How to use old gravel and decorations in a new tank?

Question

I would like to get a new betta fish to put in a 2.5 gallon tank I already have but is not currently being used. Since the tank has been put away for a few weeks, it needs to be cycled again before I get the new betta. I have read that using gravel, filters, or decorations from an established tank can speed up the cycling of a new tank. If this is true, I would like to use a few pieces from an established 10-gallon tank I have. My questions are:

1. Is this a good way to speed up the cycling of a new tank?

2. What should be done to the stuff before I put it in the new tank (Rinse it in dechlorinated water? Just put it in as-is)?

3. No fish in my 10-gallon tank have ever become sick, so can I assume there are nothing harmful that could be transfered to the new tank?

4. Will this disrupt my 10-gal tank?

Phil M: I should have clarified that the "cycle" I am referring to is doing a fishless cycle before adding fish to a tank.

Answer 1

Actually you can bypass the cycle process completely
just take out as much gravel as you need for your 2.5 gallon from your 10 as well as take the water out of there as well and just treat your 10 gallon like you would do a partial waterchange
You could put filter media from your 10 into the filter of your 2.5 gallon, and you're all done

DON'T rinse anything you take outa the 10 gallon, or you will kill any good bacteria needed so badly for your 2.5 gallon



Hope that helps
Good luck


EB



Feel free to email me

Answer 2

1. For just a single betta, it will not only speed up the cycling - it will simply be cycled. This is because you are adding a small amount of living and healthy bacteria, and the betta only needs a small amount of it. The best thing to do is transfer over a bit of the filter media from the 10g to the filter of the new tank. The next best thing is some gravel, which you can place directly into the new tank.

2. Just rinse off all everything (from the dry stored tank) and put it in - it's really all it takes - it's just dust n stuff.

3. If your 10 gallon tank is healthy then it is completely safe. Anyone who cycles new tank from scratch when they already have a tank running is making work for themselves. In your case, adding just a betta, a fishless cycle is a pointless exercise.

4. You don't need much since it's just a single betta, so removing a small amount of media will not affect your 10 gallon tank. I have set up new tanks many times like this and it never fails to work perfectly.

Just don't make it more complicated than it needs to be. Rinse off everything and set up the new (old) tank. Fill it with water dechlorinate, plug in the filter and/or air pump, and let it run until temperature is right. Then introduce your gravel/filter media from the 10 gallon and the betta at the same time. Done deal.

Answer 3

Yes its a good way to get a tank to cycle. Just add it in. by rinsing you will remove some of the wanted bacteria. Besides there is no way of knowing if you rinsed off anything harmful. You will just have to deal with that if need be. It would also be a good idea to do a water change on your 10 gal tank and use that water to start your 2.5 gal tank. By doing so you will more then likely not really see any cycling and will most likely be able to add in the betta within a week or two.

You will stress the fish some by removing some of the gravel. Just because you have stirred up alot of debree in the tank. The should calm down quickly.

Good luck

Answer 4

In a 2.5 gallon tank, with just freshwater (dechlorinated) there really isn't a "cycle" per se, because the gravel and other fake items do not have any living creatures on them. There isn't a ammonia to nitrite to nitrate cycle occuring at all so I am not sure what the cycle is you're mentioning. IF you have a local fish store, buy 5 gallons of RO (reverse osmosis) water from them. Just use that and you wont need the dechlorinator (and the RO water is still cleaner than dechlo tap water) at all. All you are really "cycling" is stablizing the temp. There isn't any waste or what not in the water and you just need time to filter the water through a few times (30 mintues for so for bettas) and all will be well.

Betta's live in rice paddies in the wild. Thats why they can breathe by going to top of the water and literally "gulp" air.

Only brackish and/or saltwater tanks really need to cycle more than an hour or so (For this tank size). You're just looking for PH and Temp balance which is easy to achieve.

All you'll need to do with the gravel would be to rinse thoroughly and if you were concerned about anything harmful, a capful of vinegar in water, followed by a thorough rinsing is more than adequate.

Answer 5

1. This is a good way to help establish a new tank.
2. Rinse items off but don't scrub them.
3. Yes you can assume that everything is ok. But watch the beta & make sure nothing happens.
4. This will not disrupt your larger tank.

You may also want to buy a product that is made specificly for setting up a new tank. There is one called Cycle & a few others. It makes for an easier transition on the fish being added to the tank, and restores their protective slime layer.

Answer 6

Okay ... First off - do NOT rinse it ...

1) tap water has chlorine
2) its the biological growth from the gravel that you want.

Take some water out of the ten and a cup or two of gravel. Put old gravel in tank with the same amount of new gravel on top of old - don't stir too much - the old on the bottom acts like the gravel in the bottom of the 10 gallon with the biological blooms
(that makes your tank health and alive with micro organisms.)

add your air stone (secure to the bottom) add gravel (layered), Add old water (fill it up (1/2 way until everything is in the new one then top it off) with water from 10 gal - remember to top off 10 gal. with fresh water - like a water change) then position heater so it does not touch anything (like gravel), and add filtration and finish off the water level.

Then you are good to go add fish into it! (don't overstock)

TIP: allow the heater to sit in the tank water for an hour or so to adjust to the water temp to prevent rare occasion shattering of heated glass in cold water.

Basically; the smallest of everything is all you need for a tiny tank like that.

Look at the image in my sources and see I have a few puddles in my living room.

What you don't see in that pic are my 56 gallon tall and two 10 gallon tanks and the 1 gallon pond snail breeding tank.

Answer 7

It does speed up the cycling, especially the gravel, because it contains beneficial bacteria already. Don't rinse it because it may remove some of the bacteria, and since there's no sick then there's no parasite hidden in the gravel. It won't disrupt your 10-gal tank a lot, just a little because the tank lost some beneficial bacteria.
So you should do it

Answer 8

You need to look around on some internet sites. Just search setting up a fish tank. You can find a lot of good info. I seem to remeber having read on one of them that the reason you let it run for three days before putting fish in it is something about good bacteria or something like a micro ecosystem. I think that that is the principle behind putting items from an established tank into the new one. I think some water from it would do the same things. Betta are pretty hardy though and it probably wont hurt him to just throw him in early.

Answer 9

I would think it is safe to put it in as is as long as your other tank is free from parasites and the like.
Another way to speed up the cycle is to put feeder fish or some other type of hardy fish like molly they will speed up the process pretty fast.