to cycle or not to cycle

[FrisaGirl]

I've got a question on water changes/cycling/undergravel filters.

I have two 2.5 minibows that I use with undergravel filters. I want my tanks cycled because I'm afraid of rapid ammonia and nitrate build-up, and don't want to do water changes more than once a week. I use the filters because my LFS said they were necessary to keep the tanks cycled.

But I've read some posts by people who do 100% water changes on uncycled tanks once a week. . .Do you think I could get away with taking out my undergravel filters and still doing weekly water changes? (I think my boys would prefer less current). If so, wouldn't I have to worry about ammonia and nitrate build-ups?

I've been wondering about this for some time.

Thanks,
Frisia

 

[AlexsDaddy]

Depends on how messy he is and how quickly the ammona builds up. If you have a test kit for ammonia, check his levels a couple times a week and if it gets too high do a change. Cycling the tank would be more benificial for him, but doing it with him in the tank will be a long drawn out process as you would end up having to do partial water changes every day to keep the ammonia down as low as possible. If you have an established tank, take some gravel from it and put it in a stocking. Then put the stocking in the 2.5. It will help the cycle along.

 

[FrisaGirl]

Actually, both my tanks are cycled. I was just wondering if it would be healthy (or even a good idea) to take out the current-making undergravel filters and end my cycling, so that my boys wouldn't be bothered by the currents anymore. (I would love to see them bubblenest , but they can't with the filters).
(But considering how long it took me to get those tanks cycled, it probably is not the best idea to end the cycle just to see a few bubblenests. )

I suppose my main question is, would they be adversely affected by living in uncycled 2.5 gallon tanks with weekly water changes?

Thanks for your response,
Frisia

 

[OrkyBetta]

Bettas are such hardy fish, they have been adapted to uncycled water for SO long it really doesn't make a big difference, as long as you keep up on water changes.

 

[Karah's_Mommy]

IMO a cycled tank is better than a non-cycled tank. Maybe you can get a valve or such to cut down the air flow a bit. I have a few bettas that bubblenest in their tanks with the UGF's going and I have some in filtered tanks that bubblenest as well.

 

[AlexsDaddy]

I was going to say what Karah's_Mommy said. I'm pretty sure wal mart sells gang valves. Or you could either bend the air line or tie a knot in it. Either of those will cut down on the bubbles.

There was something I thought up once that might help with that too. My thought was to take a stirophome (sp) cup, cut it off 1-2 inches from the bottom, punch a small hole or 2 or 3 in the bottom for air vents so the air doesn't bubble out from under the cup and still cause surface movement, and put it bottom up over the output for the riser. You would need to find some way to anchor it though. I think my idea was to get fishing line and tie it off to 3 decorative marbles or something long enough to reach the bottom from the top, and attach it to the cup. Or, (and I think it was ral that I had this conversation with) get a suction cup and somehow attach the cup to the suction cup and stick it to the side of the tank over the output. I never heard back from him wether he did it or not so I don't know how it worked/looked.

 

[mlee0332]

Bettamomma always just takes the filter out, and does 100% once a week. I asked her about that and thats what she told me.

HTH!

 

[jasong8301]

i kinda get the picture on cycling water but can some1 please send specifics on how and why thanx!!

 

[Synirr]

i kinda get the picture on cycling water but can some1 please send specifics on how and why thanx!!

Why
http/www.petresources.net/fish/article/setup/cycling1.html

How
http/saltaquarium.about.com/cs/bionitrog.../a/aa073199.htm

 

[jasong8301]

thanx a million.....when i did all my research before i got a couple of bettas, i didnt see thta anywhere so i pretty much just added my bettas in their tanks...they seem to be doing fine......should i do anything? or just leave them alone....i have been doing water changes everyday or at latest, every other day.........hmmmm thanx in advance

 

[sandig]

I am torn on this. I think filtered water is better for fish but I have some that are in filtered and one in an unfiltered tank. All are completely happy. I have not read very many positive things about under gravel filters. They tend to accumulate a ton of junk and poop in them (in the base) and if you move the base under the gravel by accident it is all released into your tank.

I found out this the hard way. I just pulled out the UGF from my 10 gal and switched to a Hagen AquaClear mini sponge filter (for small tanks and it only cost $11.50 online). I vac my gravel really well every week and when I pulled it out I could not see a thing in the tank...it was so gross. I couldn't believe all that stuff was under the gravel under the base.

Just my two cents
Sandi

 

[FrisaGirl]

I have not read very many positive things about under gravel filters. They tend to accumulate a ton of junk and poop in them (in the base) and if you move the base under the gravel by accident it is all released into your tank.

True, true. But you think that the good bacteria help break down the accumulated waste? If so, UGFs' messiness might not be so bad...

 

[BettaMomma]

Cycled or uncycled are actually both just fine for fish - there's not really any benefit that I can see of one over the other if you keep up with the water changes.

None of my tanks (except the 2 10G tanks) are cycled. All my fishes are for the most part healthy and really enjoy their 2.5G tanks.

Saying that, I'd caution you on just pitching the filters totally right off the bat if you want to do the 100% changes just once a week. Frisa - what I might do, if I were you, is to try taking the filter out of one and seeing how that fish does with 100% changes each week. Adding a live plant, such as a cabomba (which I have in ALL my tanks mostly) will help keep levels down too. If you keep one tank cycled, and decided to go back to cycling them both, you'll still have one tank to pull seeded gravel from.

One other option you can consider in ditching the filters and going cycleless is to do the 100% changes each week, and just do a little partial halfway between the 100% changes. Partial changes are pretty easy - just get an ice cream bucket that's dedicated only to your fish water changes, and you can use a solo cup to take a bit of water out, and also put it back in the same way.

I should also ask you - do you have veiltails, crowntails? What kind of bettas do you have? As that might matter too.

 

[Bloo]

I have a cycled tank with a filter. However, I have mine on the width section of the tank and have a piece of divider just an inch or 2 in front of it. So yes, I loose a bit of "dead space" but I have a cycled, filtered tank with no current and bubble nests all the time.

Personally I'm against ammonia slowly building up day by day and then a 100% change once a week. However, each to their own method and whatever works for an individual & fish.

 

[FrisaGirl]

I should also ask you - do you have veiltails, crowntails? What kind of bettas do you have? As that might matter too.

I have one VT and one ST (The bag he came in said ST, does that mean spade tail?)