setting up tank and its stinky and cloudy

Question
QUESTION: I bought a used 20 gallon tank and washed it all out and put the water and put the water conditioner in for the tank to cycle. After about 3 days the water went cloudy and my husband said it smelled bad-so I emptied it out and washed all the art plants and decorative rocks and boiled the bottom rocks and started it again. It was good for 2 days and now it's back to cloudy and musty smelling which you can smell from the filter (oh yeah-I put in a fresh filterand charcoal each time ). Any ideas how I can get rid of the smell so he will let the children keep the tank? thanks debbie

ANSWER: Debbie,
first off what are art plants and decorative rocks ?
what are they made of?
what did you use to clean the tank>?
and what did you add to the water?>
At this point the tank should be crystal clear and have no odor at all.
With out fish there should be nothing in the tank to cause it to foul out.
That leaves us with what is in the tank now, if you can give me the details perhaps we can come up with a solution to the problem, I will wait to hear back from you.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The plants are the platic ones you buy for fish tanks and there are cave looking tunnel type of rocks,also sold at fish stores. I just sprayed the tank out with a high powered hos and I added 2 capfuls of  Topfin Water conditioner per the petstore lady. I put regular tap water in and has the filter and carbon and heater and has water from the filter for oxygen. I read this somewhere and wonder if it might be true? "Your fish tank needs bacteria to decompose fish waste, if you clean your tank completely, you kill the bacteria. You need to cycle your tank....

Go to the pet store and buy some beneficial bacteria.. and do not empty your tank again... let it run for a while until all the bacteria is created...

Once the bacteria is there do only a 25% water change once a week....

Be patient, once your tank stabilizes the nitrogen cycle the smell and cloudiness will go away

Thanks for all your help and can't wait to hear from you. Thanks
Debbie

Answer
Debbie,
the tank will make its own bacteria for cycling automaticly all you have to do is not overshoot the biofilter untill it is established.
25% is too much unless there is a large tank load, 10% twice a week is better than 25% all at once.
Smaller amounts don;t disrupt existing conditions.
Cloudyness is a result of a bacterial bloom,looks like someone put milk into the tank. This will dissappear on its own you cannot water change your way out of it, if you do a water change its like adding gas to a fire, the new water is fuel for the cloud producing bacteria.
So let your tank be and it will stabilize.
There should be no smell at all at any time, if there is a smell it should be "earthy" not fishy.
unless you tear down and sterilize the tank and all its contents you cannot kill all the bacteria, and even if you do, more show up automaticly.
However if you have a filter cart. from an established tank you could use that to jump start your system, just filter your water thru it, in lieu of that you could just squeeze the filter into the tank.
I am not crazy about topfin products, I take it your are shopping at PetCo.
If possible find a shop that you can build a trust with, almost the same as a car dealer. You need to find someone who can give you the information that you need BEFORE things happen.
Let me know how things go...