What are some fish I can help cycle a tank with and ultimately keep with a betta?

Question

Here's the situation. 2.5 gallon heated and filtered tank. Currently is cycling. Added the water 2 days ago, added seeded gravel from my healthy current tank to boost cycling.

I want to have a betta, and a couple of shrimps, but someone mentioned to me I could get perhaps 3 white cloud minnows to keep in there as well - these would be added in a couple of days time to help the cycling and then kept afterwards to house with the betta which will be added at the end of cycling.

Is this possible? Is that okay for that size tank? It has only 2 very small plastic plants so it's not chock full of ornaments.

It will be cleaned regularly and as I said it does have a heater and a filter.

Any other species apart from white cloud minnows? Alternatively, any other fish that can be kept singly in that tank that are hardy and can be kept with bettas?

Sorry if this question is confusing!

Alternatively, can somebody tell me this:

When cycling a tank with seeded gravel, and therefore bacteria, how often do you need to add a couple of flakes of fish food to keep the bacteria alive? I put some in on sunday (it's tuesday), should I put some more in?

PeeTee:

Where do you get off, mate. 'Do some more research'...what do you think I'm doing? I've been told two contradictory things about getting the minnows, so I'm asking for more opinions before I form my own.

I said in the first few lines that my tank WASN'T CYCLED, so why have you told me that in your answer?

GCSE Biology could tell you fish DO help the cycling, ammonia is needed. It can come from either food OR fish, so therefore fish do help cycling. The bacteria I've put in will die without a source of ammonia, causing my tank to take over 6 weeks to cycle. That's not what I want.

The seeded gravel covers the entire base of the tank, there is nothing in there (except for the two plastic plants) that aren't COVERED in bacteria.

I've seen so many answers you've given that are so derogatory, I'm asking genuine questions here and I don't feel there's any need to treat me like a complete fool.

The heater I've ordered hasn't actually arrived yet, so I can't really put fish in as I'd feel awful about keeping them in a cold tank for the few days until it comes.

If I put in a flake a day (or every two days?) will that keep the bacteria alive until the heater comes (possibly friday - if not it will be the 7th of December it comes..)

Answer 1

White cloud minnows are cold water fish and shouldn't be kept with tropical fish. Period.

Since betta are labyrinth fish which breathe from the surface, you can safely add the betta while the tank is cycling. The waste produced by the betta will help cycle the tank, too.

Perform your routine 10% water changes and test for ammonia/nitrites.

I would not recommend keeping the shrimp in a 2.5 gallon tank with your betta. If you ever need to treat the betta for disease, you'll probably need to remove the shrimp as they can't withstand many of the medications required for treating fish. Also, your betta may "pick on" the shrimp. If you could step up into a 5 gallon tank, you could keep an African Dwarf Frog (not the clawed variety)

Answer 2

You could add the fish as soon as you added the seeded gravel. It may go through a small cycle, but it shouldn't be too bad. Just depends on how much gravel and bacteria is there etc. I've cycled all my tanks like that, actually I have a bag of ceramic "bio ball" rings I keep in a tank ready to go for a new tank start up. You want to add it the same time or soon after you add the fish, because the beneficial bacteria needs an ammonia source to survive.
I'd go ahead and get your betta, and then within a day or so add some more seeded gravel if you can get more. Then just monitor the ammonia and nitrite levels, do a water change if those start showing up, and it should cycle farily quick.

As for the white clouds, I wouldn't add them in the tank with the betta. It'll be overstocked, just stick with the betta in that sized tank.

Answer 3

I will tell you that you are making things more comlicated and harder on yourself.

Instead of using food - just wait to put the bacteria in until you are ready for it, after you get the heater and fish. Using food to create ammonia creates other messes like phosphates in the tank - it's just not worth it. That gravel is in your healthy tank for whenever you need it right? So wait till you need it. And don't worry, seeding a tank like this, with real living bacteria is hands down the fastest way to cycle a tank. If you can come up with enough media with bacteria in it, the tank will be instantly cycled, and a handful of gravel is plenty to cycle the tank instantly for just a betta.

Mixing a betta with those other fish is worth a try, but I'll warn you that the most problems in creating a community around a betta usually lies in trying it in too small a tank, so it might not work as well as you hoped. Still, make sure you add lots of plants and take good care of things and it should be ok. Stick to the clouds because no other fish are suitable to a tank this small. White clouds are from cool waters, not cold waters, and will do fine in your heated betta tank, btw, but I do agree that a 5 gallon tank would be much better for the fish, tank stability, and work on your part.

It's best not to put single fish with your betta because it increases the chance of his taking a curious turn toward it. Groups generally work best.

I woud do this: add media from the other tank and the 3 white clouds at the same time. Let the tank run for a week for bacteria to multiply if it needs to. As long as everything is cool, which it should be, I would add the ghost shrimp. Then last I would add the betta, because it decreases the chances of him having a problem with other fish if they're already there when he's introduced.

Answer 4

Your tank is to small for the minnows and betta with shrimp,I would just get the betta if that is what you want and besides using some gravel take some of the stuff out of your other tanks filter to seed the filter on your new tank.I would not add any other fish to your tank you need at least 5 gallons to add any with your betta.

Answer 5

You can cycle with a Betta. Your tank is too small for any more fish. A few shrimp should be OK, although bettas really need at least 5 gallons.
The 1" of fish per 1 gallon of water doesn't apply to small tanks, as they don't offer the same water quality, but even if it did, Bettas grow to be at least 2", which would only leave you with 1/2" for more fish.

Answer 6

sure. what's superb is that in case you connect the air pump to a pair variety of filter out, a splash sponge filter out is superb. That keeps the water purifier devoid of making too lots modern-day interior the tank. Betta dont like an incredible variety of modern-day, so a splash air powered filter out is nice. Ian

Answer 7

Fish don't help cycling.
Your tank is not cycled.
Bacteria seeding helps a little,but does not speed up cycling more than a few days.
Your tank won't be cycled until the bacteria colonies have established themselves on the solid,porous,well aerated surfaces of the new tank.
If you cycle with fish in the tank,it takes longer.
Be patient and do some more research.
2.5 gallons will get crowded quickly extra fish are not a good idea,1 Betta will do fine with little or no company.

Answer 8

you can get snails or algae fish. good luck