Cycling or The lack of ???

[hound]

I set up a 45 gallon reef tank on Dec,28th.I have 10 gallon sump,P skimmer an a cellpore Bio rocker filter for getting the nasty out of the tank.I'm using 50 lbs of live rock for the base of the reef.I put 4 small fish in for starting the cycle.I've tested the water ever two days or so.The fish seem to be doing fine no signs of stress,But the tank won't cycle.All the water test come out to zero but the Nitrite it going off the chart.My live rock is starting to turn a dull rust color.Help is there anything I am doing wrong or anything I can do to get the tank to finish cycling? HELP!!!!!!!!! <img src="graemlins//confused.gif" border="0" alt="[confused]" />

 

[ny reef]

have you checked for phosphates??

 

[treble]

Well eventually sometime the nitrite has to turn into Nitrate, and that rust color are little things called ditrus. They eat all the crap that doesn't get taken out. Turn off the skimmer.

 

[hound]

No I haven't tested for Phosphates.Never even took that into cosideration.As for turning off the skimmer it just strarted foaming two days ago.So I'm not so sure about doing that?However my lfs said I should take out the Bio rocker filter.
Phosphates help to produce algae right? so how would that keep a tank form cycling???
An thanks for the Imput

 

[cyn]

Another vote to turn off the skimmer. The skimmer is removing junk that is needed to fuel the cycle. I am not familiar with your other filter, but I would shut down the skimmer for now.
Yes, phos. feeds alge.
HTH,
cyn

 

[hound]

Well i did it turned off the skimmer. Going to give it a try for a week or so an see if it works.It's hard keeping the kids at bay.They've picked out their favorite fish an don't understand that they have to wait before we can add them. <img src="graemlins//yeahright.gif" border="0" alt="[yeahright]" />

 

[hound]

Just an update skimmers been off two days, Nitirte down from 1.0 to .4 ppm. Everything else still reads zero.Thanks for the help.