How long can I keep standing water?

[sashimimaster]

So I've come to a delay in my 650g build. Got too much going on right now to get my tank running. I'm pretty much done with the build and I had to make some enhancements to the sump for excess capacity.

I have never had any fish in it yet. But I do have some driftwood in there and black sand. I rinsed the sand out a little before I put it in and the water is so cloudy visibility is about 6". There is no flow since I haven't turned on the pumps yet. So it's been sitting there with 650g of water in it for over a month. There's no smell so I don't think there's anything biological except for the driftwood. My question is this. When I do get around to starting it up and cycling should I change the water or can I just run it and the filters will eventually clean up the cloudiness? I kinda don't want to have to change 650g worth of water because my water change system only works with overflow water so I would have to add more in order to change some.

 

[leather]

Pretty good question, I wouldn't risk it but would be curious to see if everything was fine if you didn't. If you put even just a sponge filter with an air pump in there now it would clear it up and keep it stable. It's cloudy from being stagnant.

I would change it though, its not worth risking, bacteria could have started to grow in there.

 

[sashimimaster]

There's no smell at all. I would think that if there was some sort of bacteria bloom it would stink a little right? With no fish waste there's no nutrients for bacteria to grow on. Then again the driftwood would have some. The water temp has been hovering around 61 F. So maybe it's too cold for any type of large bacteria growth.

I guess I'll try and change a majority of it. I just don't like the thought of using stagnant water to start cycling a tank with.