skimmer and lights during cycle?

[jaiden]

I just started a fishless cycle... should I be running my lights and skimmer? I just have NO now

 

[xxmoorishmanxx]

lights wont hurt i would turn the skimmer off

 

[Nels22]

lights won't add an increase of bacterial growth?? lights on for how long? and when would it be a good time to turn of the skimmer, for beak in and getting the elements out of the water. TIA

 

[sevise]

I'm just finishing up my cycle now. Originally I would only have the lights on for a few(<3) hours a day. I was told the lights would only cause nuisance algae growth. I did run my prtein skimmer at max. It took out alot of crap. Once the ammonia started to drop and the die-off stpped the ammount it removed dropped drastically. As I noticed the macroalgaes growing I slowly increased the light period.

My cycles been going for about 4 weeks and the Nitrites are tapering off. The macro algae has begun to take off, I'm transferring some of it into the fuge. I haven't had any diatom or cyano outbreaks. 3 Crabs did make it through the cycle and there slowly eating the 'fuzz' on the LR.

 

[malkore]

during the cycle there really shouldn't be anything to skim out. if you run it, run it on low so it just circulates water and breaks in the skimmer.
I'd run half the lighting on the tank. You'll likely get a diatom bloom no matter what...I'd rather get it started when the tanks cycling than add my fish and corals and inverts and then have the brown gunk kick in.