Fishless Cycle Smell !

[webbo87]

Evening people
 
Im currently about 6 days into my fishless cycle having dosed the tank up to around 4ppm ammonia, got the heater upto about 29 and have a little amount of gravel from a friends tank in there, tests to date show the ammonia has dropped to around 2-2.5ppm and ph is 7.6. My problem is over the last couple of days the tank when i remove the hood it really smells like rotten eggs/sewer, now i have heard this is probably hydrogen sulfide which leads me to the question should i be concerned at this point ? i use a sand substrate which is around 2" deep is this ok ? i gave it a stir about today to see if this helps is there any other reason why this is happening or is it normal when fishless cycling ? Thanks in advance

 

[snazy]

It's not normal to have rotten egg smell and hydrogen sulfide to the point it smells. Stirring the sand will never get rid of it so I'd either change the sand for a coarser type, or reduce the amount of sand to 1" max. There's no reason why you want it deep, especially as it can become anaerobic like it already is and produce the wrong type of stuff like hydrogen sulfide.

 

[webbo87]

The sand itself is aquarium sand i thought it would be ideal, im using the 2" of it because im having a few plants in there and got told this is what depth it needs to be !! So would you say its this what is causing the odour ?

 

[fluttermoth]

I wouldn't have thought it was that, it takes quite a while for sand to go anaerobic (sorry to disagree with you, snazy!).
 
I would do a 100% water change and see what happens then, it could still be the sand. Have you got anything else in the tank (plants, rocks)? Did you see any bubbles coming up when you stirred the sand and did that make the smell worse? Could it be from your ammonia, or an overdose of dechlorinator (Seachem Prime smells of sulfur)?

 

[webbo87]

Currently at the moment the tank is bare untill the cycle is over, ermm not really stirred it up good was only really the sand i saw been kicked up ! ammonia using at the moment is the jeyes kleen off i think its called. So is your view 2" is ok for the sand really confussed at moment as i thought i needed this for growing any plants in the aquarium. If i did indeed empty all the water would this mean the cycle starting all over again ?

 

[fluttermoth]

I've had two inches of sand in my tanks for a couple of years, and have only ever had a couple of anaerobic spots, and the smell soon went when I stirred it up (didn't lose any fish either)
 
No, your cycle won't start all over again; it's really the stuff inside the filter (the 'media') that cycles, not the tank or water. To be on the safe side, so it doesn't dry out, I'd pop the media in a bucket of the old water while you do the change. You'll just need to top up the ammonia again once you've refilled. 
 
I know it's hassle, but see how it smells then. Give the sand another good stir about as well

 

[webbo87]

Ahh i see when you say media does this include (sorry for the newbie dumbness haha) the noodles and carbon bag etc in the filter or does the media just mean the sponge type items in the filter ? Il look into changing the water if the smell continues, thought it wouldnt be long before i came across my first problem haha ! thanks for your posts by the way appreciate the time

 

[webbo87]

IL see if smell goes by morning before deciding what to do

 

[snazy]

I've had sand in one tank for a year and a half. There are plants in it and I still don't have 2" of sand. I've never had rotting egg smell or anaerobic pockets but my sand isn't the finest one. It's average size is 0.9mm.
Sand can go anaerobic fast.  If your tap water is high on sulfates which happens, then a few chemical reactions, lack of oxygen in the bottom layers of the sand, and you get hydrogen sulfide. There are all types of bacteria that can die in between the sand parts feeding the bacteria that produces hydrogen sulfide so it doesn't necessarily need time or having fish and rotting food in it. This would make it worse of course.
I don't know how quickly it can happen but I know it isn't normal to be smelling it. Generally, there's some hydrogen sulfide produced in each tank but the "toxic" to fish dose is considered the one we humans can "smell". Lower amounts are undetectable.
 
Stirring the sand when there's debris, will just let more dirty particles to settle at the anaerobic layers of the substrate and create even more hydrogen sulfide so it won't stop it.

 

[webbo87]

Think i will change the water and see if smell continues !! really gutted at moment with this hold back was waiting for the ammonia or something to hold me back first lol

 

[snazy]

This won't hold you back with the cycling.
Are you sure it's rotten egg smell or something else. Perhaps from the ammonia you are adding?
You just need to address it and make sure it's sovled before adding fish.
What type of sand is it and how fine?

 

[webbo87]

Ive seen that banded about aswell ammonia build up etc see i had another smell not long ago not really bad its not a full on rotten egg smell like i have heard people saying its really bad and unbearable its more a earthy mild sewer smell not really egg now i think any idea if this is diffrent or still wrong ? The sand im using was from my LFS aquarium sand i paid a good bit to avoid any problems (i know play sand is way cheaper but wanted to do things properly in my mind haha)

 

[webbo87]

Update .. Asked the mrs to take a smell see what she thinks give her the 2 options of does it smell rotten egg or more earthy and she said deffo earthy doesnt smell like rotten eggs !! Now is this normal for cycling tank or tanks in general can anyone tell me thanks

 

[snazy]

It seems normal to me if it's an earthy smell.

 

[webbo87]

I have quizzed her good to as what she thought it smelt of deffo not a bad egg smell she said more like a earthy fertilizer smell was the closest to a smell she could explain haha more i smelt (close to the water i have to get to smell it) can say its not a rotten smell my mind most have been playing up with me that or because its my first tank thought there should be zero odour !! Thanks for your time tonight and last night by the way snazy and others with advice great forum instant answers brilliant stuff il keep a eye *and smell* on the tank as i continue to cycle it !