Cycling betta tank for my mom, advice

[SABWARNER16]

Since finding this forum, I’ve been posting multiple times a day so I’m sorry if you see me multiple times on here but I had so many questions built up and calling local pet retail stores was a dead end because they weren’t really able to answer my questions.

So my mom wants a betta and wants to do it right and is willing to learn and buy all she needs to have a healthy one. I myself and still learning but I think I know the basics. I will be visiting her in two weeks and was thinking it would be nice and easier for her if I could get her tank supplies and get the cycling process started, so we MIGHT possibly be able to add a betta when I bring it to her (ideally, but we will wait if it’s not ready yet). I’m currently trying to cycle an empty tank of mine as guinea pig using the Fritz Ammonium chloride and see how long that will take to cycle. I wanted to see if anyone had any other methods that were on the faster but still effective side OTHER than adding a cycled filter because I don’t have a spare I can put in.

Thanks!

 

[Essjay]

You could use live plants if you think she's be OK looking after them. Fast growing floating plants are best rather than slow growers like anubias, java fern and moss balls. Plants take up ammonia as fertiliser and if there are enough of them they'll use all the ammonia made by the fish.
If you set the tank up now, the plants could be growing well enough in 2 weeks, though you would need to empty the tank to transport it, another reason for using floating plants.

 

[AbbeysDad]

This may help:
https://mjvaquatics.com/cycling-a-new-aquarium/

 

[SABWARNER16]

So I have a 25 gallon that isn’t quite cycled, but we are getting there. It has been up for a month so I would think there’s at least SOME beneficial bacteria in there right? If I squeezed it in the water of my moms new tank, do y’all think that would help?

 

[GFAJ]

Definitely. Some of the bacteria would be dislodged and fall. Just do it directly in your moms media and not in the water to help them a bit. If you have a way (cercamic media etc.) adding some of the media from the maintank to the small will definitely help

 

[SABWARNER16]

Definitely. Some of the bacteria would be dislodged and fall. Just do it directly in your moms media and not in the water to help them a bit. If you have a way (cercamic media etc.) adding some of the media from the maintank to the small will definitely help

Okay this is where I’m a little newbie. When you say “media” what are you referring to? I have the hang on filter with the little cartridges that go in. But I keep hearing “media” and I guess I should know what that is haha

 

[Essjay]

Media is what's inside the filter - cartridges, sponges, ceramic beads or noodles, filter floss etc.

Those cartridges in your filter are probably like a bag filled with carbon on a plastic frame? And the instructions say to change them every few weeks? Don't, your bacteria live in them. Just wash them in water you take out during a water change.

 

[SABWARNER16]

Media is what's inside the filter - cartridges, sponges, ceramic beads or noodles, filter floss etc.

Those cartridges in your filter are probably like a bag filled with carbon on a plastic frame? And the instructions say to change them every few weeks? Don't, your bacteria live in them. Just wash them in water you take out during a water change.

Okay I understand. Yeah I was told not to change it which makes sense because then you’d be losing all the bacteria you’ve grown. Thank you for the explanation, makes sense