tank with no fish- why does it smell/get cloudy? how do i stop it

[blancolobster]

Hello,

I have been working on a project recently that involves displaying some inanimate objects (some fake flowers etc) inside of aquariums. There are no fish in the aquariums, and the aquariums themselves are relatively new (only a month old). But after a few days, the water starts to smell bad even though there is nothing living in the tanks(at least nothing that isn't microscopic). I filled them up with normal NYC tap water.

The tanks are getting sunlight and will continue to do so due to the nature of their environment. Their getting sunlight causes the water itself to become slightly cloudly over a couple of days due to the growth of algae, however I have been told there isn't much I can do about this. Someone at an aquarium store told me that the filters that exist clean fish food, feces, organic matter etc, but would not filter the algae out of the water really.


Does anybody have any suggestions as to how I can prevent the tank from getting smelly? The water is being circulated by a very powerful pond pump if that matters at all

Thanks so much!

 

[stbarnabas]

If the tank is getting a lot of sun light then the tank is gOing to turn green its either you install a uv lght or get a clear water for fresh water not sure the exact name , also try to put filter .. Pump that yOu installed is to just circulate the water not to clean it ..

 

[jcdeng]

sunlight can incubate bacteria and alage, do you have any water movement inside tank? any filters?

 

[masterswimmer]

I think carbon would help with the smell, and as mentioned above a UV sterilizer to help with the algal growth.

Russ

 

[Arati]

you have to keep the water air ated and moving or it will stagnate

 

[Imbarrie]

It would also help to use distilled or RODI to fill them.
Less crap in the water to fuel any growth.

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

Is the smell like rotten smell or is it like green grass smell? If former, it's dead organics decaying, which should be clearing after3 4 days for fresh water and like a week or two for SW.

I assume you are break down the setup anytime soon like in a trade show display.

Add a finer filter cloth, < 100 micron to the filter so that ALL water must pass thru, this depend on your filter. When the bacteria start to grow they clump up the dead organics and make the water slightly more cloudy at first but then will fill stuck at the filter pad especially your now finer filter pad. You can use those water conditioner such as Cycle to seed it with initial bacteria to jump start the growth. When the BIO filter starts to work, the water don't smell any more. Your tank is not for live animals, nor plants, you can get chemical that control algae. Most LFS would not recommend them to you unless you tell them that there are not live animals in the aquariums.