New betta keeper

[MsLiia01]

When is the ideal time to change the water for the first time. I set up the tank last sunday.

Thank you inadvance

 

[mrsjoannh13]

Is the betta already in the tank or are you doing a fishless cycle? I couldn't tell if there was a fish in the tank. I don't think I see one but just checking.

 

[MsLiia01]

He is already in the tank, sorry i might have uploaded the wrong picture

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Nice setup!

Have you cycled your tank yet?

 

[carligraceee]

When is the ideal time to change the water for the first time. I set up the tank last sunday.

Thank you inadvance

When I bought my betta, I never cycled my tank. If you clean it regularly and keep Prime in it you should be fine. Cycling seems to work well for large aquariums.

 

[MsLiia01]

When I bought my betta, I never cycled my tank. If you clean it regularly and keep Prime in it you should be fine. Cycling seems to work well for large aquariums.

I have a large tank, 40LT. When would it be best, once a week? Once every fortnight?

 

[FFGuest6357]

Yea, you’re going to want to read up on cycling an aquarium.

You will also want to get yourself some water testing either strips or liquid kits.

If you don’t have these, you don’t know when the ammonia, nitrite or nitrates are getting too high to stress out or kill your fish.

ammonia and nitrites are meant to be at 0ppm, otherwise you’re stressing out your fish and leaving them either susceptible to disease or infections, or straight up killing them with these toxic chemicals.

if you are getting ammonia and nitrite levels you should be doing large water changes daily to lower these until your cycle has completed and your aquarium has built up enough beneficial bacteria to break these compounds down into less harmful nitrates, and nitrates should be water changed out weekly or enough to keep them less that 20ppm.

you can use a liquid bacteria to help boost your cycle, but it’s not a quick fix.

 

[carligraceee]

I have a large tank, 40LT. When would it be best, once a week? Once every fortnight?

How many gallons is that? Sorry I am American-

 

[FFGuest6357]

How many gallons is that? Sorry I am American-

That’s roughly 10gal

 

[carligraceee]

Yea, you’re going to want to read up on cycling an aquarium.

You will also want to get yourself some water testing either strips or liquid kits.

If you don’t have these, you don’t know when the ammonia, nitrite or nitrates are getting too high to stress out or kill your fish.

ammonia and nitrites are meant to be at 0ppm, otherwise you’re stressing out your fish and leaving them either susceptible to disease or infections, or straight up killing them with these toxic chemicals.

if you are getting ammonia and nitrite levels you should be doing large water changes daily to lower these until your cycle has completed and your aquarium has built up enough beneficial bacteria to break these compounds down into less harmful nitrates, and nitrates should be water changed out weekly or enough to keep them less that 20ppm.

you can use a liquid bacteria to help boost your cycle, but it’s not a quick fix.

This is so different because I have only had bettas until recently and I have NEVER cycled their tank. I just cleaned it once a week and conditioned it well with start up bacteria as well.

 

[carligraceee]

That’s roughly 10gal

Oh, then you might want to cycle it. I was under the impression it was a normal betta tank (which is commonly around 3-5 gallons, at least the ones I have seen). So, yes. Cycle it because that is a lot of space where bad bacteria can grow. I am currently going through the same issue with my 10 gallon.

 

[FFGuest6357]

This is so different because I have only had bettas until recently and I have NEVER cycled their tank. I just cleaned it once a week and conditioned it well with start up bacteria as well.

If you kept them for a long period of time, you actually did cycle the tank, you probably just did it with the fish in it at the time.

the cycle refers to growing bacteria that are beneficial in breaking down harmful ammonia, nitrite into less harmful nitrates. In a nut shell.

some conditioners claim to “lock” ammonia into a less harmful form, and bottles of bacteria will help supplement the growth of a bacteria colony, but it’s not an instant fix or cycle.

mans if you weren’t testing your water along the way, there’s no way of knowing how much ammonia or nitrite they were exposed to.

I’m happy they survived, but just because they survived it, doesn’t mean they didn’t suffer through it.

The other possible benefit is that one fish would be a small bio load, so it may not have gotten too bad at any point, but at some point those fish were stressed out.

 

[MsLiia01]

Nice setup!

Have you cycled your tank yet?

Thank you

Yea, you’re going to want to read up on cycling an aquarium.

You will also want to get yourself some water testing either strips or liquid kits.

If you don’t have these, you don’t know when the ammonia, nitrite or nitrates are getting too high to stress out or kill your fish.

ammonia and nitrites are meant to be at 0ppm, otherwise you’re stressing out your fish and leaving them either susceptible to disease or infections, or straight up killing them with these toxic chemicals.

if you are getting ammonia and nitrite levels you should be doing large water changes daily to lower these until your cycle has completed and your aquarium has built up enough beneficial bacteria to break these compounds down into less harmful nitrates, and nitrates should be water changed out weekly or enough to keep them less that 20ppm.

you can use a liquid bacteria to help boost your cycle, but it’s not a quick fix.

I definitely have more research to do but this information helps me out alot l, thank you so much

 

[FFGuest6357]

Thank you

I definitely have more research to do but this information helps me out alot l, thank you so much

You’re very welcome,

i don’t know how to link stuff in threads, I’m sure there are other members here who are more adept at that than I am.

but some of our members have written terrific article on cycling tanks, it’s worth your time to find them and read up on it.

good luck with everything, do a water change and get yourself a test kit!

 

[MsLiia01]

Oh, then you might want to cycle it. I was under the impression it was a normal betta tank (which is commonly around 3-5 gallons, at least the ones I have seen). So, yes. Cycle it because that is a lot of space where bad bacteria can grow. I am currently going through the same issue with my 10 galloon

If you kept them for a long period of time, you actually did cycle the tank, you probably just did it with the fish in it at the time.

the cycle refers to growing bacteria that are beneficial in breaking down harmful ammonia, nitrite into less harmful nitrates. In a nut shell.

some conditioners claim to “lock” ammonia into a less harmful form, and bottles of bacteria will help supplement the growth of a bacteria colony, but it’s not an instant fix or cycle.

mans if you weren’t testing your water along the way, there’s no way of knowing how much ammonia or nitrite they were exposed to.

I’m happy they survived, but just because they survived it, doesn’t mean they didn’t suffer through it.

The other possible benefit is that one fish would be a small bio load, so it may not have gotten too bad at any point, but at some point those fish were stressed out.

This is so different because I have only had bettas until recently and I have NEVER cycled their tank. I just cleaned it once a week and conditioned it well with start up bacteria as well.

So the best way on knowing & controlling the water is by buying the test kits, correct?