5 gallon tank cycling.

[josh7]

For Christmas I'm buying my brother a small 5 gallon tank for his betta. It's will have a small micro heater and micro filter. But if I moved a piece of large sponge I have in my established tanks would that instant cycle the 5 gallon?

 

[Rivercats]

If you moved a big enough piece it should as a single betta is not going to produce much ammonia.

 

[josh7]

Ok I was jw! Also could I put a single java fern in the tank and perhaps some cherry shrimp or will the shrimp get eaten.

 

[Rivercats]

A betta will most likely hunt and kill the shrimp. On rare occasion you'll hear someone talk about how their betta leaves their shrimp alone but for the most part the shrimp are seen as food.

 

[josh7]

Alright that's what I thought the tank I am buying him is actually a 5.5 gallon 16x8x10. The tanks going to be black sand bottom with 2 or 3 java ferns. Could I possibly have a single betta with maybe pygmy cories that max out at 1 inch like 4 of them? Or a single snail to eat algae or will it eat his plants?

 

[Rivercats]

In a tank that small you can only do a betta, it's just too small for cory's, even the pygmy or dwarf ones.

 

[josh7]

Alright sounds good is there really anything I can get to control algae or is there really nothing so no algae eating snails or anything.

 

[Rivercats]

The trick is don't leave the lighting on too long. I'd start with 6 hours for 2-3 weeks then up it by 30 minutes, leave for 2-3 weeks and continue upping time BUT when/if you begin to see algae back your lighting down 30 minutes. I wouldn't go above 10 hours max. Also if you add a couple slow growing plants you could use a small dose of Excel daily which can also help keep algae issues in check but you don't have to do this as it's just an available option which may not work well with the age of your brother.

 

[josh7]

Actually some good news I got the ok to buy him a 10 gallon! Could I buy him as a stock 5 pygmy Cory's and some netrite snails to go with his betta and do netrites eat live plants?

 

[Piratechest]

Actually some good news I got the ok to buy him a 10 gallon! Could I buy him as a stock 5 pygmy Cory's and some netrite snails to go with his betta and do netrites eat live plants?

I have nerites in my planted tank, and they never go near my plants. 1 zebra and 1 leopard snail.

 

[josh7]

Alright sweet do they do a good job eating algae?

 

[Piratechest]

Alright sweet do they do a good job eating algae?

between the two snails and my 2 oto cats they did a excellent job on my 20g. I recently rehomed them with about 10 malysian trumpet snails in my sand bottom 55g

 

[josh7]

Awesome sounds good! I hope he likes his tank.

 

[Piratechest]

Awesome sounds good! I hope he likes his tank.

I would go with about 3 for the 10 gallon. They reach a decent size!

 

[Rivercats]

Actually some good news I got the ok to buy him a 10 gallon! Could I buy him as a stock 5 pygmy Cory's and some netrite snails to go with his betta and do netrites eat live plants?

Yes you can do the pygmy cory's and the nerites.