cloudy and smelly tank

[not so master reefer]

i have my new 20g tank for like a week. i didnt cycle my tank :D it has cloudy water, and a bit smelly. i changed my water twice, but still cloudy.what should i do?how about the smell,is that normal?

[Chad Hughes]

Well, if it's only been up for a week, then you are still cycling. What's in the tank? You could add carbon until it cycles to take out the odor. The cloudiness is likely a bacterial bloom which is good. You're going to have to wait a couple of weeks until your cycle is complete.

Best wishes!

[not so master reefer]

yes i have carbon media in it.i already have fish in my tank,are they going to be fine?should i leave my filter and light running?should i do water change?

[Chad Hughes]

It's odd that you have odor with carbon. How often do you change your water? Also, what kind of fish are you cycling with? What are your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate readings?

[not so master reefer]

the water parameter are all good. i have 3 small convict cihclids. the odor is not that bad, you will only notice the odor if you sniff the it. i did 25% water change twice this week.

[JFlo]

If I remember from when I had convicts, they should be fine during the tank cycle as long as you keep on the water changes. However, they are prone to become stunted as a result. They might not grow as large as they normally would.

[DiscusOnly]

I have mostly discus so my experience with other fish is limited but I recently got an adult flowerhorn and I noticed that he smells compare to discus. Not sure if that is the case for cihclids.

My tank is not cloudly and well established with WC ever other day.

[poconogal]

i have my new 20g tank for like a week. i didnt cycle my tank :D it has cloudy water, and a bit smelly. i changed my water twice, but still cloudy.what should i do?how about the smell,is that normal?

Not So Master.... please don't be offended by this but I recommend that you buy a good beginner's book on fishkeeping. It will save you lots of headaches and probably save a lot of fish's lives too.

[not so master reefer]

yeah i should get one. its sometimes good to hear other's experience and im really thankful for those people who really helped me out!

[not so master reefer]

If I remember from when I had convicts, they should be fine during the tank cycle as long as you keep on the water changes. However, they are prone to become stunted as a result. They might not grow as large as they normally would.

after the cycle, how much water change should i do?can i make 100% water change?

[rickztahone]

the water parameter are all good. i have 3 small convict cihclids. the odor is not that bad, you will only notice the odor if you sniff the it. i did 25% water change twice this week.

when you say that all your parameters are good can you please specify? it seems like you are a beginner (please do not take as an insult) and sometimes it might be difficult to know what the parameters really mean. what are you testing for?