cloudy/murky tank during fishless cycling?

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? could it be that i left the lid of the tank shut? should i disconnect the lid?

Answer 1

When fish poop or any other substances decompose, ammonia is released. After there is plenty of ammonia in the tank, bacteria that "eat" ammonia will colonize the filter (the filter provides a large surface area for them to "chill"). As these bacteria "eat" ammonia, they produce nitrite. When the nitrite builds up, different bacteria colonize the filter and "eat" the nitrite, producing nitrate. When the nitrate builds up, different bacteria colonize the filter to VERY SLOWLY "eat" the nitrate, producing compounds that are rarely recognized and seldom tested for. These bacterial blooms cause the cloudy water you are seeing; this is a vital step in cycling the tank.

This should not affect your pH, but it would account for the smell. Your tank has essentially become a waste management center (which, as you might guess, would not smell too pleasant). Keep the airflow in the room fairly good and you won't even notice it. The pH should not affect the bacteria, so just let it go and it will settle down later (if the pH changed, you might have misread the test or performed the test incorrectly). Feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Soop Nazi

Answer 2

it quite is a micro organism "bloom" and you will in simple terms could desire to attend it out. you're able to do small water differences to regulate the scent,yet there is no clear out nice sufficient to clear out those adult males out. whilst they run out of what ever they're residing on they'll in simple terms disappear. additionally no longer something undesirable makes the pH circulate up. stop sorting out it and place self assurance in small water differences to maintain each thing in stability. i does not placed any fish in there for a at the same time as,yet a tiny volume of fish foodstuff will help start up the cycling technique whilst the tank is cycled it quite is going to sparkling up. wait and spot by applying small water differences I advise approximately 20% of the tank quantity as quickly as a week. it may take some weeks till now each thing balances out,so don't get in a rush.

Answer 3

I had the same question so i went to my local pet store and asked the guy said it is because over feeding so they pee so much it makes it foggy.also 1in. of fish per gallon.

Answer 4

if its an air bubbler filter then i personally reccomend that you dont use those if its a regular one then its normal and will go away in approximately one week