New Tank Problems-No Fish Yet!

Question
We set up a new 36 gal freshwater tank about 5 days ago.  We are using sand in the aquarium and have put our plants (artificial) and the sand in the tank.  The filter has been running for several days now and we added the dechlorinator yesterday.  The water is now a white cloudy color and it has an odor (like the elephant house at the zoo).  We washed everything before we put in the tank, including the sand.  And we do not have any fish in the tank yet-we were waiting to let the dechlorinator cycle through.  Is it the sand causing this, or something else? Please help!

Answer
Angela,

You have asked this question to someone that thinks sand is not a good idea in a fresh water tank. I do know that people do use it and if you decide to keep it, i think that coral sand is the best. As far as the clouding of the water, that is normal. A tank filter needs at least 2 weeks to cycle, but I like to wait 3 weeks before putting fish in.  As for the smell, do you use carbon in the filter? Some people say it works good other say you don't need it. I have Betta's and I do not use filters at all. Water changes do the same thing. If there is a smell, then there is a problem in the tank somewhere. Make sure you clean the hood very well along with any lips in the tank. Sounds like bacteria is running wild in the tank. I would do a very large water change maybe 25 % now and 50% in two days. After the water changes i would run charcoal in the filter for a few days to help get rid of all the bad stuff that is floating around. Vacuum the sand very well, since sand tends to compact. It you continue to have this problem then do another 50% water change.

If the smell is like "rotten eggs" then i would say there is Hydrogen Sulfide in the tank.
If the smell is more like mold then most likely Cyano Bacteria is in the tank. Make sure the filter is working properly cause sometime these bacteria are brought in via the filter.

I hope this helps you out and that you find the culprit launching the bad smell. If none of this works, please let me know.

Good Luck