Cycling- Is something wrong?

[OohFeeshy]

I am currently doing a fishless cycle on my new tank. It has been cycling for about 4 days. Today I noticed the water seemed a bit murky and smelt a bit. Is there something wrong? There are no live plants, just plastic.

 

[mrplaty]

do you have anitrate pad in the tank? when i first set up my tank i had a nitrate pad in their and i left it in there too long so it started to smell and the water turned a bit cloudy

 

[BobK]

What does it smell like? How much ammonia is in the water? Could that be what you're smelling?

 

[OohFeeshy]

I don't have a nitrate pad, no. It's hard to describe what it smells like- I suppose a bit like water left out to long. I really can't think of anything that could cause it, all i've got in the tank are a few plastic plants, a couple of ornaments, some gravel and a filter. I did a small water change earlier, a very little bit of improvement, but not much. I need to get a test kit for ammonia, I have one for everything else but didn't have enough money on me at the time.

 

[jflowers]

Are you adding ammonia? and if so how much? If you arn't adding ammonia then the cycle won't start.

P.s. If you are adding pure ammonia, where did you get it, as I want to fishless cycle next time.

Jon

 

[OohFeeshy]

I haven't added ammonia because I couldn't find any but Ive put some small brine shrimp in to produce waste, die etc. to produce ammonia.

 

[jflowers]

Yer, thats all I can think of doing when I do my next tank. Anybody from the UK know where to get pure ammonia from?

Oh and its probably the brineshrimp rotting thats causing the smell, dont do any more water changes, that wont help the cycle. How many did you put in?
[EDIT: Carbon in the filter can reduce the smell if its really bad]

Jon

 

[OohFeeshy]

Not may. Almost all are alive (amazingly). I just found half a packet of sea monkey eggs ().

 

[Slyspy]

You don't need lab grade pure ammonia. All you need is a non-soapy household cleaning ammonia solution. Try smaller shops because many chainstores do not seem to stock such products.

 

[Fiori]

Try an old fashioned hardware shop - just be sure that the household ammonia does'nt contain any perfumes or additives - other than water for dilution. I got some that was only 9% solution, but it worked

 

[OohFeeshy]

I just put a lamp near the tank (not a proper tank light, just a normal lamp. It's not permanent) and the water isn't actually that cloudy. It's probably my wallpaper, and it can't be the water quiality because the tests are fine and so are the fish.