Run skimmer during tank cycling

[firemountain]

Getting ready to add water and start cycling my tank. Besides keeping the lights off, and throwing in a frozen shrimp or two, is it recommended to run my protein skimmer during this time?

I know that frag glue will cause a skimmer to go nuts...and with my recent aquascaping and frag glue use..I foresee the skimmer going ballistic. While I may have answered my own question, I am wondering if there is still a
benefit to run the skimmer during this time.

[kegogut]

There is no benefit in running the skimmer during cycling.

[TigeBell]

Originally Posted by kegogut

There is no benefit in running the skimmer during cycling.

There is a benefit. Having the skimmer break in while the tank is empty and little bioload

[firemountain]

My skimmer has already been broken in from my friend who gave it to me. I did clean it up and run it through a vinegar bath for a bit...so essentially I probably have to start over and let it break in again.

[m0nkie]

I asked this and got mixed reviews. a lot of the older folks here turn on the skimmer during cycling. It may slow your cycling a little bit, but it also breaks in the skimmer.

if it runs nuts (like mine) from frag glues or epoxy, just wait till the cycle is done and do large water changes

don't turn it on if you are dosing bacteria like Dr. Tims

[slief]

Originally Posted by TigeBell

There is a benefit. Having the skimmer break in while the tank is empty and little bioload

I agree 100% and was thinking the same thing. You took the words from my mouth.

While there may not be any organics in the system for the skimmer to drive out, there are 2 benefits. The first as you mentioned is having the skimmer break in which can take a week or two. The second which is a huge one is the dissolved oxygen the skimmer adds to the system as well as the gas exchange that occurs in the skimmer. A side benefit is that they can also help keep PH stable due to the continual O2 being injected into the water. This assuming your skimmer is in a well oxygenated enviornment.

I've always cycle my tanks with a few fish and would absolutely run a skimmer during the cycling. I'd would allow the skimmate to flow back into the tank via the skimmer cup drain line or set it to run really wet and allow the skimmer to overflow back into the sump. My skimmers always have drain lines so that would be the route I would go.

Originally Posted by firemountain

My skimmer has already been broken in from my friend who gave it to me. I did clean it up and run it through a vinegar bath for a bit...so essentially I probably have to start over and let it break in again.

Your skimmer will definitely need to break itself back in to develop the needed slime coat as the vinegar bath and cleaning, let alone drying eliminated that. You will be starting over again with break in.

[firemountain]

Thanks for the replies. While I knew that the vinegar bath would take away the coating, I just felt more comfortable knowing that the skimmer was clean, so that way I can see how the skimmer performs out of the box.

What I will do is keep an eye on the skimmer to see if it goes nuts from the frag glue.

[kegogut]

What I meant was that theres no benefit to the cycling process...