# Can you cycle a 2.5 gal tank?



## emeltee (Jul 30, 2010)

I currently have a 2.5 gallon tank for my daughter's betta. Is it possible for me to cycle it? 

If so, what would be involved? 

If I get it to cycle, how often would I need to do water changes (and at what percentage.) 

On the other hand, if I get a 5 gallon tank and do a fishless cycle on it while Prince is in his 2.5 gallon tank, how often would I have to change the 5 gallon tank once it is cycled?

Prince is doing well - making bubble nests, but sadly, I think I have killed Princess after doing a complete water change last night for her! Argh! I seem to have a knack for killing fish after water changes, as she is the 2nd one to have died after a complete water change.


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## Neelie (Feb 18, 2010)

ok, first off, a 2.5g is way too small to cycle. you'll be lucky to cycle a 5g. 10g is ideal for cycling imo. and you could always add some lil shrimp to make it all more lively. id opt for that. water changes in a cycled tank are less than uncycled of course but your still looking at 20% - 30% per week.

im sure some one else can help you more caus i am no expert when it comes to cycling. 

as for your water changes and dying fish: do you use water conditioner everytime before you put your fish in? is the temp always around the 77degrees?


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## emeltee (Jul 30, 2010)

Yep, water conditioner was used. 

Funny thing is that I finally got a heater yesterday (waiting for my adjustable one to come via mail) and plopped it in Princess' tank. After I did the water change. I acclimated her to her new tank over the course of an hour. 

Argh, I feel so horrible because I keep killing my daughter's fish.


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## Welsh (Apr 13, 2010)

Yes it is possible to cycle a 2.5 gallon, I did it successfully and carried our 50% water changes twice weekly  I kept RCS in the tank and none of these died, thankfully  

Basically what you will need to do is set the tank up and let it run  I cycled my tank by feeding the tank a few flakes of food every 12 hours, or you could use a piece of raw fish or shrimp. Usually a tank will take about a month to fully cycle but for a quicker way you could add substrate, decorations and filter media from an already estabilished tank, it took me a week to cycle my 6.5 gallon tank this way. If you have the API freshwater master kit to test your water, when the parameters read 

Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 5-10

Then your tank is cycled and its safe to put in fish but usually a water change is recommended before adding the fish to rid of any high nitrates  This is just a basic guideline from my own experience  the 5 gallon would probably be better as it is slightly bigger and bigger is always better 

Another thing, do you use water conditioner with every water change?


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## emeltee (Jul 30, 2010)

Welsh said:


> Yes it is possible to cycle a 2.5 gallon, I did it successfully and carried our 50% water changes twice weekly  I kept RCS in the tank and none of these died, thankfully
> 
> Basically what you will need to do is set the tank up and let it run  I cycled my tank by feeding the tank a few flakes of food every 12 hours, or you could use a piece of raw fish or shrimp. Usually a tank will take about a month to fully cycle but for a quicker way you could add substrate, decorations and filter media from an already estabilished tank, it took me a week to cycle my 6.5 gallon tank this way. If you have the API freshwater master kit to test your water, when the parameters read
> 
> ...


What's RCS? And you did a fishless cycle, right? Maybe I should keep Prince in his 2.5 gallon home and buy a 5 gallon and attempt to cycle it. I just want to avoid these 100% water changes since the fish seem to die after them! 

So if a tank a cycled, it shouldn't need 100% water changes, right?


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## Welsh (Apr 13, 2010)

RCS are Red cherry shrimp. No definately no 100% water changes when its cycled otherwise you will need to start again lol.

I did do a fishless cycle but I also took sand and decorations along with a filter from my estabilished tank which was practically an instant cycle.


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## wallywestisthebest333 (Nov 30, 2009)

I agree with welsh. =] I also agree that you should keep him in his 2.5 gallon as as temporary home until you cycle a 5 gallon if you can. =] I'm sure he'd love the extra room! =]

Also if you'd like to look at another way of fishless cycling here's a great page on the ammonia method enhanced by biological bacterial from a bottle! =] Fishless cycling takes MUCH less time this way! =]

http://www.drtimsaquatics.com/fishless/fishless.html

That's how I'm going to be cycling when I set my 5 gal up at college and probably how I'll cycle my 2.25 gallon if I decide to use it as a permanent residence for a different fish. =]

If you really want to cycle the 2.5 gallon though you can! =] You'd just have to do a fish-in cycle. There's great info about fish-in cycling in this thread: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=47838

No matter which tank you chose to cycle though, you'll need a filter; even if it's just a sponge filter. If your tank has the bennefit of being rectangular may I recommend the Azoo Palm filter or the Pennplax Small World filter? Both are reccomended and both have biological filtering capabilities which is really necessary IMO.

Hope I helped some! =]


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

I have a minibow 2.5 that has been set up and cycled since around last winter and I've never once had a problem with it. I do two weekly water changes (one 50% and the other 25%). Once I get plants in it I'm going to only do 1 50% change a week.


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## vilmarisv (Apr 17, 2010)

I have 3 cycled 2.5 MiniBow tanks and my parameters are very constant. According to my readings I don't need to make once a week water changes but I do a 50% anyway. 
I used a handfull of substrate from my brother-in-law's already established tank so it took me abiout 3 weeks to complete the cycle.


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## Welsh (Apr 13, 2010)

vilmarisv said:


> I have 3 cycled 2.5 MiniBow tanks and my parameters are very constant. According to my readings I don't need to make once a week water changes but I do a 50% anyway.
> I used a handfull of substrate from my brother-in-law's already established tank so it took me abiout 3 weeks to complete the cycle.


I want your betta :lol:

The amount of sand I took from my tank actually filled the new tank 2 inches, my 12 gallon was like a beach lol


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## vilmarisv (Apr 17, 2010)

And I want him back :-( He bit his beautiful tail and now looks nothing like the picture. 
Still love him to bits!!


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

When I'm getting ready to cycle a new tank I take a green scrubber sponge and put it in the filter of one of my cycled tanks for a week or more (depending on how quickly I want to start cycling). I then transfer that sponge into the new filter and the tank cycles very quickly.


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