Hi all! Just a few things here. I have seen so many gorgeous bettas and I'd love to give one a home. I'm wanting to start either a 3 gallon or a 5.5 gallon tank for a betta. I currently have a 29 gal freshwater community tank that i started cycling in january of this year and was wondering how I would go about cycling a betta tank using some media from my established tank. Do I still need to dose ammonia? I'd appreciate any input. Thanks so much
Starting betta tank
- Thread starter Justme68
- Start date
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Justme68 said:
Yeah just take some of the old media and put it in the new (decor or plants would work too) and start cycling like u normally would. It doesn't take as long as it would if you didn't have the old media. Honestly I give 2 to 6 weeks compared to 6 to 8 weeks. Did that help any?
DavidAl
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Hi,
If your 29g is heavily stocked, all you'll need is a minimum amount of media to sustain the bioload of one betta. As RAH suggested, any decoration should fine. You won't need to add any ammonia, just feed very lightly for the next couple of weeks. If you're going to use a filter on the betta tank, and I suggest you do, borrow some filter media from the 29g. If you don't want to borrow any media, add media from the filter you will be using for the betta tank to the 29g so it can seed with beneficial bacteria. Wait two to three weeks and then start your new betta tank using the newly seeded media.
By the way, I hope you're done cycling that 29g!
David
If your 29g is heavily stocked, all you'll need is a minimum amount of media to sustain the bioload of one betta. As RAH suggested, any decoration should fine. You won't need to add any ammonia, just feed very lightly for the next couple of weeks. If you're going to use a filter on the betta tank, and I suggest you do, borrow some filter media from the 29g. If you don't want to borrow any media, add media from the filter you will be using for the betta tank to the 29g so it can seed with beneficial bacteria. Wait two to three weeks and then start your new betta tank using the newly seeded media.
By the way, I hope you're done cycling that 29g!
David
Thanks guys! You both helped? I'll use media from the 29 and not dose ammonia. I'll check my levels and make sure things are all good. Yes Dave, the tank is cycled. It took quite a while but I finally got it there!!!! ??
librarygirl
Look It Up
I'd go with the 5.5 gal over the 3. Just take a small amount of media from your 29 and add it to the new tank's filter. This should be enough to sustain a single betta. To be safe, test the water daily for a week or two and do some extra water changes if you see ammonia or nitrite spike up but if it does it should be temporary as the bacteria multiply. Get an adjustable heater and keep it at 78-80 for your betta. Get a good quality betta food and feed 2-3 pellets twice a day.
DavidAl
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I feed my betta Omega One flakes with Omega One pellets. Frozen and freeze dried foods for the occasional treats.
David
librarygirl
Look It Up
Omega or Hikari betta pellets. I also use New LIfe Spectrum community fish pellets. I rotate these so he doesn't get bored. Once a week or two I'll give him one or two frozen bloodworms as a treat. On Sundays he gets a couple of small pieces of thawed pea.
ktomminello
Aquarium Advice Addict
Definitely a 5.5g, you will find betta to be very forgiving of water parameters, but their fins aren't.... I'm in agreement on the hikari betta pellets. Be careful not to overfeed- it's easy to do considering their stomachs are the size of their eye. Removing uneaten food will help keep bioload down and keep bacteria from harming their fins. Betta's rule
