Fishless cycling and smelly water

[Jadisan]

I recently got an 80 gallon tank & have been using ammonia according to the
instructions for fishless cycling. It's been going really well, it's been
about two weeks and my nitrites are now spiking. The ammonia is still quite
high so I've cut way back on adding any more. Today I opened it to get test
water and Lord does it smell weird. I think it kinda smells like a compost
heap, but my boyfriend is voting for skunk. Is this a normal thing? Should I
change the water & start over? The water is supposed to get changed when
it's fully cycled, but if this gets any worse I may just do it sooner.
Thanks, Gwyn

[NetMax]

"Jadisan" > wrote in message
news:t8jzc.28615$2i5.3348@attbi_s52...
> I recently got an 80 gallon tank & have been using ammonia according to
the
> instructions for fishless cycling. It's been going really well, it's
been
> about two weeks and my nitrites are now spiking. The ammonia is still
quite
> high so I've cut way back on adding any more. Today I opened it to get
test
> water and Lord does it smell weird. I think it kinda smells like a
compost
> heap, but my boyfriend is voting for skunk. Is this a normal thing?
Should I
> change the water & start over? The water is supposed to get changed
when
> it's fully cycled, but if this gets any worse I may just do it sooner.
> Thanks, Gwyn


I use a single ammonia dose to fishless cycle. It sounds like you are
the doing the daily dosing. I suspect that if you are at the nitrite
spike, you could probably do a 50% water change without doing too much
harm (and stop adding ammonia).
--
www.NetMax.tk

[Jadisan]

"NetMax" > wrote in message
.. .
> "Jadisan" > wrote in message
> news:t8jzc.28615$2i5.3348@attbi_s52...
> > I recently got an 80 gallon tank & have been using ammonia according to
> the
> > instructions for fishless cycling. It's been going really well, it's
> been
> > about two weeks and my nitrites are now spiking. The ammonia is still
> quite
> > high so I've cut way back on adding any more. Today I opened it to get
> test
> > water and Lord does it smell weird. I think it kinda smells like a
> compost
> > heap, but my boyfriend is voting for skunk. Is this a normal thing?
> Should I
> > change the water & start over? The water is supposed to get changed
> when
> > it's fully cycled, but if this gets any worse I may just do it sooner.
> > Thanks, Gwyn
>
>
> I use a single ammonia dose to fishless cycle. It sounds like you are
> the doing the daily dosing. I suspect that if you are at the nitrite
> spike, you could probably do a 50% water change without doing too much
> harm (and stop adding ammonia).
> --
> www.NetMax.tk
>

Did the change, it helped for a little while but now it's just as strong.
How strange. Thanks for the answer.