Water changes, best way to do it!

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greenday04

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Nov 28, 2004
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Concord, CA
I am planning to do a 50% water change on my 2 gallon tank this weekend. What is the best method for this? Do I take out 1/2 the water with the fish and put it and him in another vessel then clean out the rest of the tank completely. Changing and rinsing the gravel (sas there is a little food at the bottom since my dear hubby decided tonight to feed him by just sprinkling the betta flakes in directly from the jar, oops, I will definately have a talk with him as the fish only eats a few pieces at a time several times a day) and all the parts. Then replacing the other half of the water (after water treatment, of course) then put him and his water back in? :confused:

If yes, thanks, and if I am completely insane please let me know!!!
The fish is a betta we just got on Sunday.

Anyway please let me know
Thanks
D :o
 
No..you don't 'need' to remove your fish and clean the rest of the tank 'completely.'
What I would do for your set-up:
Weekly: change 50%+ water, vaccum gravel, clean glass and decorations of algae(if present). You shouldn't remove the gravel and clean it under the tap....leave it in the tank. If you don't have a gravel vac and the gravel is extra filthy, you can clean the gravel in a bucket of your tank water then return it to the tank. Don't clean it under tap water or try to sterilize it. Doing so may destroy your 'good bacteria.'
Every other week: clean the filter (if you have one.)
 
Yeah because you tank is a smaller size you can take him out but this can cause extra stress to the fish. It`s kinda like bringing him home from the store every week. Except he is going back into a familiar tank which is slightly less stressful. I would recommend leaving him in the tank and just work around him. but this also can stress him out. You kinda have a little dilema with a tank that size. Maybe just try it both ways and see how he reacts and whichever seems less stressful to him is the one you should do from now on. Sorry about my in-decision on this.
 
Wow, no wonder my goldfish left us!!

I was, every time the late goldfish's tank got dirty I did a complete water change every time it got dirty, cleaning the gravel, plastic plants, castle decoration, filter and tank with tap water then using the water detox stuff filled it up again and put him back. Then one day, 2 weeks since I did the whole change thing, he was eating the left over food off the bottom and poof the next day, well you know! :sad

I will do as Slappy says, it now makes so much more sense. I had no idea before I found this forum what to do with a fish. I will definately will invest in a gravel vaccum :D

My betta is so happy, flaring to himself in his reflection and showing us his wonderful red flowing fins!! Just want to keep him that way! :dance

Good night and long live the fish!!!!
D
 
If you haven't already, read the cycling sticky. You will want the info to keep your beatta alive for the next 4-6 weeks while things get estabilished. 2g is a small volume and things can shift very quickly in a tank that size. While beatta's can breathe air, they are still succeptable to ammonia and nitrite poisoning.
dave
 
Thanks again for the good advice. I am off the by a gravel vac today to get out the extra food and will do the 50% water change this weekend and work around the fish. I was thinking of taking some of the water to LFS to have it checked.

My mom has a large tank, would any water from there help? or anything else for that matter?

D
 
Water, no, but some gravel, mulm, or some of the media from an established tank will help.
 
Mulm is the fluffy looking solids that will build up in a healthy substrate, particularly planted tanks. It's a good source of bacteria and other micro-critters that colonize aquariums. Media: sponges, bio-rings, floss, charcoal, all the things we put in the filter compartments. Some, like sponges, are used for both mechanical and biological filtration, others, like bio-rings (ceramic rings, noodles, stars, etc) are only for biological media, and some, like charcoal are put in for chemical filtration but are colonized by bacteria if left in for more than a few weeks.
 
Just a quick note if you borrow media or gravel from your mom, keep it in a container of tank water don't let it dry out, and don't let it get too cold or try to keep it for long periods outside of the tank. the bacteria will live as long as they have o2 and don't go more than a day or so without food (ammonia).

With gravel, if your mom uses an undergravel filter any of it will work, if she doesn't try to skim the gravel from the uppermost layer as there is less bacteria where there is less oxygen (deeper in the gravel).
dave
 
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