1/2 Gallon Tank Water Changes

[DanielleB]

Ok so I'm in the process of cycling my 5 gallon tank (i'm into the 24th day & nitrites are holding at 5.0 and ammonia drops everday, so I figure I'm getting close to the cycle finishing. I bought a Bette fish 3 days ago (couldn't resist) and am keeping it in a temporary 1/2 gallon tank i bought from Petco. I read where you should do a 100% water change every other day. But to that I would have to take out my Betta (named him Picasso) and keep him in another jar or glass for the few minutes I changed the water. Would that stress him out to much, netting him & placing him in & out of the tank every other day? I'm hoping the cycle will finish soon, so I can get him out of his cheap little motel he's staying in.

[LebronTheBetta]

Hm. You still need nitrates to know you're progressing. I'm in the middle of a cycle in my 3.5 gallon myself! Best of luck to you. :)
You should be doing 1 100% and 1 50% per week. It'll ensure the water is clean and the Betta is healthy.

[TheCheese909]

1 gallon tanks should be cleaned every other day, half gallons are just unsafe period. He's more then likely going to be stressed out yes, but it's healther for him to be stressed then to be sitting in his own ammonia filled tank.

If you kept his cup he came in you should be able to just scoop him out with that whenever you go to change his water. You can trick him into thinking he's going to eat so that he's up at the surface of the tank and you just scoop him up with the cup. It's less stressful and less dangerous then using a net.

Using API Stress Coat+ as the water conditioner will also help him be less stressed out during water changes. If you're thinking he's going to be in that little tank for more then a week you might be better off going to walmart and getting him a 1 gallon diamond tank. Those tanks are $10 where for the same thing at PetCo it's $15. If it's unfiltered you should be changing the water every other day, if its got a filter then once a week do a 100% change.

[DanielleB]

Originally Posted by LebronTheBetta

Hm. You still need nitrates to know you're progressing. I'm in the middle of a cycle in my 3.5 gallon myself! Best of luck to you. :)
You should be doing 1 100% and 1 50% per week. It'll ensure the water is clean and the Betta is healthy.

I am reading nitrates too. Everyday for the past ten days ammonia goes down to .25-.5
The nitrites have been holding steady at 5 everyday. The nitrites have been about 40-80ppm (hard to tell the shading on this test. As I'm in my 24th day would you say it's doing allright? Also the temperature is about 80-82 degrees and it is a well planted tank.

[LebronTheBetta]

Oh, that's great! Once everything is 0 besides the nitrates, you should put in about 2-3ppm of ammonia into the tank and at the next day, there should be none.

[PaintingPintos]

Wow. I'm happy you're taking the time to care for your fish. You're cycling the tank, carefully measuring the water parameters. I could never be that patient. I see you bought your fish already though xD
Good job cycling. I have no help to offer though.
Good luck!

[DanielleB]

Thanks Lebron, that's very reassuring. Thanks for all your help.

[LebronTheBetta]

No prob. I hope Picasso loves his new home. ;)

[DanielleB]

Originally Posted by PaintingPintos

Wow. I'm happy you're taking the time to care for your fish. You're cycling the tank, carefully measuring the water parameters. I could never be that patient. I see you bought your fish already though xD
Good job cycling. I have no help to offer though.
Good luck!

It's the geek girl in me :)
Actually it's driving me crazy waiting. I'm not a very patient person.

[BettaQi]

Originally Posted by DanielleB

It's the geek girl in me :)
Actually it's driving me crazy waiting. I'm not a very patient person.

I hear that! I am so tempted to just by some Eco Complete so I don't have to wait out the nitrogen bubbles in my substrate!