help betta tank cycle question?

Question

i have a 10 gallon fish tank
a regent 30-60 filter
i have a hood but no light

i was going to buy a betta and was wonderign if i had to cycle the tank and if so can you tell me how to do it (step by step please)




thanks

it is a tank that was used but now has been emoty for 1.5 years and the filter is new

Answer 1

A tank is going to cycle no matter what. It's not really a matter of if you cycle it, but how you cycle it.

The best answer to your question is for you to do a fishless cycle. It's far too long to type out all of the steps in detail, so I will provide a link to an excellent site about one way at the bottom.

Basically you can do this by filling the tank and warming it to about 85F and feed the tank for a few days just like it was full of fish. The food will breakdown or rot and form ammonia in the tank. You can and should measure this with your test kit. Once the ammonia is off the chart high, stop feeding the tank and simply wait for the ammonia to drop. Change no water or anything else, just wait and watch with your test kit. Once the ammonia drops, the nitrites will increase and they too will eventually fall as the nitrates rise. Once the ammonia and nitrites are at ), your tank is cycled and you should do a small water change and add fish in the next day or two. That's really all there is to it, but here's a link about doing it with fish and without:

With fish:
http://www.firsttankguide.net/cycle.php

Fishless:
http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/startover/fishless.shtml

Hope that helps

MM

Answer 2

With a single betta in a 10 gallon tank. Cycling isn't going to be a big issue. A healthy betta will ride out the ammonia, and nitrite spikes that would kill most fish. Plus at 10 gallons of to a single betta ammonia, and nitrite will be greatly dilluted. I'd do a 15-30% water change every week the 1st month or so, but that is about it. Maybe throw in 2-3 teaspoons of table salt after the 1st week. ( Salt reduces the toxicity level of ntrite.) Betta are the perfect fish to cycle a new tank.

After about 3-4 weeks the tank should be cycled and you can add 3-4 more peaceful tank mates. Try to keep the addition fish to about one per week. Avoid slow moving or showy finned fish.
Tank mates:
apple/mystery snails
platty, and swordtails
cory cats
ghost shrimp
non showy guppy
neon tetras*
killi fish

*Note that neons do best in soft slightly acidic water. Bettas don't care one way or another but neons are touchy.

Answer 3

Is it a new tank? Or has it been empty for a long while? If so your tank is going to cycle, but not until you add fish. Bettas are tough little fish and will most likely be able to withstand the cycling process (takes about 6 weeks after you add fish). There is a way to cycle with pure ammonia, but I haven't a clue on how to do it. Sorry...

Answer 4

No
For one fish (only 1 betta per tank, sorry, even males and females fight, no matter what you've heard), you don't need to cycle the tank.

Also, I think that filter may be too powerful. Bettas are NOT strong swimmers. If the filter causes a current (water flow) the betta will become exhausted, and tumble around and get hurt.
An undergravel filter is better.

This is a great site:
bettysplendens.com

Good luck

Answer 5

purely like yet another poster has suggested, bettas are like all different fish while it comprises ideal housing so sure, they might desire to be saved in a cycled tank. additionally, a a million.5 gallon tank heavily isn't great adequate to cycle. properly, you are able to cycle it even though it is totally complicated to maintain that cycle in this sort of small volume of water. once you do pick to cycle the tank, get a minimum of five gallons. of path, you do no longer desire a clear out to cycle a tank in case you do it with the Walstad technique. fairly of advantageous bacteria in a clear out changing ammonia and nitrites into nitrates, the stay flowers do away with ammonia and nitrites and nitrates. it particularly is an fairly low tech, low upkeep set up that I strongly advise to those that save bettas. you ought to use a clear out in case you desire even though it may purely be mandatory for water flow and of path you are able to wish a heater when you consider that bettas like their water interior the seventy 8-80F selection. in case you desire greater tips in this, be chuffed to deliver me an digital mail and that i will provide help to comprehend desire you desire occupied with it. under is a image of my Max's tank that's desperate up using the Walstad technique as properly as a link telling you slightly greater approximately this set up.