Cleaning Old Gravel

[fuman_chica]

Okay, I am getting two new bettas this week and they are used to having gravel in with them. I don't keep gravel in with the betta I have now, so I don't have any that is clean and ready to use for the new guys. I have some OLD gravel (I haven't used it since 2004) and I'm not sure what is on it (any fishy diseses or anything). So, should I clean this gravel really well (and if so, how should I do that to make sure it kills anything bad that is on it) or should I not use it at all?

I have it soaking in the hottest water my house gets without boiling it right now. Do I need to get my hands all in it and stuff? Do I need to scrub it with anything? Or is just soaking it going to work? And if I shouldn't use it at all PLEASE let me know ASAP. I'm getting the tanks ready for the new bettas today and they will be here around Wednesday...so I want everything to be set for them before they get here.

Thank you in advance!!
Tansy

 

[Pufferpro]

If you haven't used it since 2004 you're probably good to just rinse it and use it, don't worry too much. Also, I hope your tank is cycled, if it is, the gravel won't affect anything, but if it isn't you should add the gravel and hold off on the fish for a while till the tank has had a chance to properly cycle. You probably already know this, but I thought I'd mention it just in case.

 

[fuman_chica]

I don't cycle my betta tanks because they are just one gallon tanks. I do 100% water changes every 2-4 days with the one gallon. And I completely rinse off the gravel (the few times that I had gravel in with my bettas) at each of the water changes. Bettas don't NEED the tank to be cycled when they are in small tanks. And they seem to prefer it when you do the 100% water changes every few days as apposed to the 25% per week some people say to do.

And thanks for the info about the gravel. I rinse it thru some really hot water a few times just to make sure.

 

[Pufferpro]

You're welcome for the gravel advice. I never thought about doing 100% waterchanges, I've never done bettas, but it sounds like you're certainly on top of it! Good luck!

You're from Idaho?
I'm in Utah right now, attending one of the colleges.

 

[fuman_chica]

I have found that the 100% water changes are ALOT easier than trying to cycle a tiny tank. And you have to use a turkey baster to clean the gravel if you do cycle it. It is alot easier to just change all the water out at once and rinse all the gravel off. That way you get all the waste out. And bettas breathe air from the surface too...so the ammonia doesn't build up enough in four days time to hurt them.

And yes, I'm from Idaho. Born and raised.

 

[Pufferpro]

Yeah I remember reading that bettas breathed air from the surface, they have the labyrinth organ right? I've got to branch out and try raising some new fishes.

 

[fuman_chica]

Yeah it's something like that.

Bettas are really cool fish. And they are pretty easy to take care off too. But you have to watch out because they become VERY addictive. I got my first one in September 2003. I had him for a while (he only died after I moved and couldn't keep his tank tempature down because the new house was so hot...no central air). I have had about four or five so far, but like I said, I'm getting two on Wednesday. They are rescue bettas. They were in poor conditions at a store somewhere in New York. I would love to have MANY bettas, but I don't have the money to buy more tanks. It would be cheaper to get them ten gallon tanks and not fill it all the way so they don't jump out, but I would run out of room to put all those big tanks.

But if you want a cool, pretty new fish bettas are great. Best kept by themselves though.