cloudy/murky water during fishless cycling in small tank?

Question

i am a first-timer and i have a 28L (around 6-7 gallon) tank. I dont understand all the amonia and nitrite stuff i find on the internet... i only know how to test the PH. my local aquarium guy has taught me so much but never told me anything about the sciency stuff. he just told me to turn on the filter and air pump for at least 4 days (its a pretty smalll tank). but now the water is all cloudy and murky(excuse spelling!!) and the PH shot right up to alkaline is there something i am doing wrong? how can i make it better? It also smells a bit strange...
Why might it stink?

thankyou peetee

Answer 1

You say you are doing a fishless cycle, but have you added any ammonia or cycle product to the water?

The nitrogen cycle works like this: Your fish produce nitrogenous wastes in the form of Ammonia. Ammonia is highly toxic to fish, but fortunately beneficial bacterial colonies get established and change the ammonia into nitrites. However, nitrites are equally toxic, so you have to wait for additional bacteria growth and converts the nitrites into the less lethal nitrates. And you control the nitrate level through weekly water changes.

Here's what you want to happen when you cycle an aquarium -
1.) Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates are all 0 ppm.
2.) Ammonia level spikes - up around 1 ppm, nitrites 0, nitrates 0
3.) Ammonia level starts to decrease and you get a reading of nitrites 1 or less, nitrates are still 0
4.) Finally your Ammonia level is 0, your nitrite level is 0 and nitrates below 40 ppm

Now your tank is completely cycled and ready for fish. This can take 6-8 weeks.

Edit: if you are doing a fishless cycle, there is no reason to do any water changes. This will slow down the process. Save the water changes for when you have fish.

Unless you've added a 'cycle' product or ammonia, I doubt that you are experiencing a bacterial bloom. You say your filter is running, but did you put in a filter media? If you use a media with activated charcoal, that should take care of your smelly tank problem.

Answer 2

That's a bacteria "bloom" and you'll just have to wait it out. You can do small water changes to control the smell,but there is no filter fine enough to filter these guys out. When they run out of what ever they are living on they'll just disappear.
Also nothing bad makes the pH go up. Quit testing it and rely on small water changes to keep everything in balance. I wouldn't put any fish in there for a while,but a tiny amount of fish food will help start the cycling process when the tank is cycled it will clear up. Be patient
By small water changes I mean about 20% of the tank volume once a week. It may take a few weeks before everything balances out,so don't get in a hurry.

Answer 3

I had the comparable question so i went to my close by puppy shop and asked the guy mentioned it rather is using fact over feeding so as that they pee plenty it makes it foggy.additionally 1in. of fish consistent with gallon.