Moving a cycled tank.... ???

[TianTian]

So Cinder's about to embark with me on a VERY LONG move out of state. I'm worried because his tank is cycled and I really don't want to hurt him.

My plan is:

Take 1.5 gallons of water and cycle it over the next 4 days by letting it sit out with conditioner in it.

On moving day, put Cinder in the 1.5 holding tank and take out all but an inch of the water in his 2.5 tank (I'll leave the decorations in).

Upon arrival, add more water into the tank and let it cycle overnight before putting Cinder back in the next morning.



Am I doing it right???

[dramaqueen]

I think as long as you keep your filter and substrate wet you'll be ok.

[soleilvie]

How did you manage to cycle a 2.5 gallon tank?!

[xxabc]

It's definitely possible (and here's the proof). I wouldn't bother to go through the trouble, but TianTian obviously did and I wouldn't want to lose that cycle either!

The main thing is to have your gravel, and your filter cartridges, wet. How long until you reach your destination? They need to be fed ammonia (your fish poop) to stay alive.

[Oldfishlady]

I am not sure you understand the nitrogen cycle, I may be wrong....but, you may have cycling confused with aging....

IME as long as you have some type of oxygen source along with food for the nitrifying bacteria you can cycle a 1g container, so a 2.5g is possible IMO/E

For your trip, how long are you going to be on the road?

To keep your cycle you will need to get some type of air pump that will hook up to the cig lighter or battery operated air pump, and once you have the tank in the car..... cover the substrate with 2-3 inches of water and float the filter media so that the air stone is circulating around it, if you are going to be on the road more than 12 hours.

Also, fill some jugs with your source water and take with you so that when you get to your new location it will be safer/easier to use the source water in the beginning and then with your water changes you can get him used to the new source water, sometimes the pH can be different and that can cause some problems with the fish and if you take some water with you it will make things easier on both of you and if it is an over night trip you can use that water for a water change.
It is important to keep the Bettas water temp stable too, I like to use small coolers lined with something, packing peanuts, newspaper etc.....to avoid extremes

IMO....I think you need to make the trip safe for the fish (I know you will) and not worry about your cycle, in a 2.5g tank, IMO/E you need to make at least twice weekly water changes anyway for quality water for the fish and you will have it re-cycled in no time.....

To get your fish ready for the trip stop feeding him for at least 24-48 hours before you leave and make 50% daily water changes for at least 3 days before you leave, you want to try and clean him out so he doesn't poop a lot during the trip and cause the ammonia raise, it is also a good idea to have an ammonia lock product like Prime by SeaChem especially if you are going to be on the road for over 12 hours. And no food during the trip.

Have a safe trip.....

[soleilvie]

^ That's what I was trying to get at. Not sure if the OP knows what cycling actually is because leaving water out for a few days by itself isn't cycling.

[Neelie]

i would just strip the tank and start again when you arrive.
till then, have a 2g for him and do the water changes. easiest i guess. ill have to move my 30g sometime too, not looking forward to it but thats how im gonna do it.

[TianTian]

Originally Posted by Neelie

i would just strip the tank and start again when you arrive.
till then, have a 2g for him and do the water changes. easiest i guess. ill have to move my 30g sometime too, not looking forward to it but thats how im gonna do it.

That might be the best way to do it, I suppose. And perhaps I should brush up on my cycling knowledge. :)

[Neelie]

as long as your fish is in a safe container with clean conditioned warm water, moving isn't as tragic as it may sound.

i cycle my tanks in 3-5 days. i use stuff called filter start by interpret. add it according to instructions, and add the fish after a few days. done. i dont see the point in the traditional cycling methods AT ALL lol.

[xxabc]

Neelie, the main thing with using products is : It doesn't work for everyone, and/or It's not as entirely natural as "making" it yourself in your own tank. There's a little bit of pride that comes from it as well, after completing it. Or at least, that's where I stand. I prefer cycling my own tanks. It might be easier for me though, because I can seed my tanks and it will cycle like *that. I'm just sayin'.