When during the cycling process do you fire up the protein skimmer?

[WaterMarque]

Ive been cycling my tank for about two weeks the old fashioned way with a dead shrimp in the sump. My ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are all reading off the charts at the moment. When do you fire up the skimmer? Also, should I start doing water changes or don't touch it yet? Figure I know the ammonia will go away, but should I do some water changes to get the nitrates lowered? they're measuring over 55ppm.

 

[Seansea]

Dont start it yet. Once you pull the shrimp out add fritz's turbo will knock ammonia down. Then add a couple fish and start the skimmer. Get fuge or algae scrubber going right away or algae is gonna rampage.

 

[KrisReef]

Tests for nitrates will include the nitrites, when nitrite is low you should do a massive water change to lower nitrates.
I would probably remove the shrimp now, and wait for ammonia and nitrite to go away. I don’t have any opinion on the skimmer on or off the cycle needs to complete before you add fish.

Have you read @brandon429 discussion on modern cycling science? Days wet can be used to estimate cycle status. Pretty interesting focus on the process.

 

[Spare time]

It doesn't matter. You just don't want it on when you add bacteria. I'd take the shrimp out if you haven't and just wait for ammonia to drop.

 

[WaterMarque]

Tests for nitrates will include the nitrites, when nitrite is low you should do a massive water change to lower nitrates.
I would probably remove the shrimp now, and wait for ammonia and nitrite to go away. I don’t have any opinion on the skimmer on or off the cycle needs to complete before you add fish.

Have you read @brandon429 discussion on modern cycling science? Days wet can be used to estimate cycle status. Pretty interesting focus on the process.

I have not read Brandon's material but I'll start reading that now. Thanks for the info on the water change.

 

[WaterMarque]

It doesn't matter. You just don't want it on when you add bacteria. I'd take the shrimp out if you haven't and just wait for ammonia to drop.

My plan was to get a clean up crew first, and then a fish-- The classic clown hopefully. Of course I'm not doing any of that until parameters are acceptable.

 

[Spare time]

My plan was to get a clean up crew first, and then a fish-- The classic clown hopefully. Of course I'm not doing any of that until parameters are acceptable.

Sounds like a plan. Just make sure the clea up crew has stuff to eat

 

[brandon429]

If you just changed out the water for clean water and started skimming you can carry a typical starting bioload now

half a month is fine unless you planned on loading the tank with heavy fish and feeding, most won’t do that because it’s a disease risk

that’s enough time for rocks and surfaces to take on filtration bacteria that are found in the water we use for reefing (because it’s not boiled and handled as sterilized before use) and that shrimp fed lots of carbon and ammonia for two weeks, a cycling chart shows about ten days for basic ammonia control. Change out the wastewater for new clean water and you can begin with a new light bioload and work up. I do not recall one single example in all of reefing where someone shrimp cycled for two weeks, changed water and couldn’t carry a starting common bioload. You don’t have to wait the several more weeks it would take to fully rot the shrimp and clear out all the stinky waste water, you can peel all that back with a water change now and what’s left behind on the rocks as filter bac is your functioning initial layer. If it was only five days I wouldn’t think that’s long enough, but two weeks is

 

[WaterMarque]

If you just changed out the water for clean water and started skimming you can carry a typical starting bioload now

half a month is fine unless you planned on loading the tank with heavy fish and feeding, most won’t do that because it’s a disease risk

that’s enough time for rocks and surfaces to take on filtration bacteria that are found in the water we use for reefing (because it’s not boiled and handled as sterilized before use) and that shrimp fed lots of carbon and ammonia for two weeks, a cycling chart shows about ten days for basic ammonia control. Change out the wastewater for new clean water and you can begin with a new light bioload and work up. I do not recall one single example in all of reefing where someone shrimp cycled for two weeks, changed water and couldn’t carry a starting common bioload. You don’t have to wait the several more weeks it would take to fully rot the shrimp and clear out all the stinky waste water, you can peel all that back with a water change now and what’s left behind on the rocks as filter bac is your functioning initial layer. If it was only five days I wouldn’t think that’s long enough, but two weeks is

Thanks for the detailed reply! My target is a big water change this weekend, test parameters, and contemplate some starting clean up crew. Will start a build thread as well to keep my content in one place. Thanks for your help.