Needing some advice please :)

[Nyasha]

Hi and thanks for reading this. Currently my betta is in a 2 gallon tank with a pen plax small world filter and a 2-10gal submersible heater that keeps the water between 76-80 degrees. Have 2 silk plants and a small moon rock cave and 2inches of gravel. I plan on setting up a 10 gallon tank this weekend (found one really cheap at a garage sale!) and want to make sure I'm doing this right for his safety and happiness :D

Do I need to get more plants, maybe a live one(thinking anubias), for the new 10 gal tank?

The place where I'll be setting up the new tank will still have some lamp light shining into it from my desk at night. Should I cover his tank up with a towel to limit the light so as not to mess up his day/night sleep cycle?

How would I go about transferring my betta, the 2 current plants, heater and filter to the new tank? I don't want to stress him out but I also want to get the water temperature in the correct range before placing him in there.

I only have the moon rock cave as a hiding spot for at the moment. Should I get something else or more?

This question isn't exactly betta related but close. I want to get some ghost shrimp in a few weeks and I'm worried about the substrate. Should I stick with gravel or try for sand? I tried sand once before and it seemed to always cloud the water :( Not sure if I did something wrong there.

Thanks for any advice your able to give! I hope I can make this new tank a wonderful home for my betta :D

[Karebear13]

Wow a ten gallon tank sounds great! I would def. cycle the tank though because its so big that you can cycle it and it will be easier on yourself.

I would def. get some more plants to make the environment more fun. Live plants are great but you will have to get the proper lighting for them to survive.

To introduce him to the new tank you just have to acclimate him. By floating him in the tank in a cup. I would take out your heater from your old tank and put it in the new one and will its heating just float him in a cup in the new tank.

If you are going to cycle I would wait for your tank to be fully cycled before introducing him to the tank

Also having a cycled tank will be a lot better for your ghost shrimp and with ghost shrimp you have to have a lot of hiding space

[Hallyx]

Originally Posted by Karebear13

If you are going to cycle I would wait for your tank to be fully cycled before introducing him to the tank

+1

Many keepers prefer a fishless cycle for it's speed, as well as less stress on the fish.

Originally Posted by Karebear13

Also having a cycled tank will be a lot better for your ghost shrimp and with ghost shrimp you have to have a lot of hiding space

+2

You'll find a 10gal looks mighty bare with only a few plants. Your fish will love a more crowded, jungley feeling. If you're selective, plant care can be a satisfying experience. And you don't have to go off the deep end; there are plenty of nice artificial plants around.

Yes, it is a good idea to cover your fish at night. They don't need to sleep, but they are accustomed to a diurnal cycle just like us.

It sounds as though you've kept fish before, so cycling and tank care might not be a new concept to you. Feel free to ask many questions and read, read, read. Welcome to the forum.

[Nyasha]

Thanks for the responses :) Yeah, I've had a few fish before but since I was impatient and didn't read about fish or anything I made alot of mistakes :( so now I'm trying again and I'm determined to get it all right this time!

I finished getting my 10 gal tank partially set up today. Got a few decorations in there atm but will be putting in more later on. Can't spend too much at once lol so gotta wait a bit. Cycling the tank though so waiting for more decorations is ok. I'm cycling the tank with a small deli shrimp that has never been frozen. Read in one of the guides this was ok to do. And I purchased a thing of 3 betta bulbs and wedged them into the gravel a bit.

Does this sound like a good start to having my tank ready for my betta in a month or so?

[Tikibirds]

keep an eye on the bulbs. I had them too and all 3 rotted
For plants, I would look for amazon sword or Anacharis..also be wary of any plants that petco sells in a tube - many are not aquatic

[Hallyx]

Last things, first. The bulbs may or may not make it. I'm about 25% successful. Don't waste more money. Spend it on Anubias and Wisteria...least messy, Betta friendly.

Here's the deal on cycling by a pro:
Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle and cycling. Methods for ammonia, nitrite removal.
Scroll down to: Methods of Aquarium Cycling (but read the whole thing eventually)

Shrimp is not recommended anymore because it fosters mold. I used it once, but will not use it again. The crushed food method is messy and smelly. Many of us suggest ammonia as the cleanest way. If you can't find "pure" ammonia locally (shake it: if it foams, it's not "pure." Don't use it), try this:
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/DrTims-Aquatics-Ammonium-chloride-Aquarium/dp/B006MP4QG6/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1333591202&sr=1-1"]Amazon.com: DrTim's Aquatics Ammonium chloride for Aquarium: Pet Supplies[/ame]
which is also available from Drs Foster and Smith online.

To cut your cycle time from a month or more down to two weeks or less, get some substrate (1/2 cup) or filter foam/media from a cycled, established tank.

Maintain your ammonia up around 4.0ppm. Keep your tank temperature over 85*. Run your filter on high and add aeration if possible.

We have got to get that 'cycling' sticky updated with the latest information. Hope you are not inconvenienced.

[Nyasha]

Hi again! lol Bad news & good news....2 gal tank broke last night while doing a 100% water change. Hubby decided to accidentally drop it because it was slippery On the other hand, I got to go shopping for the rest of those decorations for the 10 gal. After reading the advice about shrimp causing mold I had drained the tank and rinsed that out with hot water a few days ago. So last night, re filled the 10 gal back up added the decorations + water conditioner and since I had no were else to go with Mr. Betta he went in to. I was hoping to wait to put him in til I had this tank cycled but with the other being cracked and leaking its not possible now He seems happy at least. Swimming all over the place and checking out his new hiddy spots

My new question is - Since I'm having to do a Fish in cycle now with just Mr. Betta and no other fishes, how much and how often should I do the water changes? Should I also invest in some of that BioSpira bacteria stuff I've seen at the pet store? I don't want him to get hurt or die from the ammonia and what not.

BTW! Heres a picture of what I did with the tank and my betta. It's not a very good picture of Mr. Betta. He looks blue in this one but his head is like a dark rusty red and his body changes colors depending where he is at under the lighting in the tank. He changes from a pale redish color to a pale blueish color and then his tail goes off into that rusty red ending in a white :D He is so beautiful!

[Kenny G]

Its best never to do full water changes. This is to avoid shock to your betta. If you change too much water all at once, a fish can be shocked by the water parameter changes and temperature changes. If your tank is filtered you can do weekly water changes from 40 - 50%. You always want to keep some of the good bacteria that is in the tank.

[Hallyx]

That's really lovely, Nyasha. Get a big Anubias tied to a rock for a front/centerpioece. Float some Wisteria for topcover and you'll have it made.

That article on cycling that I posted a few days ago, touches on bacteria-in-a-bottle and other cycle helpers. I don't have personal experience with them. But, if you decide to use them, please tell us all about it.

Do you have a water test kit? Use it regularly. Change out about 20% of your water twice a week until you're cycled. That ought to keep Mr Betta happy.

Let us know how it goes,