Skimmer On or Off duirng Cycle?

[jimc58]

I have heard both ways and I'm hoping to get a concensus.
Thanks!

 

[ebeckels]

my vote = OFF

 

[fshhub]

off, it removes the nutrients that feed the ammonia cycle that you want to breed your bacteria, so definitely
OFF

 

[wildblue4]

i cycled my tank just fine leaving my ps running the whole time. just my two cents.

 

[tyrfing]

Took me forever to cycle my tank. Once I turned the skimmer off, it was done in a week. Water will stink and you'll get a film on top, but it will cycle.

 

[jmesmcm]

I would vote off. Don't want to remove too much until the tank has cycled. I cycled my tank before I purchased a protein skimmer and added the skimmer about 6 months after the tank finished cycling.

 

[chainsaw5vent]

i ran my h.o. berlin during the cycle. my problem was the lighting. once i turned off the lights, the diatom bloom ended

 

[jimc58]

Thanks everyone for your input. Looks like Off has it. I did have it running but it is now turned off. I am cycling with LR and have gotten past the ammonia spike (level is back to zero). But, the nitrites remain very high and they didn't seem to be going down. I hope turning off the skimmer for now will help.
Thanks again to everyone!