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Post by brinsc on Jan 28, 2004 20:20:44 GMT -5
I have a 5 gallon tank that we tried to have guppies in (only 2 or 3 at a time) and after the fifth (and final) guppy died....the girl at the pet store told me that betta fish are alot easier to take care of and I wouldn't have to worry about the whole "cyclying" thing....
So now I have a new betta (Sapphire....beautiful!)...and he has a big ol' 5 gallon tank all to himself...LOL...he seems really happy...and I am relieved not to mess with a filter and all of that...
But thinking about doing 100% water changes every 2 weeks is starting to make me think.....it is very cumbersome (and heavy!) and I've read alot here about how cycling is much better to do.....but I am leary about it after having all my guppies die!!!
Just how do you go about cycling? I have a small Whisper filter (for 2-5 gallon tanks).....what else do you need to do? Buy some other fish to put in there to cycle it for him?
I'm sorry to sound so stupid about this....but I just want to do what's best for the fish....what do you all think?
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Post by abm on Jan 28, 2004 22:22:57 GMT -5
Brinsc, Let me preface this by saying I have personally not yet made the "cycling" plunge...I do plan to upgrade but want to be able to give it my undivided attention. Also, your pet store clerk actually said something correct - you don't "have to" mess with cycling - it's just something you CAN do to create a biological cycle within your tank that will be self-sustaining - more like nature. That being said - in my time here on the HB forum I have heard nothing but good comments about the "fishless" method for cycling a tank - avoids the stress on the fish and is apparently easy to do. You can see full instructions on BettaMVP's website: webpages.charter.net/bettamvp/index.htmlHer site has other useful info you might want to wander through, too  If you're at all like me, as a new betta owner you want to gobble up all the info you can to do the best you can. You arent' actually saying that you would subject other fish to the stress and discomfort that cycling can cause, just to make a betta happy? This IS a betta fish website, but we like ALL fish around here to be happy and healthy! Although that's a kind thought towards Sapphire - I think you should check out the fishless method - just get another container to keep Sapphire in during the process, which takes about a month to 6 weeks if I read the instructions correctly. For the time being, 100% water changes aren't nearly as bad as they sound. Sort of gives me personal time with each fish  |
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Leigh
Junior Bubble Nester
Posts: 106
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Post by Leigh on Jan 28, 2004 22:44:09 GMT -5
ABM pointed you to the right place. I did not find this information until after I made the mistake (at the advice of the pet store!) of buying the tank, putting distilled water  in it, then just adding Kaluha. Luckily I had (against the advice of the pet store!) bought a test kit and quickly saw that I had a problem. I did not have another tank to "borrow" gravel or a bio wheel from so I used Stress-eze. It seemed to work for me although I have heard good and bad about it. I tested the water often and was able to control the process. It took almost 6 weeks before all of the tests were in range consistently. That being said, it was worth the effort and now maintenance is a breeze and I know that Kaluha is living in a healthy environment. With the Python to help with the partial water changes and frequent filter pack (not bio wheel ;D) changes, I receive compliments on how "sparkling clean" my 5 gallon tank is. Little do they know how effortless it really is!! |
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Post by abm on Jan 28, 2004 22:48:09 GMT -5
Leigh, you inspire me  I may have to get a larger tank sooner than I'd planned...you make cycling sound like FUN! ;D I'll keep you posted.... |
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Leigh
Junior Bubble Nester
Posts: 106
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Post by Leigh on Jan 28, 2004 22:53:59 GMT -5
ABM:
Go for it ;D You will love it! Just be sure and buy a Python before you do. I bought the small gravel vacuum initially and ended up with water all over my floor. While it accomplished the task at hand (partial water change ;D) I needed a better way.
I think that it was BR who suggested the Python and I went out immediately and have been thrilled with it. I can do a water change in less than 5 minutes.
