when to add skimmer??????

nu2salt

Reefing newb

how long do i need to what before i add my skimmer??
tank has been running for about 3 weeks
have 5 damsels
still going thru cycling
and 24 pounds of live rock
29 gallon tank
skimmer is a typhoon
the problem i have with the skimmer is that when i put the skimmer in it blows micro bubbles back into the tank alot of bubbles
 
It will do that until the BREAK_IN period is over on the skimmer.Put it on run it the bubbles will go away in a couple days .
 
thanks fishman but i ran the skimmer for a week and it never quit blowing bubbles talked to the guy who designed it and he said there was something in the tank that it was reacting to but i can't figure out what it could be????? the only thing that is in my tank chemical wise is PRIME water conditioner. do you have anymore suggestions??
 
Some water cond. will affect the skimmer ( slime coat, tap water cond.) When I make a water change I have more bubbles then normal for a little while. My skimmer has always put some bubbles in the tank. I have had no problems with fish , inverts, or coral. I would say give it some time and see what happens. Just my:twocents:
 
The water conditioner you're using probably contains something that enhances "slime coat" or aloe (most brands do). Both of those will make skimmers go crazy. My skimmer was spewing bubbles for about two to three weeks when I used a conditioner that had slime coat stuff in it. I switched to a brand that doesn't have any of that in it, and have not had problems since.
 
Insted of using water cond. check with LFS thay may have RO/DI water cheep. I get RO/DI water for 25 cents a gallon. Better then tap water. I had a problem awhile back with tap. I tested plain tap water and found amm. at 2ppm. From then on have not used it. Also with RO/DI you will not need to use the cond. so you will save money there also.
 
HI,
Have you checked for phos in your water, I had made the mistake of using some tapwater to replace some evap, and now when I take a water sample for testing it has amounts of phos . I ve read that most animals, plants , algae, will absorb it but will release it all when they die , example after a algae bloom die off ,this can cause another bloom. How much are you feeding your critters rinsing live food can remove a lot of that organic stuff example frozen shrimp,squid is pretty slimy..
I added a phos pillow that removes that and silica, incase any of that sand I bought at HD had silica.
Does your local fish store run all your testing for free. Thats a big plus.
Doug:sfish:
 
At this point let everything go for at least 3 months and see where you are at then. also look for any areas that air might be sucked in such as a loose fitting or improper adjustment of the skimmer. what kind of skimate are you getting if any and how much. if your skimmer is going crazy then just let things settle down in a month or so. To answer the question I do not incorporate a skimmer until the cycle is completed and I have need by indications of nitrate levels, repeated smaller cycles, etc. keep us posted.
 
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