Can I do this...

[J.S.]

OK here's the deal. I have a 20gal SW tank with a Via Aqua Multi-Skimmer in
my bedroom (small apt). It's still in its cycling phase, but I plan to
eventually add 2 maybe 3 small fish, some coral, and possibly an anemome. Oh
and a cleaning crew. Anyways, my question is this. The Multi-Skimmer is one
loud @ss skimmer/pump that doesn't let me sleep. Would it be ok if I were to
turn it off for a period of 6-8 hours during the night and instead run an
air pump with an airstone in the tank? This would probably only be for
3-4nights a week. Oh and there will be some circulation inside the tank by a
pump thats in there. I hope you all say yes, if not I'll probably do it
anyways It just won't let me sleep and I've thought once or twice about
gettin rid of it. But I would like to keep it, it is just a nice little
setup. Anyways, your opinions would be great.

Oh also, my tank has been cycling for 2 weeks now and there's still no algae
growth and the levels are still high. What gives? Do I gotta wait a little
longer?

J.

[Richard Reynolds]

> OK here's the deal. I have a 20gal SW tank with a Via Aqua Multi-Skimmer in
> my bedroom (small apt). It's still in its cycling phase, but I plan to
> eventually add 2 maybe 3 small fish, some coral, and possibly an anemome. Oh
> and a cleaning crew. Anyways, my question is this. The Multi-Skimmer is one
> loud @ss skimmer/pump that doesn't let me sleep. Would it be ok if I were to
> turn it off for a period of 6-8 hours during the night and instead run an
> air pump with an airstone in the tank? This would probably only be for
> 3-4nights a week. Oh and there will be some circulation inside the tank by a
> pump thats in there. I hope you all say yes, if not I'll probably do it
> anyways It just won't let me sleep and I've thought once or twice about
> gettin rid of it. But I would like to keep it, it is just a nice little
> setup. Anyways, your opinions would be great.

as for turing off the skimmer yep itll work fine, skip the air stone though, especially at
night.

> Oh also, my tank has been cycling for 2 weeks now and there's still no algae
> growth and the levels are still high. What gives? Do I gotta wait a little
> longer?

which levels are a high and how high is high, however generally 2 weeks is NOT long
enough, 4 is kinda minimum

> J.



--
Richard Reynolds

[J.S.]

No airstone? What about oxygen? There wouldn't be any other way for the
tank to get oxygen.

The levels are:
Ammonia - 0.25
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 15ppm
pH - 8.2



"Richard Reynolds" > wrote in message
news:dzMMb.9504$ct4.3051@lakeread05...
> > OK here's the deal. I have a 20gal SW tank with a Via Aqua Multi-Skimmer
in
> > my bedroom (small apt). It's still in its cycling phase, but I plan to
> > eventually add 2 maybe 3 small fish, some coral, and possibly an
anemome. Oh
> > and a cleaning crew. Anyways, my question is this. The Multi-Skimmer is
one
> > loud @ss skimmer/pump that doesn't let me sleep. Would it be ok if I
were to
> > turn it off for a period of 6-8 hours during the night and instead run
an
> > air pump with an airstone in the tank? This would probably only be for
> > 3-4nights a week. Oh and there will be some circulation inside the tank
by a
> > pump thats in there. I hope you all say yes, if not I'll probably do it
> > anyways It just won't let me sleep and I've thought once or twice about
> > gettin rid of it. But I would like to keep it, it is just a nice little
> > setup. Anyways, your opinions would be great.
>
> as for turing off the skimmer yep itll work fine, skip the air stone
though, especially at
> night.
>
> > Oh also, my tank has been cycling for 2 weeks now and there's still no
algae
> > growth and the levels are still high. What gives? Do I gotta wait a
little
> > longer?
>
> which levels are a high and how high is high, however generally 2 weeks is
NOT long
> enough, 4 is kinda minimum
>
> > J.
>
>
>
> --
> Richard Reynolds
>
>
>
>

[jpg]

turning the skimmer off is fine,running the stone is fine.the water
parameters will stabalize after 6-8 weeks .are you using some kind of
biological starter?


--
jpg

jay the reef keeper
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[J.S.]

