New 20 gallon tank question(s)

[koopa]

Hi, my tank is about in the 2nd week, I put 2 clownfish 2 days ago, they look fine but yesterday didn't want to eat pellets. Recently my, liverock n surface of live sand turned brown. I put magnesium n calcium additives. My question is how I can speed up the nitrogen cycle? I saw the aquarium shop selling super bacteria..will using tht effectively speed up nitrogen cycle? Thx in advanced. FYI -'m using a hang on filter and a hangon zebo 180 protein skimmer

[Chameleon Bob]

The brown is from a Diatom Bloom which is normal in a new tank in its first month. It usual takes 2 weeks to a month for the food that diatoms eat to disappear. Using those bacteria IMO will do nothing for this. Using a phosphate remover, silicate remover and time are the only things to effectively stop and prevent it from coming back.

[metalhead]

There's nothing you can do to speed up the cycle, it just takes time. The clowns you added are doomed, take them back where you got them before it's too late and wait 4-6 weeks before you add anything else. The bottled bacteria you've seen is a gimmick, it will do nothing to speed up the cycle.

Read all the stickies on here, buy a book and do some research... The fact that you're adding livestock to your tank before the cycle is complete tells me you still have a lot to learn.

[koopa]

My hang-on skimmer has been on and it caused a havock when the water surface was slightly below it making the fish to be drunk. Ok..so can I cycle my tank with a protein skimmer and a filter? is that possible? thx for the answers

[twisted]

first of all, you shouldnt have added anything to your tank for at least a few months. you will most likely lose what you have already put in there. read the stickies and you will learn why you probably signed your percs death warrant.

[koopa]

first of all, you shouldnt have added anything to your tank for at least a few months. you will most likely lose what you have already put in there. read the stickies and you will learn why you probably signed your percs death warrant.

You must be twisted and sadistic to give my clowns a death warrant before they're even dead yet. First of all, I got a filter that has biological, chemical, and mechanical filtration in one: which cleans the poison in the water...and moreover I got a zebo protein skimmer that cleans even more of the poison inside. And last but not least..we're talking abt a 20 gallon tank..which will probably take 2 weeks to cycle compared to your monstrous 40-100+ gallon power guzzling tanks that will take 1-2 months to cycle because of the mere size of it alone.

[metalhead]

You must be twisted and sadistic to give my clowns a death warrant before they're even dead yet. First of all, I got a filter that has biological, chemical, and mechanical filtration in one: which cleans the poison in the water...and moreover I got a zebo protein skimmer that cleans even more of the poison inside. And last but not least..we're talking abt a 20 gallon tank..which will probably take 2 weeks to cycle compared to your monstrous 40-100+ gallon power guzzling tanks that will take 1-2 months to cycle because of the mere size of it alone.

You have absolutely no idea what you're even talking about!

[twisted]

You must be twisted and sadistic to give my clowns a death warrant before they're even dead yet. First of all, I got a filter that has biological, chemical, and mechanical filtration in one: which cleans the poison in the water...and moreover I got a zebo protein skimmer that cleans even more of the poison inside. And last but not least..we're talking abt a 20 gallon tank..which will probably take 2 weeks to cycle compared to your monstrous 40-100+ gallon power guzzling tanks that will take 1-2 months to cycle because of the mere size of it alone.

i am twisted but not sadistic...well, maybe a little......seriously though, tank size doesnt matter, the fact is that it takes over 2 months for a tank to mature and be ready for fish. your filtration does nothing more than what i use in my wifes 20 gal. do your homework and by that i dont mean ask your fish store guy. read and you'll find that our advice, though a bit forward at times, is based on experience and ALOT of time researching. we take the time to visit your thread and respond because we care about the life in the fish tank and want you to have a great experience with your tank.