Undergravel Filter

[BelldandyShanny]

This seemed like the appropriate place to post this question, I'm not exactly new but new to this situation.  I just recently moved a 3 gallon betta tank from upstairs to downstairs, the fish was taken out of it for the trip but in the process it jostled up all the gravel and the undergravel filter.  So I had to reseat it, stirred up loads of yuck, did a couple water changes, and hope it's fine.  My question is though, did that just completely ruin the cycle?  I mean, it's only a 3 gallon tank so yucky stuff builds up quick, but the water changes are just as quick so I can do as many as necessary to get it back on track.  The thing HAD been up and running for over a year.  It's my only undergravel filter tank so...I'm not as experienced with them. 
 
As soon as I get my sponge filter I'm gonna cycle it up in my main tank and then move the fish in my 3 gallon into my old 20 gallon.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

The odds are decent you should be fine. UGF is still the single best form of bio-filtration available, Its just more work than many people want to do and still requires additional mechanical filtration to work best. Running an under gravel filter in reverse direction (RUGF) is the better option as well.
 
Ideally, you will not have killed off enough bacteria to be an issue- i.e it will regrow fast. Getting out all the gunk actually made your UGF work better. The key to this form of filtration if to vac the junk out of the gravel before it can get sucked under the plate. You should also be cleaning under the plate a few times a year. Thus is done by snaking an airline down through the uplift tube and wiggling it around to suck out the junk.

 

[BelldandyShanny]

Well it's good to know it should be alright, perhaps then when my sponge filter arrives I'll run it in my 3 gallon to suppliment it's own ugf until it's cycled and then move contents to the 20. The only fish in it right now is a single preggy guppy waiting to drop, and my very small bn pleco (NOT as his perminent home) just more of a qt to see how he's doing.  On that thought he's missing the fins on his left side, the top one is almost gone and the bottom one is considerably smaller than the one on the other side.  Is that going to be a major issue for him in the long run? or can he still grow up happy?  I didn't know they were missing until I got him home and in the tank.