5g Tank: Cycle?

[soritan]

I'm sorry, I know this question has been answered several times, at least, since I've joined. But I'm having a hard time searching for it due to the character limit on the search function -- anything under 3 characters and the search function won't let you actually, search. I am using google with an advanced search on this site, and the most I've found so far, is "anything under 5 gallons is hard/impossible to cycle."

Do I have to cycle a 5 gallon tank?

It will most likely hold 1 betta, 2 adfs, and 3 ghost shrimp, but I'm not sure and doing more research. I know I've read of this combination working.

I imagine for the betta and the adfs, I'll probably have to use an under gravel filter, eh, due to current?

At the moment, the 5g tank is at ground zero, not even water is in it.

 

[ncjharris]

Yes, you really should cycle it.
The smaller the tank, the harder it is to cycle, as (amongst other things) the size has a direct relevance to the length of the ammonia/nitrite spike.

Your best bet is to use medium or substrate from another tank, to seed the tank, and you'll (almost!) have ready cycled tank.

We have a 6 gallon, that we kept some guppies in. Using a filter sponge from other main tank, we floated this in the water for a day or two, running the new filter. We also added a few flakes every day or so, to allow something for the waste. Then a 25% water change before adding any livestock, when their was an obvious nitrate spike.

Good Luck

 

[soritan]

I thought as much, but wasn't precisely sure...

I have a 10gal tank that I just finished fishless cycling. It's got quite a large number of oppertunistic bugs in it, including hydra... sooo... I'm wary of pulling things out of it and using it as a good bacteria source. I imagine that I can probably trust my own tank a great deal more than ... well, anyone else I know, locally. Maybe once I've got my 10gal all sorted out, I can steal some of the mismatched gravel out and use it to seed my new tank. Especially since I'm debating an under gravel filter for it... not sure what other options I have for the poor swimmers I've lined up to occupy it.

 

[ncjharris]

Well, you can try fishless cycling.
rdd has written a good article on fishless, which clearly & consisly explains how to do it. Although I don't know why I'm telling you this, as you obviously know anyway!

There is no reason why fishless cycling wouldn't work - it'll just be harder to keep track of. You'd still get the NitrAte spike at the end - you just need to make sure the ammonia and nitrIte have gone up previously.

You've got a couple of bettas and your 10g.
Try floating the filter medium (wool, sponge etc) in the water for a few days (if you're confident the tank is cycled) to seed the filter. Remember its the filter you are trying to get the bacteria to grow on, not in the water.