1 Gal To 3 Gal Shortcut To Cycle Tank?

[atistang]

I have 2 glo tetras and a cherry shrimp in my one gallon currently. I just got a 3 gal today and i am going to move them over to that.

so could i just add the water from the 1 gal that has been cycled to the 3galthen fill it with 2gallons of uncycled water?

or do i still have to cycle the water?

also would one of the tetras or one of the shrimp be a good fish to cycle with?

 

[Honeythorn]

Though it's good you have a slightly bigger tank, it still isn;t anywhere near big enough. Tetras may be small but they are very active and need more space than you think. They also need to be in much larger groups to feel safe and display properly. You really need a 10-15 gallon tank and at least 6 more tetras, preferably 8.

The 3 gallon is fine for shrimp but not for any fish ( not even a betta they also need more room than most people give them )

Water does not cycle. Filters do. And you need to get a filter and heater since your fish are tropical.

Presuming you have gravel in your current tank, this is where your beneficial bacteira are , so it's the gravel you need to move over WITHOUT WASHING IT (washing will destroy your bacteria ) Then add all the water from your 1 gal and top up with fresh dechlorinated water. After that you need to do very frequent water changes of around 25% until your ammonia is giving a reading of 0 in 12 hours every day. This will be very diffiicult in a 3 gallon as even 2 tetras will create enough waste to build up very quickly. A filter is essential.

Seriously though you do need to get a much bigger tank. A ten gallon can fit on a solid desk or worktop, I have a 12 gallon on one here in my spare room so I know it would fit. You can pick up cheap tanks second hand on places like Ebay and Craigslist , also garage slaes are a good place to hunt for used tanks.

You're looking for a tank about 18 inches long, 10 inches wide and 15 inches deep ( top to bottom )

If you can't find a glass tank, then a clear plastic storage tub ( food safe) will also work very well as a temporary tank . They don't cost much, just get the most see through one you can and set it up in the same way as a glass tank.

It will be much safer and more comfortable for your fish and actually less work for you.

 

[Curiosity101]

Honeythorn is correct in her advice.

You should really think about setting up a filter (or buying a very small one), to go in the tank. You can make a sponge filter following the instructions Here
Or get something like... Interpet Power Filter Mini (for tanks from 1-9gal)

Once you have a filter it means the bacteria that feed on your fishes waste will move to live in there. And then if/when you upgrade, you can simply move the filter (which is the cycled part), over with the fish.
At the moment your fish are actually living in there waste...this will be slowly poisoning them.

Heaterwise you could get something like the 7.5watt Hydor Mini Aquarium Heater

 

[GuppyGoddess]

Hi,

I have a 3-gallon eclipse and it's very hard to keep the ammonia levels in check. The tank was cycled and then I had to treat my fish for parasites and had to remove a large portion of the water and vaccuum the gravel a bunch and since then, I haven't been able to get the tank to re-cycle. I've had it since July.

At the time I thought it was a great idea having a 3-gallon (because it easily fit on my kitchen counter), but in hindsight, I would have started out with a 5 or 10-gallon so it'd be easier to watch the levels.

That said, I am keeping the 3-gallon because it was a gift for my son and he wouldn't understand me getting rid of it. Right now, it has guppies in it.

As Curiosity mentioned, there are the hydor Mini Heaters on the market. I have one and it works well.

Best of luck.

Oh, and you should be able to trade your tetras in at the store you purchased them from. They need a suitable home. If you do decide to go with a fish such as a Betta, a female one would be a better choice because with their smaller fins, it's easier for them to get around. I had my long double-tailed betta in another 3-gallon for a month and he constantly struggled to position himself. Luckily the fish store let me exchange that tank for a 5-gallon one.

 

[atistang]

i have a bio wheel filter for the 3gal and a heater that i was using in my 5gal with my betta that kept it at 74 degrees, i'm hopping that this heater will keep the smaller 3 gal at 74-78 degrees.

i got the tetras because the person at the pet shop said they would be alright tank mates for my betta, after they fin nipped him non-stop that night i had to do something so i went to walmart as it was the only place open and got a 1 gal just so i could separate them. as i found out the person at the pet store had no clue about them

they have actually been living in there for 3 months with no heater or filter. i already have a 3 gal as that is all i have room for until i get a house. so this 3gal is gonna have to do until then

 

[Curiosity101]

Why not just re-home them? It's the best thing to do if I'm being honest.

What is your bettas tank set up like? Are there plenty of hiding places? If so then you could try him with the shrimp, see if he leaves it alone/it can hide well enough.

And if so, re-home the tetras (either via this forum or back to the shop), and get a few more cherry shrimp to go with your current one in the betta tank.

 

[Honeythorn]

Indeed, the tetras need to be returned as they need far more space and numbers regardless of how long they have been in there. Time scale does not make it ok.

The filtered 3 gallon is great for shrimp only . You could easily add 4 more cherry shrimp and they do fine in room temperature water so you wouldn't need to buy a heater . They have been known to breed in water as low as 15 degrees C. Adding plenty of java moss and a moss ball or two would also benefit shrimp as they enjoy picking through both for bits of food.

 

[atistang]

took the tetras back. no i just have one lonely cherry shrimp in the 1 gal lol.

set up my 3 gal last night, i filled it up with 2 1/2 gallons of new water, then topped it off with water from my 5 gal betta and 1 gal. then i put a handful of gravel from my betta's tank in the 3gal

I'm going to test the water tomorrow and see if i have enough ammonia to get a cycle started. Once i have enough ammonia i am going to take the foam insert from my bettas filter and put it in the filter for my 3 gal in hopes that there is plenty of good bacteria in there


once i start to see ammonia levels drop should i go ahead and put my shrimp in to provide a source of ammonia? or should i just add water from a water change from another tank?

 

[Curiosity101]

If you take some filter sponge from your bettas tank then you can put the shrimp straight into the 3gal. Presuming the bettas filter has been fully cycled?

I'm going to test the water tomorrow and see if i have enough ammonia to get a cycle started. Once i have enough ammonia i am going to take the foam insert from my bettas filter and put it in the filter for my 3 gal in hopes that there is plenty of good bacteria in there

^^ I don't understand where the ammonia is coming from at this point...

 

[Honeythorn]

Adding used filter material ( no washing! ) will provide enough bacteria to support a few shrimp, you don't need to add ammonia . They produce very little waste. After that just do 50% water changes once a week ( or 2 x 25%'schanges, one at the start of the week and one halfway through )

 

[atistang]

If you take some filter sponge from your bettas tank then you can put the shrimp straight into the 3gal. Presuming the bettas filter has been fully cycled?


^^ I don't understand where the ammonia is coming from at this point...

the sponge from my betta tank is cycled

my thoughts on the ammonia is from the water 1/4 gal i put in from my betta, and the 1/4 gal i put in from the 1 gal that had the tetras in it

the 1 gal never had a filter and was never cycled so i'm sure that it has ammonia in it

I'm gonna test the water, if there is a small mount of ammonia then i should put the shrimp in and the sponge from my betta tank?