New tank smells really bad and is cloudy

[altinure]

hello everyone,

i purchased a 5 gallon tank with a power filter yesterday. not knowing that i needed to cycle and the associates giving me horrible information, i came home with a few fish and a pleco. they told me to purchase algea wafers for the pleco, so i did. i got the tank set up, and i let it run for a while before adding the fish. i add the fish, and everything is fine. a few hours later, i feed them, adding half a wafer. the wafer just broke down, and sunk into the gravel.

this morning i awoke to find the tank cloudy, and it smelled really bad. i researched online and found out the associate sold me all the wrong fish, and that i need to cycle my tank. i took the fish back, and i came home with one danio (because they were out of platties). i took out 50% of the water, and added new water, and then i added the fish. it started out fine, but now the tank is cloudy again and it smells really bad. that area of my dorm room is starting to stink.

what exactly should i do? should i get a gravel vaccuum and vaccuum out everything in the gravel? or is my tank already screwed?

thanks.

 

[Funny Pie]

Usually you need to cycle the tank with NO fish for at least 48 hours for the bacteria to grow. Take your fish back, get your money back, reclean the gravel and put the water back in and dechlorinate it and let the filter and the heater cycle it and heat it for at least 48 hours, more would be better but i think the minimum is 48 hours. Wiat for other people to replay cause thast what i know about cycling lol

 

[fish_keeper2]

ok heres what i think you should do. first just take down the whole tank and clean everything except the filter and filter medai....put that into a container of tank water. then set it back up. then you can either do a fishless cycle if you have a source of ammonia, or you can do a fish cycle with a few hardy fish such as danios(ull need to move them else afterwrds as they arent suitable for a 5 gal) then once you are sure the tank is cycled then you can get the fish you want.with a 5 gallon you can really get very much. 2-3 guppies or plattie(males so they dont breed) 2-3 pigmy corries, a few endlers or dwarf plattie, maybe(not sure though) 1 dwarf gourami or honey gourami....thats about all i can think of. also if you have another tank that is cycled and has fish then you can do whats called seeding. you add the filter media from an established tank and a few fish and the tank is practicly cycled. remember though with seeding you need to add fish when you add the filter media as the bacteria only live as long as they have a food source.

 

[fish_keeper2]

i was gonna give you the link on here on cycling but i cant seem to find em any more. other people will come and help you out more.

 

[altinure]

i was gonna give you the link on here on cycling but i cant seem to find em any more. other people will come and help you out more.

[snapback]903423[/snapback]​

yeah, right now i'm just going to cycle the tank with a danio. i'm ordering a small gravel filter pump thing online and then a water testing kit.

do you guys know if a water heater for a tank will be ok in an acrylic tank?

thanks.

 

[fish_keeper2]

is it called aquaveiw 5 or something like that. i have one stored away somewhere(i should dig it out and use it)if so i use a 50 watt heater in mine. any that are made for 10-15 gal tanks are fine. it wont matter to the acrylic just as long as it doesnt touch the tank.

 

[altinure]

is it called aquaveiw 5 or something like that. i have one stored away somewhere(i should dig it out and use it)if so i use a 50 watt heater in mine. any that are made for 10-15 gal tanks are fine. it wont matter to the acrylic just as long as it doesnt touch the tank.

[snapback]903438[/snapback]​

i actually have the minibowl 5 gallon. i'll probably pick up a heater then as well.

thanks.

 

[fish_keeper2]

oh i have 2.5 mini bowl stored away some where too along with who knows what. i personaly dont like the lighting much but each to thier own.

 

[altinure]

oh i have 2.5 mini bowl stored away some where too along with who knows what. i personaly dont like the lighting much but each to thier own.

[snapback]903443[/snapback]​

yeah, the lighting is really bad. it's yellow light. but oh well.

 

[cyprinut]

Did you take the pleco back? With enough room to grow those things will reach 18 inches in length. I had one outgrow a 30gallon (125 litre) tank inside of 18 months. Good luck!

 

[altinure]

Did you take the pleco back? With enough room to grow those things will reach 18 inches in length. I had one outgrow a 30gallon (125 litre) tank inside of 18 months. Good luck!

[snapback]904046[/snapback]​

yep, i took it back. i just have a danio now because they didn't have any plattys anymore.

 

[kimbowee]

Where are you located?

If you are determined to cycle with fish then the best advice I can give is to pick up a product called Bio-Spira. It needs to be properly refrigerated or it won't do any good. It supposedly cycles the tank over night. I have not used this product so I can't give you personal advice but others on here have & have done so without any fish loss. I know it is available in the US.

 

[fish_keeper2]

if its not avalable to u in any lfs near you you can order it online....i post links as soon as i find them.

 

[Wiggler 1]

heres a link to fishless cycle if you want to read it....http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=73365
you do not have to get rid of your Danio, I do fish cycled using Danio's
clean your aqaurium and gravel...put in new treated water put your 1 fish
back in ...feed only every few days...this store which you bought everything ask
them if you can have a handful of their gravel out of a tank, if yes keep it moist and you put it in your tank ( I ussaully put it in tupperware so I dont mix up different gravel or colour) and you will get a cycled tank in about a week....

dont put anymore fish in till you are sure tank is cycled buy a test kit

 

[altinure]

heres a link to fishless cycle if you want to read it....http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=73365
you do not have to get rid of your Danio, I do fish cycled using Danio's
clean your aqaurium and gravel...put in new treated water put your 1 fish
back in ...feed only every few days...this store which you bought everything ask
them if you can have a handful of their gravel out of a tank, if yes keep it moist and you put it in your tank ( I ussaully put it in tupperware so I dont mix up different gravel or colour) and you will get a cycled tank in about a week....

dont put anymore fish in till you are sure tank is cycled buy a test kit

[snapback]904473[/snapback]​

i got a gravel vaccuum, and a ph test kit today. i emptied all the water out except for a bit in the gravel, but i got all the debris out (there was a lot already, wow). and i added fresh water, and i put the danio back in. she seems a lot happier now. the water is no longer cloudy, but the smell is still kind of there.

i tested the pH and it came out to be pretty alkaline at 7.8, which i assume is so high from the ammonia, and the ammonia was at .05 ppm.