New Tank Set Up With Cloudy Water

[Hayley19]

Hi all,
 
I am very new to this and is have been reading the internet for days now and is have read and been told so many different things just wanted to see what you guys think.
 
I bought my first fish tank from a local pet store, it’s a 100L tank and came with a built in filter at the top, heater and lights.
 
I washed my gravel, 1 plastic plank and one ornament in the morning and added it to the tank. I left the tank and filled it with tap water and added Stress Coat dechlorinator to the water. I turned the filter and the heater on and left it overnight. There were lots of little air bubbles on the tank and the ornaments and i then realised from the thermometer that the heater was not working.
I took this back to the pet store and i exchanged it for a better brand and added this to the tank a day later. Along with the heater i purchased another ornament which i cleaned and added at the same time as the new heater.
 
Since having the new heater in the tank the bubbles have gone and overnight the water has turned cloudy.
 
I understand that this is a normal thing to happen, has this just happened now due to the heat being added?
 
I have read numerous amounts of threads on the internet and i am confused about what to do now?
 
local store where i got the tank advised to leave it for a few days and it should go clear? Or i could do a partial water change of around 10-20% water.
 
Luckily i have no fish in the tank so there is no harm to anyone at present.
 
I have read about fishless and fish cycles and didn’t know whether to just leave it for a few days and it was settled or if i do need to change the water or add anything to the water.
 
Kneeling down and looking at the top of the water level through the tank it does look like there is a bit of a film on the top of the water and it does smell slightly!! Please help

 

[fluttermoth]

The cloudiness is a 'bacterial bloom'. Basically, there are loads of spores of bacteria floating around in the air, and when they get into your tank (especially if it's warm) they go mad and reproduce. Eventually they will die off, so you don't need to do anything.
 
To do a fishless cycle (which we would all very strongly recommend you do), you will need to get some test kits (and all fishkeepers should have a set of test kits anyway) and some household ammonia (sold for cleaning). The ammonia can be hard to find in shops, but is easily available online.
 
It can all seem terribly confusing at first, but everyone here will support you and advise you; I suggest you have a look at some of the threads and articles in our 'Cycle your Tank' sub forum.
 
Hope that helps somewhat

 

[Hayley19]

Thanks Fluttermoth.
 
I have read loads of threads about cycling the tank and fishless cycles but i have read some contradicting things and just wanted some clarification.
 
I have got a testing kit and carried out a few tests before the water went cloudy and i was going to leave it until it cleared and then do the fishless cycle.

 

[fluttermoth]

You can start cycling now, as soon as you have some ammonia; the bacterial bloom won't help or hinder it. Unfortunately the bacteria in the bloom aren't the same ones that you need in your filter!