10G uncycled tank for my girls

[BettaMomma]

I don't want ANY flack for putting my girls into an uncycled tank. I will have none of it. I have done my homework on the consequences and with bettas I have learned it's not that big of a deal - SO PLEASE don't go off on a tangent about it.

What I want to know is....
I have had my tank up and running with plants in it for 2 days now.
I plan to dump my 4 or 5 girls (depending on how many I find this afternoon) into the tank tonight.
I want some advice on water changing right off the bat.
I have a gravel vacuum, I have the ammonia and otherwise testing kits so I just need a little guidance on how often to test, vacuum and water change. And how much?

I don't care if it takes me a year to get that damn tank cycled - I'll do daily water changes if I need to - but at the point I'm in right now, I kinda didn't have much choice but to do an uncycled tank for the girls.

Thx.

 

[3fsh]

Okay, here's what I would do...

a. Buy a small sponge filter and set it up in the back corner of the tank.

b. Get some beneficial bacteria from either some gravel or a sponge in another tank

c. Test every day until you see the slightest bit of ammonia

d. When you see the ammonia... do an immediate 25-50% water change


Your tank should cycle pretty quickly with the beneficial bacteria. I can even (if you would like) send you a piece of sponge with beneficial bacteria on it from one of my bettas tanks.

 

[BettaMomma]

Do I have to get this different sponge filter?
Can't I just go with what I have and pick up some seeded gravel at my lfs?
Would that work?

and how long, would you expect, with all those plants and 4- 5 fish would it take before I start to see any ammonia?

 

[3fsh]

I'm pretty sure that bacteria need oxygen in order to build up to beneficial amounts. You have two options... either buy/make a Co2 injector for your plants to oxygenate the water or buy/make a sponge filter. Here is a good DIY site for making a sponge filter -- http/www.petfish.net/sponge_filter.htm If you put in beneficial bacteria (gravel, etc.) at the very beginning with the filter, it should cycle very quickly. With 4-5 fish you should start seeing ammonia very quickly. I can't give you an amount of days or hours, because some fish are "messier" than others.

 

[newfishies]

didn't the tank kit come with a filter?

 

[GrullaQuarters]

My tank is much bigger than yours, but I think the same would apply....I usually do a 30-40% w/c every 10 days....sometimes 2 weeks. But we've got a big tank, with not that many fish in it. I have a Python system, and love it to death! I would NOT still have this tank if I had to mess around changing water any differently than I do!

I cycled my tank with fish about a year and a half ago. Just a few. For the first week, I just let things be...and after 7 days, I tested the water....and tested it daily or every other depending on what the readings were. If levels started getting close to a harmful range, I did a w/c, usually 50% while the tank cycled. I was told tanks usually take about a month to cycle. Mine took TWO.

I'm sure everyone has their own way of doing things....this is how I cycled my tank, and didn't get any sick or dead fish over it...so musta done things ok!

 

[BettaMomma]

Yeah - my kit came with a filter.
I have the filter going in there right now.

I'm sorry, I'm a complete cycling retard.
I've tried to understand it but I don't totally get it yet.

So, if I just got some seeded gravel from my lfs today, dumped it in and dumped in the fish at the same time, then I also need to buy a sponge filter? Can ya explain briefly what this filter will do that the other one won't?

 

[newfishies]

i don't think you need a sponge filter, if you already have another, just keep that running.... i think 3fish was just trying to find ways you could get bacteria from a cycled tank into your new one...

the seeded gravel will help to speed up the cycle, but you will still have to monitor the ammonia/nitrite levels and do partial water changes when they get too high

there are several good threads on cycling in the beginner's forum, if you haven't read them...

 

[BettaMomma]

Oh, I've read WAAAAAAAAAY more on cycling than I ever care to.
I just know that bettas are a tad bit different in how they work w/cycling, but not that much off the mark from other fish. And I kinda have a weird situation in that I can't wait to put my little girlies in until after it cycles cuz, well they're sitting on my entertainment center - one in a walmart cup and the other in a ball jar. And they're pissed. lol

Here's my plan then...
I'm going to stop by the lfs on the way home, and get a bit of seeded gravel.
I'll dump it into the tank when I get home, and let the filter sort of clear the water a little bit. I'll them dump my fishes into it (Assuming I can find some today that I like).... then I need to start testing levels right away (like tomorrow) - of everything. And do water changes when something's out of whack... correct?

 

[SRC]

Don't your other tanks have gravel in them..just use your own...atleast you know where it came from and what's been in with it.

 

[BettaMomma]

I do 100% water changes on all my tanks, all the time - nothing that's got bacteria in it.

 

[3fsh]

I'm sorry... I didn't realize that you had a filter running in your tank. ) Stupid, stupid, stupid... *smacks self in head* You don't need to add a sponge filter if you already have a filter running! Sounds like you've got everything figured out!

 

[BettaMomma]

Okay, good.

One last thing - would it be less stressful on my girls if I did get beneficial bacteria in there from gravel? Or does it not matter??

 

[lovebuzz]

Also if the plants are live it should speed up cycling a bit

Good luck

 

[nashnutny]

Take the gravel out from one of your tanks before you clean it and use that for seeding. Then you can add new gravel to the bowl you're cleaning. That's what I am going to do plus use a sponge filter that I'm using in the fry tank.