water changes for a 3 gallon tank

[Boann]

Hi,
I have a 3 gallon tank and so far I have been doing 100% water changes once a week and acclimating the fish to the new water slowly before putting him back in.
My question is could I do partial water changes using a gravel vac instead of the full 100% and if so how much and how often is recommended?
At first I was considering cycling the 3 gallon tank, but upon further research I decided against it.
Is it possible to do partial water changes and still have good water quality in a 3 gallon tank? And would I need a filter?
Thanks in advance to anyone who responds

[Kytkattin]

http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=115758

This will give you the answers you need. Unless the tank is planted you will still need to do a 100% once a week.

[Hallyx]

Why did you decide against cycling? A 3 gal will hold a stable cycle and it's much better for your fish. It's eventually easier for you, too. But that's less important.

Cycling is for the health and safety of the fish not for the convenience of the keeper.

[Freyja]

I agree with Hallyx. I have a cycled 2.5 g tank.

[Boann]

Originally, I thought I should cycle the tank. But then I read that anything under 5 gallons wouldn't be able to hold a true cycle. While testing water you may have some nitrites and nitrates present some people referred to this as the tank going through "mini cycles". I suppose I could give it a try and see what happens and perhaps record everything to prove that you can cycle a tank under 5 gallons.
Either way I did try setting up the filter that came with the 3 gallon tank and I was not very pleased with it. The lid gets blown off because of the aerator bubbles- it is a cheap filter and the carbon pack is exposed to the point that my fish could accidentally get stuck in-between the filter and the carbon.
So I am going to wait until I can purchase a better quality filter before trying to cycle the tank. For now I am just going to stick to my 100% water change schedule- it is working well and my fish looks healthy and happy.
Thanks for the responses.

[Hallyx]

From your description it sounds like your filter is a Tetra 3i. They are poorly designed and nearly worthless for filtering and cycling.

If that's the case, you still have an adequate air-pump. If or when you decide to cycle your tank, you can get a good quality sponge filter to go with that air-pump. A sponge filter is the best way to cycle a small rank.

There's no hurry. Plenty of water changes will do the job.

[Boann]

Originally Posted by Hallyx

From your description it sounds like your filter is a Tetra 3i. They are poorly designed and nearly worthless for filtering and cycling.

If that's the case, you still have an adequate air-pump. If or when you decide to cycle your tank, you can get a good quality sponge filter to go with that air-pump. A sponge filter is the best way to cycle a small rank.

There's no hurry. Plenty of water changes will do the job.

Thanks for the info and help with this!

[Boann]

Thanks for the info from Old fish lady, it was also very helpful. I really like your signature quote!