Should I Temporarily Move My Betta? PLEASE HELP

Without an ammonia source, the cycle will NOT continue. If you remove all the fish, you will need to add pure ammonia to continue the cycle (this is called fishless cycling, you can search here or on google and get tons of info about it).

You have a few options here. If it were me, I'd most likely just leave the betta and the frogs in the 10 gallon and do 50% daily water changes (or twice daily if needed) until the cycle completes and the bettas fins heal up. You said you have live plants, they will also consume ammonia and nitrites. So if you're inclined to, you might consider adding some more live plants, at least temporarily, to help things along. Once the cycle is done, you could move some of the plants to another tank maybe. I know any excuse to buy more plants works for me, so thought I'd throw that in there :D

I understand that water changes might be easier in a smaller bowl, but really 50% water changes in a 10 gallon tank aren't that much of a hassle. I'm not sure about using the bettafix in the 10 gallon with the frogs, but I'd assume the bottle should have some type of info on that? Or you might try their website. Usually, with frequent water changes, medications aren't necessary for a bettas fins to heal up.

Also, not doing water changes does NOT help the cycle progress any faster. Without water changes during a cycle with fish, the fish just suffer (or die) more. Not doing water changes during a fishless cycle can result in a pH crash which can stall your cycle or even kill off some of your bacteria. This is especially common when doing a fishless cycle with soft water.
 
Thanks for the info Arky.....can you explain PH crash ? As far as an ammonia source to continue the cycle, would just putting some fish food in there do the job ? I have heard of folks doing this....also using a raw shrimp :eek: ...good ammonia source...

Betta fins do need clean water in order to heal up properly, but you don't have to medicate unless they have finrot. As long as you keep the water very clean it isn't likely they will come down with that.

I do believe though, the higher PH you have, the more prone they will be to infections in injured fins. My PH runs about 7.8-8.0..which is fairly high, so could explain why my fish are more prone to fin problems when they have injuries...hence I am very careful about clean water when healing fins. You find more bacteria in high PH water than you do in low PH.

Oh, lol...dumping and wiping out a 16 oz bowl sounds way easier to me than syphoning out 5 gallons of water and lugging 5 more.... ;)
 
Emg said:
Thanks for the info Arky.....can you explain PH crash ? As far as an ammonia source to continue the cycle, would just putting some fish food in there do the job ? I have heard of folks doing this....also using a raw shrimp :eek: ...good ammonia source...
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I don't know all the exact scientific details, so I'll give you my version (the dummies version :D ) and someone can correct me if I goof it up. The cycling process produces acids which will break down the KH of the water. Since the KH is what buffers your pH, once it gets too low, it can't buffer it anymore, so the pH starts dropping. If the pH drops too low, the bacteria will eventually start dying off. The exact levels when all this happens, I'm not sure of. Most info I've found says that pH crashes are possible once the KH drops below 4 degrees. Not sure how low the pH has to go to start killing off bacteria. When this happened to me, my pH test kit only went down to 6.0 and it was below that I know :)

Yes fish food or shrimp will work, but you don't have any control over how much ammonia is being added to the tank. That's why I'd prefer using pure ammonia.

Emg said:
Oh, lol...dumping and wiping out a 16 oz bowl sounds way easier to me than syphoning out 5 gallons of water and lugging 5 more.... ;)
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You need to get a Python! I guess I'm spoiled :D
 
So I should leave the frogs in there then? Will they produce enough waste to continue the cycle if I decide to keep the betta in the floating bowls? I just want to see the betta's fins heal :(
 
No, I wouldn't float the betta in a bowl in a tank that you're fishless cycling. The chances of that water with high ammonia in it getting into the bowl would be too scary for me :)

First of all, even if you have a tank that's fully established and cycled, when you add additional fish, that will increase the bioload causing ammonia and nitrites to show up again until the bacteria can handle the extra load.

I'm confused as to what resources you have available to you to house the betta and the frogs while you fishless cycle the tank they're currently in. Seems best I can tell that all of your tanks are uncycled except possibly the 2.5gal betta tank which has a betta in it correct?

My concern is that adding the betta and/or the frogs into another uncycled (or cycled) tank isn't really going to achieve the results you may be looking for. Wherever they end up, you will be doing water changes there as well, so why bother moving them?

Or maybe I'm just missing something since I skim too much :D
 
ArkyLady said:
No, I wouldn't float the betta in a bowl in a tank that you're fishless cycling. The chances of that water with high ammonia in it getting into the bowl would be too scary for me :)

First of all, even if you have a tank that's fully established and cycled, when you add additional fish, that will increase the bioload causing ammonia and nitrites to show up again until the bacteria can handle the extra load.

I'm confused as to what resources you have available to you to house the betta and the frogs while you fishless cycle the tank they're currently in. Seems best I can tell that all of your tanks are uncycled except possibly the 2.5gal betta tank which has a betta in it correct?

My concern is that adding the betta and/or the frogs into another uncycled (or cycled) tank isn't really going to achieve the results you may be looking for. Wherever they end up, you will be doing water changes there as well, so why bother moving them?

Or maybe I'm just missing something since I skim too much :D
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I have as of tonight 3 tanks.

1 - 10g with 3 AFD's and 1 betta (whose fins were tearing)
1 - 2.5g with 1 betta

Both are cycling but the 2.5 is further along. I am upgrading the 2.5g to a 6g tonight, which will continue the cycle.

So I guess I should leave the frogs where they are. Question is should I put the betta back in the 10g with torn fins (maybe add some salt) or leave him in a floating bowl?
Thanks
:)
 
I say thats up to you.
If you want to up the water changes on the 10, then by all means, put him back.
If you don't mind doing water changes on the bowl and the tank, then leave him in the bowl :)
 
Ems said:
I say thats up to you.
If you want to up the water changes on the 10, then by all means, put him back.
If you don't mind doing water changes on the bowl and the tank, then leave him in the bowl :)
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I'm already changing water 1-2 times day.... hmmmm
How much more should I change it? I think I might feel safer with him in the bowls for now... But will the frogs be enough to cycle the tank with?
 
yeah they will, it may take a bit longer, but try to make it as comfortable as possible for them, as im sure you already are.
 
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