Yeah, Cycle. Is it too early to add a cleaning crew?


"jpg" > wrote in message
...
>
> turning the skimmer off is fine,running the stone is fine.the water
> parameters will stabalize after 6-8 weeks .are you using some kind of
> biological starter?
>
>
> --
> jpg
>
> jay the reef keeper
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> jpg's Profile:
http://www.reef-chat.com/forum/member.php?action=getinfo&userid=11
> View this thread:
http://www.reef-chat.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=7404
>

[battlelance]

On Tue, 13 Jan 2004 14:25:35 GMT, "J.S." > wrote:

>No airstone? What about oxygen? There wouldn't be any other way for the
>tank to get oxygen.

Surface agitation should be sufficient. Airstones don't magically pump
O2 into the water, and while I'm no expert, I don't think they are all
that efficient.

Every well matured salt water tank I've seen is just fine without that
ugly stream of unnatural bubbles :)

[Richard Reynolds]

> No airstone? What about oxygen? There wouldn't be any other way for the
> tank to get oxygen.

you only need to use airstones if you are significantly overstocked, something that YOU
ARE NOT GOING TO DO (HINT!!!!) the water movement from a surface level or higher return is
plenty.

> The levels are:
> Ammonia - 0.25
> Nitrite - 0
> Nitrate - 15ppm
> pH - 8.2

I wouldnt add anything until ammonia drops even more so to cleaning crew

--
Richard Reynolds

[Ray Martini]

Looks like you're just getting started with the ammonia spikes. Next will
come the nitrite spikes. 4 weeks, possibly more for the nitrogen cycle to
complete. I did a tank one time with live rock and dry sand. I set it up,
turned off the lights and ignored it for a month. At the end of the month it
was all set.

Patience is big thing in this hobby as frustrating as that can be.

"J.S." > wrote in message
...
> No airstone? What about oxygen? There wouldn't be any other way for the
> tank to get oxygen.
>
> The levels are:
> Ammonia - 0.25
> Nitrite - 0
> Nitrate - 15ppm
> pH - 8.2
>
>
>
> "Richard Reynolds" > wrote in message
> news:dzMMb.9504$ct4.3051@lakeread05...
>> > OK here's the deal. I have a 20gal SW tank with a Via Aqua
>> > Multi-Skimmer
> in
>> > my bedroom (small apt). It's still in its cycling phase, but I plan to
>> > eventually add 2 maybe 3 small fish, some coral, and possibly an
> anemome. Oh
>> > and a cleaning crew. Anyways, my question is this. The Multi-Skimmer is
> one
>> > loud @ss skimmer/pump that doesn't let me sleep. Would it be ok if I
> were to
>> > turn it off for a period of 6-8 hours during the night and instead run
> an
>> > air pump with an airstone in the tank? This would probably only be for
>> > 3-4nights a week. Oh and there will be some circulation inside the tank
> by a
>> > pump thats in there. I hope you all say yes, if not I'll probably do it
>> > anyways It just won't let me sleep and I've thought once or twice
>> > about
>> > gettin rid of it. But I would like to keep it, it is just a nice little
>> > setup. Anyways, your opinions would be great.
>>
>> as for turing off the skimmer yep itll work fine, skip the air stone
> though, especially at
>> night.
>>
>> > Oh also, my tank has been cycling for 2 weeks now and there's still no
> algae
>> > growth and the levels are still high. What gives? Do I gotta wait a
> little
>> > longer?
>>
>> which levels are a high and how high is high, however generally 2 weeks
>> is
> NOT long
>> enough, 4 is kinda minimum
>>
>> > J.
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Richard Reynolds
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>

[Billy]

"Ray Martini" > wrote in message
...
| "J.S." > wrote in message
| ...
| > No airstone? What about oxygen? There wouldn't be any other way
for the
| > tank to get oxygen.


Coming into this thread late, but I wanted to point out something.
Airstones are NOT *the* source of oxygen for your fish, at least, not
precisely. Air\water contact is the source of oxygen. A powerfilter
stiring up the water at it's outflow is a way to do this. A powerhead
pointed upward breaking the surface tension is another. Sump overflow
constantly changing out the surface is another. An airstone will do
this as well, but it's not the end-all.