does size matter?

[JUNSUPERLEMON]

I currently have a tank for my single betta. It's just under 3 gals. I keep reading on cylcing tanks and how important it is for the fish's life. But despite all the material I have read over, there hasn't been anything that states what size the tank should be to actually consider cycling the tank.

The reason I ask is that next week is the due date to change the water and clean the tank. The last time it was done was four weeks ago and it was the first time I've set up a tank larger than 2 liters. So four days after it was done (the water was treated, plants planted and filter running) I put my betta in and so far he hasn't had any problems yet. In addition I did a 25% water change in the tank last week.

[cocoa_pleco]

add a cap of cycle after each waterchange then

[JUNSUPERLEMON]

i'm not too sure what cycling formula you are talking about? sorry still kinda new to the hoby.

[freshwaterfishlover]

The formula he is talking about is called Cycle.

[cocoa_pleco]

or aquarium pharmaceuticals makes stress zyme, the same stuff. Its good bacteria that eats all the crap in the tank

[kimmers318]

Do you have a filter in this tank? I am thinking not, and without a filter you need to do regular large water changes, with regular large water changes you are not going to see a typical "cycle" like what goes on in an aquarium. Briefly....fish & food waste become ammonia, a beneficial bacteria will grow to eat up the ammonia....the waste from that process becomes nitrites....another beneficial bacteria will grow to eat up the nitrites and the waste from that process is nitrAtes. The only way to get rid of nitrates is to do water changes. These beneficial bacteria live on your decor/gravel/filter media. Although I imagine some of the beneficial bacterias will grow due to the fact that there is fish/food waste in your unfiltered tank, the sheer necessity of having to do large water changes due to not having a filter to pull the gunk out of the water will continue to stall the cycle. Cycling refers to the process of taking a filtered aquarium, supplying it with the necessary ammonia to start the growth of the good bacteria, and continuing to feed the bacteria until such a time that there is enough good bacteria to continually do away with the waste in an aquarium. This process can be done with store bought ammonia, or by allowing it to happen with the waste from fish in the tank. Unfortunately, the waste from having fish in the tank will raise levels of ammonia to dangerous amounts before the good bacteria can multiply enough to take care of them.....same with the nitrite eating bacteria. With the large water changes you must do in an unfiltered betta aquarium, you will constantly dilute the levels of ammonia (good thing) but that will also keep the beneficial bacteria from culturing properly. This is a very simplistic way of explaining things...the cycling process is much more complex, but hopefully that will explain the basics. I can't even begin to totally understand all of the scientific information about cycling, it is pretty complex.:41:

[JUNSUPERLEMON]

i do have a filter running in the 3 gal tank. i plan on cleaning his tank next week, collect the marbles and seperate them in a seperate bucket in some of the old water to preserve any possible bacteria that has been growing and place it back in the tank after it has been cleaned. the only dilemma i'm facing is, should i proceed with this experiment, add new clean water, acclimate my betta for a few hours and proceed to place him in the tank? or should i have the new tank seperate from my buddy for a week or two?

[Lady Hobbs]

Small tanks need much more water changes. Water is very condensed in these tiny tanks and become toxic much faster. Water changes should be done weekly! I wouldn't go over a week in my 55 gallon.

[kimmers318]

Okay...why are you putting 4 weeks between water changes? And why are you removing all kinds of stuff to clean it??? With a filtered tank you should do weekly water changes, possibly biweekly on real small tanks depending on the load, rinse filter media, and refill with treated/same temp water. I am a bit confused here.....a filtered tank should not be left for 4 weeks and then do a major overhaul cleaning job, so maybe I am missing something.
If you want to know where you are at as far as cycling goes I suggest a liquid test kit for ammonia, nitrite, nitrates to check them regularly.

[freshwaterfishlover]

Currently in my 4 working tanks I do water changes every other week and all 4 soon to be 5 have filters.

1. I clean the angle off the tank
2. I clean the filter out
3. depending on the tank I do eaither a Vacum water change or regular water change
4. Last I do test on the water.

I feed 4 of the tanks every other day. When I get my Crayfish tank working I will feed it once a day. Also I put Cycle in all tanks 1 a week.

[Nautilus29]

you shouldnt do a 100% water change. keep it to 25% 2 to times a week. The good bacteria live in your stones and in the filter so if you completely take out all of the water and then clean everything off you are killing all of those bacteria, and then your cycle starts all over again. If you yave a gravel cleaner then use that to clean out the stones when you do your water change. And clean out the tubes of your filter durring one of your water changes ever week or so. If you dont have a gravel cleaner get one.

[Rue]

I've generally done 30% water changes every two weeks...and I top up the tank in between water changes...I vacuum about 1/2 the tank everytime I do a water change...

Every month I change either the charcoal filter OR the sponge...not both at the same time...I also have a phosphate filter in there...but it stays for 3 months before I change it...

Seems to be doing the trick for both the tropical tank or the goldfish tank...

[JUNSUPERLEMON]

"Okay...why are you putting 4 weeks between water changes? And why are you removing all kinds of stuff to clean it??? With a filtered tank you should do weekly water changes, possibly biweekly on real small tanks depending on the load, rinse filter media, and refill with treated/same temp water. I am a bit confused here.....a filtered tank should not be left for 4 weeks and then do a major overhaul cleaning job, so maybe I am missing something."

well i have done 25% water changes every week and tested for ammonia levels and such and so far have tested negative on all. i have this water conditioner that is a three in one that dechlorinates, takes out ammonia levels and evens the ph at 7 in the new water.

so i dont completely neglect the water changing routine and i check my filter once every week and so far nothing's developed. so yeah. basically i just want to know is it necessary to cycle a tank that is less than 5 gallons?

thanks for the responses though :)