No cycling... yet

[LibraryFish]

Hi everyone-

So this is week three with my betta buddy, and every time I test the water my results come up right where they should be. He's in a 5-gallon filtered tank at about 78-80 degrees. I didn't cycle the tank before putting the guy in, but I did add some Nitraban when I first put him in. I change the water about 25% twice a week, use AquaSafe conditioner, and feed him a pellet or two every other day, some bloodworms or daphnia once a week, and he's fasted for three days in a row.

Any thoughts? Did the Nitraban establish the bacteria I want, or have I just not built up enough food/fishy waste for things to get moving?

[Mister Sparkle]

By "right where they should be", is it safe to assume you mean your tests look like this?:

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0-30
pH: 6.5 - 7.6

Now, regardless of the ACTUAL quality of the water, the nitraban is going to cover that up. It sounds like you only used it the first time, and that you aren't using it anymore. This being the case, if your tests come to the figures I quoted above, you're doing great! 25% water changes 2x-weekly, it sounds like you are doing plenty. Ditch the nitraban, though, because it's all the other stuff you're doing that is giving your fish adequate care. Nitraban is a tool for the lazy, is NOT concentrated beneficial bacteria, and is more often than not a sure path to an eventual pH-crash and "old tank syndrome." With only 3 weeks in, I recommend you keep checking the water on a regular basis. It's likely you may still have a nitrite spike coming. Keep up with the water changes. It sounds like you're going a GREAT job!

[LibraryFish]

Weee... that's what I like to hear!

Yep, those are my levels, with the exception of pH, which is high in my hard water: ~8.0. Bettas seem to be very adaptable to pH, though, so that hasn't been my biggest concern.

[Mister Sparkle]

Originally Posted by LibraryFish

Weee... that's what I like to hear!

Yep, those are my levels, with the exception of pH, which is high in my hard water: ~8.0. Bettas seem to be very adaptable to pH, though, so that hasn't been my biggest concern.

Good! You're correct in that the pH isn't a major issue. In my experience, a stable pH trumps a "particular" one any day! Best of luck with everything!