Havent cycled - already have a fish

[jessriggy]

Hey guys!
I recently got a betta and a tank as a present (animals as presents, not a good idea) and I had no idea about cycling. Put him in, all good. But when i sat down to google, i realised that my tank hadnt cycled and the horror stories have really spun me into a state.
What can I do to help my fish? Should I take him out and cycle the tank? All I have on me at the moment is HP strips, water conditioner, bio-active rapid start, stress coat and stress zyme.
I just did a 30% water change and added some of the bio-active rapid start and conditioned it, but I'm still really worried.
He seems okay and has been eating, but I really can't look at him at the moment because I'm worried get myself more worked up about it.
Any advice will be great, i really dont want to lose him!

 

[captaincritical]

Hi there,

Don't panic, it sounds like you're on the right track!

Lots of people here have completed fish-in cycles with success. It is definitely possible as long as you're diligent, and it sounds like you are. So long as you keep up on water changes and keep using your conditioner, things should go smoothly!

The good news is that a single betta doesn't have much of a bioload and so is less likely to succumb to ammonia poisoning or issues with nitrites on its own. Doing water changes will minimize the stress on your betta and ensure he's not swimming in his own waste.

What size tank do you have? Is it filtered? Heated?

 

[jessriggy]

Both filtered and heated, i've got it at 25 degrees celcius at the moment! He seems fine, has been swimming around and he's not all clamped up. There's an almond leaf in there for him aswell.

It's a 15litre/4 gallon tank, i know it's a little small so i do plan on purchasing a larger tank but I'm just using the one I got with him for now (thank god it's not one of those itty-bitty boxes, i couldnt live with myself)

How often do you think i should do water changes, and how much of the water? When i do the change, should i just condition it/remove chlorine or should i add anything else?

 

[captaincritical]

It sounds like he's doing well! He's lucky to have gone to such an attentive owner. =)

Don't worry, a 4g tank is much bigger than a lot of bettas get and should work just fine for the moment.

My best advice would be to pick up an API Master testing kit for freshwater as soon as you can. That way you can keep track of water parameters and have exact figures instead of guessing. You can pick them up for around $25 on Amazon and they're well worth it. I use mine almost every day!

For now, I would probably do a 50% water change daily until we know exactly what's going on in the tank. The good thing about a smaller tank is that it's easier to do water changes. Keep adding your conditioner and the bio-support. I can't guarantee the latter will help, but it certainly won't hurt.

It's easy in this hobby to let anxiety take hold, especially with all the horror stories out there. I used to wake up every morning expecting all of my fish to be dead. It sounds like you're doing the best you can with the situation you've been given and you're doing a great job.

 

[librarygirl]

Hi and welcome! I would ditch the strips and get a liquid test kit; the API Master kit is one of the best and has everything you'll need. Just test the tank water daily for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. When ammonia and/or nitrite are over .25, do a water change to get it down. Let the test dictate when to do water changes and how much (e.g. if ammonia reads .5, a 50% water change will bring it down to .25, etc). Only thing you need to add is dechlorinator. Here are some guides that might help if you haven't seen them yet:
I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?! - Aquarium Advice
Guide to Starting a Freshwater Aquarium - Aquarium Advice

 

[pollex.jaypee]

I salute you
Your betta is very lucky to have an owner like you.
What type of filter do you have? Hm.If you want to speed up the cycle process, you can put in filter media from an established tank.
Relax!I think you're doing really great.

 

[jessriggy]

thankyou you're all making me feel alot better about it! I keep sneaking up to the tank and peering at him just to check.
I'm going to go out and grab a master test kit tomorrow They're pretty expensive when i've looked online (about 50 dollars, lord help me) but if i find him floating it'll be much worse.
I've got a Haiyang mini internal aquarium filter, sponge. The smallest i could get for the tank so that he's not flopping all over the joint
for reference, he looks like this!

one thing i am a little concerned about though, is he seems a little swollen in the front. I've tried to get a photo but he's in a weird position at the moment, this is the best i could get

possibly overfeeding? I don't think i have but you never know! He's eating blood worms at the moment, that come in frozen blocks specifically for bettas This good, or should i swap to pellets? they seem more popular

 

[captaincritical]

I think that's just a full belly, to be honest. How often are you feeding him?

 

[timewind]

That is a beautiful fish. In a large amount of water, for a single beta. Over feeding is probably the biggest risk for him right now.

Invest time reading about betas, in books and on the internet, they come from a different habitat, and live differently than many other tropical fish. Although they have gills they do most of their breathing at the surface of the water using their "labyrinth organ," a kind of primitive lung that helped them survive in their original muddy, warm, oxygen poor habitat.

 

[Pandicorn]

Whaaaaat? I got my liquid API test kit for 21$... Beautiful Betta!


Cycling 45 Gallon. ???

 

[jessriggy]

Whaaaaat? I got my liquid API test kit for 21$... Beautiful Betta!


Cycling 45 Gallon. ???

ended up being 70 dollars, RIDICULOUS Australian prices. I was going to wait for it to come online but it wasnt worth the risk.

 

[Pandicorn]

ended up being 70 dollars, RIDICULOUS Australian prices. I was going to wait for it to come online but it wasnt worth the risk.

:/ That stinks. At least your fish will appreciate it!


Cycling 45 Gallon. ???