100% water change???

[jasong8301]

ok, i have only one 10 gal. tank, and a couple of bowls...if i do a 100% water change, do i have to keep my betta in a bowl for 4 weeks or whatever it takes for the new water to cycle??...there has got to be an easier way...does the water have to be cycled...when i first got my betta i didnt cycle it and he seemed just fine after he acclimated to the water.....any suggestions or tips?

 

[Karah's_Mommy]

Which of the tanks are you planning on keeping the betta in ? the 10 gallon ?

 

[jasong8301]

yeah, i have him in there now and my female in a 2.5......but when i want to do a 100% water change what would be best thanx

 

[Synirr]

Assuming the 10 gallon is filtered, you shouldn't do 100% water changes on that. A tank that size is relatively easy to cycle, so just do normal 10-25% weekly water changes on it. Anything smaller than 5 gallons is pretty hard to cycle and keep stable though, thus the 100% water changes. Bettas can live in uncycled tanks as long as you do 100% water changes so that wastes can't build up

 

[jasong8301]

great, i use a corner filter with carbon and cotton stuff.....if that is the case then should i be able to use his water(10gal) to put into her bowl when i change her water?

 

[Synirr]

great, i use a corner filter with carbon and cotton stuff.....if that is the case then should i be able to use his water(10gal) to put into her bowl when i change her water?

...Why would you want to? Unless her bowl has a filter it's not going to cycle anyway. There isn't enough bacteria in the water to make a difference, so you'd just essentially be giving her used water.

 

[Karah's_Mommy]

I would strongly recommend cycling your 10 gallon tank. Here's a link to fishless cycling, the best way IMO to cycle a tank.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=73365

You should do some research on cycling, what it is and how it works.

The bowls you can't cycle. You'll do 100% water changes once a week if it's 1 gallon or bigger, and more frequent changes if they're smaller. I age and dechlorinate my water at least 24 hours before i use it, but I've heard that others use fresh dechlorinated water. Make sure it's the same temperature as the old water, and I float my bettas in the new water for 15-20 minutes before putting them back in their tanks.

If you have any questions about fishless cycling after reading the article I linked, feel free to pm me. I've done it a few times and would gladly help explain anything that isn't totally clear.

 

[jasong8301]

ok i see now, i thought i had 2 use cycles water to put my fish in...i guess i confused it with ageing.....so as long as i dechlorinate it and do a 100% water change at least once a week it should be ok? thanx a lot

 

[Saucy]

Yep, you've got it right now. Bettas are great about 100% water changes. That's what I do on nearly all of my tanks (except one 5-gallon with my dwarf puffer, and my 20 because that would be nuts to do 100% changes on).

Just dechlorinating and letting it sit to get too room temp will be perfect.

 

[Booboo puppy]

If you are doing a 100% change, where does the betta go while there is 0 water in the tank being changed? Do most people keep a separate container to put the betta in during the change? Do you put the fish with some of the "old" water into the extra container during the water change? Then put the fish into the 100% new water?

George is in a 6 gallon and I usually do 50% changes so he doesn't have to be moved around. Barracuda is in a 1 gallon. I still only do 50% change for the same reason, but I'm concerned that this isn't the best plan.

 

[LifeBear]

I usually keep my bettas in a cup of old water while I am doing the change. Then, with the new water in the tank, I either scoop him out with my hand and plop him in the new, or just pour the cup of old water into the new, depending on how I am feeling that day. I figure 1 cup of old water isn't going to foul a gallon of new fresh water too badly.

I keep 2 liter bottles after they get emptied (doesn't usually take long around here) to age my water in. They don't take up too much space and can be kept just about anywhere, under the sink, in the laundry room, closet, etc.

 

[Booboo puppy]

Thanks!