Good luck
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Post by Emerson on Jan 29, 2004 7:02:14 GMT -5
I have a 5 gallon tank that we tried to have guppies in (only 2 or 3 at a time) and after the fifth (and final) guppy died....the girl at the pet store told me that betta fish are alot easier to take care of and I wouldn't have to worry about the whole "cyclying" thing.... Obviously another ill-informed pet store worker. You're not trying to move your aquarium, are you? Moving an aquarium full of water will cause damage. You will need to buy a siphon and siphon it out into a bucket. I use a Marineland kit, but there are many good ones out there. It is a better long-term solution for larger aquariums. But it will take a little time and patience, and you'll need to carefully watch the water parameters. You can cycle it with your Betta, although a fish-less cycle is better. As far as supplies, you'll need a filter and you'll need a heater. 25-watts works nicely in 5 gallons, but I've also used 50-watts without a problem. You'll also need test kits for PH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrates. I know it might sound a little daunting, but I knew *nothing* about cycling when I bought our first 5 gallon tank, but it turned out to be relatively easy to do, and took only about 2 weeks give or take. Not at all! I think you are to be commended for caring so much about your Betta. |
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Post by brinsc on Jan 29, 2004 11:57:20 GMT -5
Well...yes, I DID move the whole tank to the bathroom to change the water and clean everything (after all the guppies died...before I got my new betta).....because the girl at the pet store said that I needed to rinse out all the gravel and plants and stuff and then start over....so it was daunting! I do have a siphon/gravel vacuum cleaner thing....is that how I should do 100% water changes? Just siphon it ALL out and not worry about rinsing out the gravel and plants? That might not be TOO bad....I think I can deal with that...LOL Also...I have a question about changing the water.... They told me that I should use regular tap water...and put that dechlorinator/conditioner stuff in it...and then let it sit out overnight before putting the new water in....but then....if you do that.....how do you get the temp. of the new water back up to 78 degrees or so?? Do I have to buy a whole other heater just to do changes? And 5 gallons is ALOT of water to have sitting out like that....I don't know if I even have something big enough to hold all that water while it sits....Can't I just use lukewarm water (making sure it's 78 degrees) from the tap and then after it's all filled up....add the dechlorinator?? Help...LOL  |
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Post by abm on Jan 29, 2004 13:17:05 GMT -5
Hi again, Well, the pet store girl was actually partly right - you DO need to rinse out all the plants, gravel etc. especially when preparing to put a new fish into an old fishie's home. My largest tank is 2.5 gallons, so I do 100% changes every week to 2 wks (depending on how much aged water I've got ready to use). When I change my water I rinse everything and as long as your tank isn't cycled, I assume that you would need to do this also, regardless of the tank size. Hopefully others will comment here to correct or clarify... Aging the water has several purposes: the temperature will be constant/even throughout; the pH and other readings will have time to equalize (read BettaRic's horror story under the Urgent heading if you are curious as to why pH is such a big deal - I test mine when I fill my jugs and then again BEFORE I add it to the fishtanks. Range between these two tests is often from 6.2 when I fill to 7.4 when I'm ready to do the water change  . 7.0 is ideal for bettas and you can (you probably know this) purchase chemicals to raise or lower the pH - but I have found through experience that the pH will stay ideal longer if you age the water for at least 48 hrs before you need to use it. Using the chemicals does change it initially but adding any chemical to the water is potentially dangerous to the fish, and it doesn't seem to "hold" as long as allowing time to equalize things. You can buy 5 gallon buckets at Home Depot for not very much money (I don't have mine yet - still using 6 1-gallon water jugs  ) and use a heater to maintain its temp at the same temp as your fishtank. (Yes, you probably need a heater for your water change water. Sorry:)) Although I haven't done it yet, since you already have a 5-gallon tank and are thinking about it, I would recommend that you cycle the tank. Once cycled, you will never have to do 100% change again and the fish's environment will be self-sustaining. |
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Post by Emerson on Jan 29, 2004 18:31:31 GMT -5
Well...yes, I DID move the whole tank to the bathroom to change the water and clean everything Well, you'll just want to avoid that in the future, because it can stress-fracture your tank. ABM is right; you will need to do this if you don't cycle. Cycling really would make life so much easier for you in the long-run. No, it will all have to be rinsed out every time you do a water change, if you choose not to cycle. Also, you probably already know this, but never use soap or any other cleaners when you rinse out your tank and decorations. If you need more information on cycling, let us know...there is a lot of good information on the web and, with the right tools, it's really not as hard as it sounds. sef |
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If you're at all like me, as a new betta owner you want to gobble up all the info you can to do the best you can. 
in it, then just adding Kaluha. Luckily I had (against the advice of the pet store!) bought a test kit and quickly saw that I had a problem. 
I may have to get a larger tank sooner than I'd planned...you make cycling sound like FUN! ;D
. 7.0 is ideal for bettas and you can (you probably know this) purchase chemicals to raise or lower the pH - but I have found through experience that the pH will stay ideal longer if you age the water for at least 48 hrs before you need to use it. Using the chemicals does change it initially but adding any chemical to the water is potentially dangerous to the fish, and it doesn't seem to "hold" as long as allowing time to equalize things. 
) and use a heater to maintain its temp at the same temp as your fishtank. (Yes, you probably need a heater for your water change water. Sorry:))