brush it with a toothbrush. If you have detritus you can safely stop or significantly reduce ghost feeding. I keep my skimmer and lights off. Thought it’d be pointless to skim water I actually want dirty and toxic.