2.5 gal tank

[peace_frog21]

so....now that i have this 2.5 gal tank for one of my bettas...how often should i partially change the water and how often should i do a complete change?

Ashley

[Cody]

I dont think there should be no complete changes on a 2.5G. This being because you will get rid of all the good bacteria.

Do you have a filter?

I would do 20-50% changes once or twice a week.

[Flashygrrl]

I'm with Cody. As with any other tank (other than the silly little ones), never do a full change.

[peace_frog21]

Alright thanks. I have a filter, but I haven't put it in there yet. It's kind of a big filter for a 2.5 gal tank.

I'll do the 20-50% change every weekend then probably, that's about the only point I'll have time.

thanks again.

my betta is "fat and happy" at the moment. He loves his heater. I saw a huge improvement overnight after upgrading the tank and adding a heater.

Ashley

[Flashygrrl]

What kind of filter is it? The Whisper InTank filters are not that expensive, btw, and will fit nicely.

[Jasey]

If you are going to only do a water change weekly, I would stick to 50% weekly. Otherwise, it would be best to do 20% twice a week, or about every 4 days. I had a 2.5g for a while and found this to be the best way to keep water levels healthy.

[foureyed_dragon]

Originally Posted by Flashygrrl

What kind of filter is it? The Whisper InTank filters are not that expensive, btw, and will fit nicely.

I agree. I have this in my 2.5 and it does a really nice job. Cleans up the water real quick and keeps it clean. It cost me about 12 dollars at the local pet store and fits in real nice, and it is actually extremely quiet.

[tenpaull]

Full water changes are required if you have gravel in it. Dirt will definitely accumulate within the gravel bed.
As for no gravel, I don't think a 50% water change will differ VERY much with a full water change. In small tanks just like yours, a 50% water change will greatly alter water parameters making your tank go through another "mini-cycle". In my case, I do full water changes weekly, but I make sure that my filter is mature(filled with good bacteria). It's much easier for me and I haven't had any troubles with this system. Just make sure that the water is aged and treated properly. In HMs(Half-moons) in particular, I find that this regimen works best, because with the long fins of an HM, even a little dirt on the ground can cause havoc when my betta is resting on the tank floor. In conclusion, it depends on what will work best or more convenient for you, try to mix things up, you might find other things that could work better for you :)

[peace_frog21]

I do have gravel in the tank.

The filter is a whisper filter that came with the tank but it still seems pretty large for a small tank and would take up a lot of space...i might try it next time i clean.

thanks.

ashley

[tenpaull]

IMHO, a complete TANK cleaning is necessary for your tank, it would look like your tank is clean but all the dirt and poop are trapped in the gravel ;) for rinsing gravel, use the water you just siphoned out from the tank to clean the gravel. In doing so, you limit the total loss of the beneficial bacteria within the gravel. try it. same with cleaning the filter media.