How do you cycle a 5 gallon?

[VioletThePurple]

I know that I'm supposed to wait for beneficial bacteria to build up. I'm planning on doing this by putting fish food in the empty tank. I know that I could also transfer stuff from another tank into the new tank for bacteria. Most resides in the filter, so can I transfer filter media? What I mean by that is use old media instead of the new one in the filter and put the new media in the old filter. I can't take the filter out, I need it for the other tank, and it's not meant for a 5 gallon.

From my understanding, the cycle is complete once there's no ammonia. Does that mean there's going to be ammonia right away? I've heard that you can slowly add livestock after time, it'll just be a single betta, so can I add the one fish in earlier? And should I do regular water changes on the new tank while it's cycling? I've heard conflicting opinions. Like you shouldn't water change because then the bacteria have nothing to eat. If I did partial water changes daily, would it be safe to put the fish in?

I have a lot of questions. I looked into it, but I want to be sure all the info is right.

 

[connorlindeman]

I know that I'm supposed to wait for beneficial bacteria to build up. I'm planning on doing this by putting fish food in the empty tank. I know that I could also transfer stuff from another tank into the new tank for bacteria. Most resides in the filter, so can I transfer filter media? What I mean by that is use old media instead of the new one in the filter and put the new media in the old filter. I can't take the filter out, I need it for the other tank, and it's not meant for a 5 gallon.

From my understanding, the cycle is complete once there's no ammonia. Does that mean there's going to be ammonia right away? I've heard that you can slowly add livestock after time, it'll just be a single betta, so can I add the one fish in earlier? And should I do regular water changes on the new tank while it's cycling? I've heard conflicting opinions. Like you shouldn't water change because then the bacteria have nothing to eat. If I did partial water changes daily, would it be safe to put the fish in?

I have a lot of questions. I looked into it, but I want to be sure all the info is right.

Cycling Your New Fresh Water Tank: Read This First!

Cycling Your First Fresh Water Tank What is Cycling and Why is it Important? Fish waste, and especially fish breathing, plus uneaten food and other organic matter breaking down in a tank all produce Ammonia. This can quickly become toxic to fish if it is allowed to build up to any measurable...

www.fishforums.net

That will answer many of your questions.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

When you say fish food, what does that mean?

Using shrimp or fish food​

One of the more popular fishless cycling methods is to buy a few dead shrimp at the grocery store, cut them up into chunks and add them to the aquarium. The shrimp decay, which produces ammonia to feed the nitrifying bacteria. There are a few drawbacks with this method, one being that the hobbyist really has no way to know how much ammonia is being produced by the decaying shrimp, and the aquarium does not look very good with dead shrimp laying on the bottom. Also, the organic material of the shrimp can cause bacteria blooms which turn the aquarium water cloudy. This method works but it takes time and patience and you will probably see a spike in ammonia and nitrite if you add a medium to heavy load of fish after the initial cycling. Note that some people use flake fish food instead of shrimp but this is not recommended because flake food does not have much organic material compared to shrimp and so does not add a lot of ammonia to the water, but you can use cut fish instead of shrimp.

from https://www.drtimsaquatics.com/resources/fishless-cycling/
The above is from the site of Dr. Timothy Hovanec. He is the Ph.D. who discoverd the actual strains of bacteria that deal with nitrogen in aquariums.

Also you cycle a 5 gallon tank the exact same way you cycle a 50, a 500 or a 5,000 gallon tank. You add ammonia, only how much chnanges but the contentration (ppm) in the water is the same.

 

[VioletThePurple]

When you say fish food, what does that mean?


from https://www.drtimsaquatics.com/resources/fishless-cycling/
The above is from the site of Dr. Timothy Hovanec. He is the Ph.D. who discovered the actual strains of bacteria that deal with nitrogen in aquariums.

Also, you cycle a 5-gallon tank the exact same way you cycle a 50, a 500 or a 5,000-gallon tank. You add ammonia, only how much changes but the concentration (ppm) in the water is the same.

It means I want to add fish flakes in the empty tank, so the waste breaks down and hopefully that'll help the process. I have never cycled a tank before! The main tank I have used to belong to my parents that they gave to me.

I do have some frozen shrimp blocks and small dead shrimp as fish treats, can I use these?

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Why don't you use this?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006MP4QG6/?tag=ff0d01-20

 

[VioletThePurple]

Why don't you use this?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006MP4QG6/?tag=ff0d01-20

Because no pet stores around me sell that and my dad won't get it online for me.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Do you have a filter for the 5g?

If your parents have healthy, established tanks without signs of disease present (since you've had problems with your 20) ask if you can pinch some of their substrate and some of their filter media, transfer that to new tank, add fish, add some live plants, monitor daily and do 50% daily water changes for a while. The borrowed media added to the filter plus in the substrate will start something called a seeded cycle, meaning you already have the bacteria you need in your tank, the colonies just need some time to grow to the size needed to handle the bioload of the new set up.

Only feed very lightly after a two-three day fast once you move the betta in. Food in = waste out, and you want to keep waste to a minimum while the tank cycles and those bacteria colonies catch up.

 

[VioletThePurple]

Do you have a filter for the 5g?

If your parents have healthy, established tanks without signs of disease present (since you've had problems with your 20) ask if you can pinch some of their substrate and some of their filter media, transfer that to new tank, add fish, add some live plants, monitor daily and do 50% daily water changes for a while. The borrowed media added to the filter plus in the substrate will start something called a seeded cycle, meaning you already have the bacteria you need in your tank; the colonies just need some time to grow to the size needed to handle the bio load of the new set up.

Only feed very lightly after a two-three day fast once you move the betta in. Food in = waste out, and you want to keep waste to a minimum while the tank cycles and those bacteria colonies catch up.

Add fish? So, I can add fish immediately?

I will do that, and I'm buying a new filter with the 5 gallon, I don't have an established filter that would be appropriate for a 5 gallon.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Add fish? So, I can add fish immediately?

I will do that, and I'm buying a new filter with the 5 gallon, I don't have an established filter that would be appropriate for a 5 gallon.

Get the filter and add the substrate/established filter media first. Add fresh, de-clorinated water temp matched to the betta's current water, live plants, then yes, add fish. You'll be doing a seeded, fish-in cycle, which isn't ideal, but the betta needs something fairly urgently. You need to be committed to doing large daily water changes, making sure to declorinate and temp match the new water and monitor parameters.
A seeded cycle like this is much faster than a typical cycle, but it still takes some time for the tank to become stable and established, hence the water changes.

 

[VioletThePurple]

Get the filter and add the substrate/established filter media first. Add fresh, de-chlorinated water temp matched to the betta's current water, live plants, then yes, add fish. You'll be doing a seeded, fish-in cycle, which isn't ideal, but the betta needs something fairly urgently. You need to be committed to doing large daily water changes, making sure to dechlorinate and temp match the new water and monitor parameters.
A seeded cycle like this is much faster than a typical cycle, but it still takes some time for the tank to become stable and established, hence the water changes.

I don't have to do a fish in cycle, my betta is in quarantine, I think I can afford to wait. I will be doing everything else.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I don't have to do a fish in cycle, my betta is in quarantine, I think I can afford to wait. I will be doing everything else.

*Cough* you're welcome *cough*
As I said it's not exactly like a fish in cycle, since it's a seeded cycle. But suit yourself.

 

[KiwiGal77]

I don't have to do a fish in cycle, my betta is in quarantine, I think I can afford to wait. I will be doing everything else.

What sized tank and filtration are you using where the betta currently is for quarantine, and was that cycled?