Using Seachem Prime daily in lieu of filter. How practical is it?

[khorshidbetta]

Hello,

I posted recently about moving my Crowntail Betta out of his 2.5 gallon rectangular tank and into a 3 gallon bowl. (I already have a Veilteil Betta in a 5.5 gallon tank, heated, filtered, and cycled. I am truly following the best practices in terms of betta care in that first 5.5g tank). So I know the bowl is not the best habitat. I was immediately advised not to use a bowl because its rounded nature could make the betta disoriented and lead to agitation. The glass bowl arrived yesterday and, purely from an aesthetic perspective, it is beautiful. I put the Crowntail in the bowl to see how he would do, and so far I haven't noticed issues with his behavior. In fact, he is quite active and inspecting his new surroundings. I will be adding more plants.

Now, regarding filtration: Currently, there is no filter. On my last thread a couple people had suggested the Walstad method if I was to go filterless. I need to do some more research on that, but I imagine it will take some to establish that. There is also a model of a filter I am considering for the bowl. In the meantime, until I get filtration sorted out for this bowl, I plan to dose the volume of the bowl each day with Seachem Prime. I understand this detoxifies harmful ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate for 24-48 hours. My main question is: how practical is this method? Can Prime actually serve in lieu of a filter/cycled tank if used daily?

I will be monitoring my betta Khorshid, and if he appears agitated in the bowl, I will remove him, and get him a larger rectangular or cube with a filter. In the meantime, I am seeing if I can after all make this bowl work for him.

 

[khorshidbetta]

... and I do also plan water changes of about 50-75 percent every 3-5 days. So how practical is that along with daily use of Prime dosed to the volume of the bowl?

 

[khorshidbetta]

I did not get responses to my post yesterday, but I wanted to send an update that I set up a 5 gallon tank for my Crowntail today. After having him in a completely circular bowl for 2 days, I realized it must in fact be incredibly disorienting. Now I have two different betta setups, 5.5 and 5 gallon rectangles, both filtered and heated. It is more than I intended for my 706 sq ft space when I first got into this hobby a few months ago, but at least I can be assured I am giving them both good homes. I started using Seachem Stability on the new tank today to get the biofilter set up. I will do water tests daily, and also use Prime as needed. I successfully cycled the first tank this way. However, any feedback or comments will be appreciated.

 

[mbkemp]

Get a bunch of hornwort, Anachris and salvinia and life is good

 

[Carrie1]

How about using a little bit of the media from your other established tank?

 

[khorshidbetta]

Carrie1, I would do that, but I have different types of filters in the two tanks. While they each perform three stage filtration, one has foam built into the cartridge for accumulation of beneficial bacteria, and the other has a separate compartment for a sponge. So I don't think that would work. As I mentioned though, I had success with Stability last time. I am thinking with just one betta in a 5g the bioload won't be too great, and I won't put the fish in a toxic situation, as long as I am monitoring the water and using Prime and performing water changes during the cycling process.

 

[khorshidbetta]

Thanks mbkemp for the plant suggestions!

 

[Carrie1]

You could squeeze some water out of your cycled filter into the new filter. Or even take a handful of your gravel or whatever substrate you have from the cycled tank and put it in pantyhose and put that in the new tank along with squeezing the water from the older filter and it might help some! Or if its an option you could cut a piece of the cycled filter and place in new filter? Sorry just spit ballin some ideas your way lol