Spawning Tank

[bettas4me]

Hello Everyone! I'm new to this forum...well actually I have visited it a lot to learn about bettas and spawning them. Not to sound like a stalker...but, I have enjoyed reading your posts and learning about my favorite fish. Currently, I have 13 bettas and I'm always on the look out for more everytime I get close to a petstore or visit Aquabid online.

I am in the process of getting a spawning tank set up. I think that I am finally ready to give breeding bettas a try. Over the last year, I have been reading and researching everything about I could get my hands on that was about spawning bettas. Although I have spent a lot of time researching, I am still a little nervous.

Ok, here's my question. I am planning to use a small bubble filter with carbon in the spawning tank. I am wondering how long I should cycle the tank before placing my fish in the tank?

 

[smurfyy_2k3]

until the ammonia is being removed within 24 hours

 

[fawnmodel]

Hi, and congrats!

First, you cannot cycle a tank without either a) fish or B) ammonia added. You can't cycle fresh water in a new tank by just adding a fresh filter and leaving it bubbling

Cycling is not required for your spawn tank, either.

Simply setup and use a sponge (NOT charcoal) filter in another healthy tank for a few weeks before adding it to your freshly setup spawn tank. It will 'seed' with biological filtration that helps keep yoru fry tank healthy when it is transplanted into their water.

You can add the male to the spawn tank at the same time as the filter...keeping bubbles very low until the fry are several weeks old (ie one-3 bubbles a min is adequate in the beginning)

Hope this helps!

 

[bettas4me]

Thanks for the info fawnmodel. I was confused since in order to cycle a tank you need fish or ammonia and it can take a while to cycle. A sponge filter without carbon that has been used in another tank makes perfect sense. Thanks!