Betta water change

[aokashi]

Originally Posted by Kenny G

Do not do 100% water changes every other day. By doing that your getting rid of good bacteria that betta's need to maintain good health and its stressful on fish. Continue doing water changes but do about 40 % every three days. Once you upgrade your tank make sure you get a good filter then you will only have to change 30% weekly. Maybe one a month do 80% water change and thoroughly clean all decorations you will have in your tank. Continue to use a water conditioner and get a heater to keep the water temps no lower than 76 degrees.

Kenny, I know you mean well, but please please please keep in mind that a 1 gallon tank is almost impossible to cycle and that 100% water changes does NOT kill bacteria when done properly....

a 50% half weekly and 100% weekly WC is a tested formula for 1 gallon tanks... not everyone has a test kit and this information helps the poorest of fish keepers keep ammonia levels safe...a filter with activated carbon that eliminates ammonia, but thats is still not a cycled tank.

When OP gets a new tank, to cycle it, it must be 5 gallons+ and it is not until the tank is cycled can OP start doing 30% weekly changes. Whilst the tank is cycling she will need a test kit to monitor ammonia levels especially if she is doing a fish in cycle.

[hannguyen]

That's helpful! Thank you So should I keep changing 100% everyday then? Or 50% every other day and 100% at the end of the week?

[aokashi]

50% half way through the week (ie wednesday) then all of the water at the end of the week(ie. Sunday).

Make sure to suck up any excess food. (the average betta eats about 4-6 pellets a day spread out between 2 feedings) Do you have any plants in the tank? and do you have gravel. gravel traps particles very easily and should be cleaned with your 100% water changes. If your fish is already use to the 100% water changes every other day with no signs of stress, it should be perfectly happy with the new WC schedule. just make sure that your new water is the same temperature as the old and comes from the same source. Another method is to use a siphon (just a regular airline tubing wil do) and stir up the gravel to get all the yucky stuff to float out and suck that up with the siphon.

[hannguyen]

Hi aokashi, I have decor and gravel in my 1 gal bowl. That's why I never did 50% water change because I can't clean them throughout. My betta seems freak out every time I did the water change. How do you know if he's stressed or not?

[AquaKai]

I use Tubing and stick that in the tank and siphon it out. It's really easy and can fit in a 1g tank.

[hannguyen]

http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...uctId=11123493

So i was thinking about getting this! And it looks like it can fit in my 1 gal tank right now and i can also use it later for the 5 gal one! :)

[MissLyss1024]

My fish are in 1 gallon bowls while my tanks cycle. I do what other posters have said, 50% once a week, and a 100% once a week. I have a test kit so yes it does get ammonia levels down. What I do is when it comes time for the 100% change, I take them out and rinse the gravel and slosh it around a bit to get all the poo and stuff out. When I do the 50%, I just use a measuring cup and scoop the water out and add fresh room temp water slowly.

[MissLyss1024]

Also, I bought this siphon http://www.amazon.com/biOrb-82272800...bio+orb+siphon

It takes water out and can also put water in. It comes in handy with the big tanks :)

[hannguyen]

So you didn't rinse the gravel when you do the 50% water change ?

[aokashi]

Originally Posted by hannguyen

So you didn't rinse the gravel when you do the 50% water change ?

you really just need to suck out the gunk that's fallen in the gravel.And usually thats done during the 100% changes. take out any uneaten food immediately :)