Running a skimmer on a timer?

[Albertan22]

So I’ve had my 180g (220g water volume) system running for about 3 months now and have not been able to get detectable nitrates using my Salifert test kit. The kit reads plenty of nitrates in my 29g QT tank. The tank is an upgrade so most of the rock is more than 6 years mature and was a straight across transfer, the rest sat in a barrel and cured for 4 months before I set up this tank. The bio load in the tank is still quite light with only 6 fish in there and an assortment of corals. There is a shortage of fish in LFS’s in my region because of Covid so I haven’t been able to stock up.

I’mskimming dry and pulling out thick, black skimate. I’ve been thinking of using my apex to only run the skimmer 12 hours per day, at night when the power heads ramp down and the lights are out. Does anyone do this? I’m not to worried about oxygen in the water with my bioload but more about the gunk in the skimmer neck drying up and forming a hard to clean crust.

 

[PeaBrain]

Are you simply trying to get Nitrates up?

You could keep the simmer running without the cup, keeping the oxygenation going 24 hrs. Or,
Consider dosing NO3. I have been dosing NO3 recently, and the results are good. Better control of levels.

 

[Albertan22]

Are you simply trying to get Nitrates up?

You could keep the simmer running without the cup, keeping the oxygenation going 24 hrs. Or,
Consider dosing NO3. I have been dosing NO3 recently, and the results are good. Better control of levels.

Yes I am trying to get nitrates up a bit. I have considered dosing but have had trouble trying to find a product to use that I can source in Canada.

 

[slojim]

My tank has a light bioload as well. I run my skimmer on a timer. I think it generally runs better that way. Oh, and I did start dosing, using spectracide stump remover.
I am fighting a bubble algae outbreak, but that started first.