How Long To Cycle?

[danny101]

Hey everyone,

Ive got a 5gal tank ready to go, and ive got a lovely CT on hold for me, but my hold time would be up soon!

I know a tank is cycled whan its cycled, regular water checks etc...

but if anyone can give me an idea of how long with water treatment obviously..if i have a rough idea then i can try to convince the breeder to hold it for me


Thanks

Danny

 

[OhMyDog]

I've never cycled a tank so I really couldn't tell ya how long but I've read in an LJ community that you can pour in a pack of Biospira right along with the fishy and everything should be "instantly cycled". I've never tried it though.

 

[Bettabelieveit]

If you're waiting to cycle the tank it could be 6 weeks. I'd just get a separate 1-2 gallon to keep him in until the tank is cycled. I doubt if the breeder will want to wait that long.

 

[Neal]

I've been told before, that you don't need to cycle a tank for a betta, but if you really don't want to take the risk, I suggest you check the begginer questions forum, it has advice in there about cycling and water treatment!

 

[danny101]

Thanks everyone, yeah ive read a couple of places that with water treatment it shouldnt take more than 24 hours.i'll check a few more links out

thanks

Danny

 

[diademhill]

Thanks everyone, yeah ive read a couple of places that with water treatment it shouldnt take more than 24 hours.i'll check a few more links out

thanks

Danny

Biospira is not available in England but there is another option. Boost the tank with filter media or squeezings from a mature tank.

 

[happyannie]

I don't think you really have to cycle a tank if you're only putting Bettas in there. I haven't done that as I've put them in uncycled glass bowls before. As long as you treat the water for chlorine, metals etc and have it up to a good temp for them.

 

[SkydiveSonic]

Although i only recently got my first betta, i didn't cycle the tank. I just put in water conditioner, left the tank running for about 5 days, and added "cycle" a couple of times. He seems to be really happy in there so i assume it's worked ok

 

[Neal]

Thats true, I didn't cycle my 2G and my betta is looking fine, it was all clean items in the tank too. Although I had two neon tetras and an albino pleco and they died, if I knew about cycling first then I would of done it, but it was after they died when I found out about this forum.

 

[sukie]

Well I'm kind of confused on what Danny101 means - "how long with water treatment"

Danny - if you're trying to cycle the tank, which is good because you have a 5gal tank and don't want to keep doing weekly water changes on that sucker ( I am soo lazy) then you can do the cycle w/ the betta living in the 5gal. You're going to have to monitor the levels and do partial changes weekly til the numbers are right on! That should take 6-8 weeks.

If you talking about how long does it take to treat water so it can be ready for the betta to live in. . . then some dechlor should do the trick (in seconds!!). But if you don't have the stuff then you can set the water out for a day and that's works just as good.

OMG - did I go into this too much???

 

[Neal]

I added my betta about an hour, and I didn't add anything to the water, I just left him in it. Sukie, you can never go into information too much, more information is better than less!

 

[sukie]

Yeh but sometimes more info confused the crap out of ppl (especially me! )

 

[danny101]

No sukie thats rine and i get what you mean! i meant how long until the water is safe if i added conditioner!

and you answered my question well! better than everyone else !!

Not that its a competition because i value all your responses and thanks to everyone my betta (a plakat now not a CT) is coming on saturday!



Thanks

Danny

 

[grahamsokel]

Well I'm kind of confused on what Danny101 means - "how long with water treatment"

Danny - if you're trying to cycle the tank, which is good because you have a 5gal tank and don't want to keep doing weekly water changes on that sucker ( I am soo lazy) then you can do the cycle w/ the betta living in the 5gal. You're going to have to monitor the levels and do partial changes weekly til the numbers are right on! That should take 6-8 weeks.

If you talking about how long does it take to treat water so it can be ready for the betta to live in. . . then some dechlor should do the trick (in seconds!!). But if you don't have the stuff then you can set the water out for a day and that's works just as good.

OMG - did I go into this too much???

Thanks you have just told me what i needed to know aswell
.I am about to fill some tanks and was wondering how long before i could ad fish.Not like i am impatient or anything

 

[Neal]

graham, bettas are hardy fish so you may need to do different options, dependin on the fish.