# How would I cycle a 1 gallon Betta tank?



## yogosans14 (Jul 14, 2014)

Its the aqueon mini bow 1. 

How many water change s should I do if it has a filter ?


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## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

Several factors involved for getting a proper answer:
Are you doing a fish-in or a fish-less cycle (using an ammonia source like fish food or pure ammonia)? Will you have live plants? If so what? Do you have a cycled tank with healthy fish you can take a bit of filter media from to put into the 1g (sponge/foam and ceramic/bio media is best) to help the cycle?


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## yogosans14 (Jul 14, 2014)

Fish in cycle...I will upgrade to the 5 gallon version next week actually but for now how many water changes should I do?


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## mattdocs12345 (Oct 13, 2014)

Oldfishlady said:


> 1-4gal without a filter or live plants
> Twice weekly-1-50% water only and 1-100%


http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=115758

Make sure to add 1 drop of prime every day and 2 drops during each water change.


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## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

Actually they just need to add 0.5ml to a 1g tank every 48 hours to safely bind ammonia and nitrite for the fish, not every day (but do re-dose at water changes). I use a needleless syringe to dose Seachem Prime so I can measure it easily.


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## yogosans14 (Jul 14, 2014)

I don't have prime...I have Stress Coat


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

Detoxifying ammonia is important in a small tank, especially if you plan on cycling fish-in. Stresscoat does *not* detoxify ammonia. Prime does.

A 1g tank can be cycled, but because ammonia builds up quickly, you'll have to test daily or more to keep ammonia below 0.50ppm. I'd suggest a fishless cycle. Ammonia buildup is less critical that way.

Seachem recommends 2-drops of Prime/gal every two days. This makes for an ammonia buildup the second day, as the Prime releases it's "locked" ammonia back into the tank. I recommend 1-drop/gal daily as a way to keep ammonia better under control.

Yogosan, why are you bothering to cycle the 1g if you're getting a 5g soon? Now that's worth cycling. And, in a 5g, fish-in is safe and convenient.


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## Kim (Apr 30, 2008)

Like Hallyx said, I wouldn't bother cycling the 1 gallon - you will just subject your fish to harmful toxins without any perceivable benefits (it definitely won't cycle in 1 week, so you will never get the benefits of a cycled tank, just the detriments of a cycling tank). I would do daily 100% water changes in the 1 gallon (remember to acclimate properly to the new water each time) until you get the 5 gallon. Personally, I'd then put him in the 5 gallon without the filter and do 2 50% and 1 100% water changes weekly while you cycle the filter in a separate bucket of water. Basically, you just set up the filter on the bucket, add some ammonia, and test periodically until the bucket has cycled. You can then just transfer the cycled filter to the 5 gallon for an instant cycle without subjecting your fish to any ammonia (toxic!). I know some people use fish-in cycles, but I just find this method safer and easier for the fishkeeper. Here is a great link on the aquarium cycle: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...nners-guide-freshwater-aquarium-cycle-353074/

Please note, I would NOT use any decaying organic matter as fuel for a fishless cycle - just pure ammonia. Decaying matter (such as fish food or raw shrimp) can contribute to the growth of non-beneficial (and sometimes harmful) bacterial/fungal species and is just downright nasty to deal with!


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## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

For now, untill you can upgrade id just change the water 100% 1x a day, some people change it every two days, but you can test his water to figure that out, since water changes should be based on *your* water parameters. When the ammonia gets to .25, do a water change.
then fish in cycle the 5g, or do a bucket cycle with the filter with pure ammonia (pretty cheap at the store) then add the filter, either way works. Goodluck!

p.s. I'm sure he will love his larger home! Especially if he's warm and has lots of plants! Lol


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## Schmoo (Oct 3, 2014)

+1 to what several people have said. Tanks can take several weeks to filter, so if your fish is getting a bigger home next week, I wouldn't bother. Definitely filter his 5 gallon, though. :3 

In an unfiltered 1 gallon, you should be doing 100% WCs every day.


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## yogosans14 (Jul 14, 2014)

Well I did some research and the 2.5 gallon version is on Sale so ill get that one to save me $$$


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## Kim (Apr 30, 2008)

Why not just get a rectangular glass tank? You definitely save money if you create your own setup. I could set up a 5.5 gallon glass rectangular tank, small filter (I used to use the Azoo palm back in the day when I had 5 gallon tanks), and a 25 watt heater for a lot less than a 2.5 gallon kit that doesn't even come with a heater and probably has a filter too strong for the tank size. For a light, you can just use a desk lamp, and glass covers are very cheap. 

I'm not trying to bash that tank, but I just want to give you some alternative options that would give you a bigger tank for the same cost


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## yogosans14 (Jul 14, 2014)

I already have 3 glass tanks. The Mini bow is very attractive and it fits perfectly where I need it to.


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## yogosans14 (Jul 14, 2014)

I baffled the filter in my 1 gal with filter sponge. Works perfect now.


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## mattdocs12345 (Oct 13, 2014)

kjg1029 said:


> For now, untill you can upgrade id just change the water 100% 1x a day, some people change it every two days, but you can test his water to figure that out, since water changes should be based on *your* water parameters. When the ammonia gets to .25, do a water change.





Kim said:


> I would do daily 100% water changes in the 1 gallon (remember to acclimate properly to the new water each time) until you get the 5 gallon.


I would strongly recommend against doing daily water changes. You will stress your fish and likely kill it from handling stress. 
For 1 gallon tank you do twice weekly water changes and you deal with build up of ammonia by doing daily 1 drop of Prime. Ammonia will not hurt your fish when combined with Prime, but you will kill your fish by taking it in and out of the tank every day. 
For 1 gallon I would also strongly advice against any filter. Just follow Oldfishlady recommendations for tanks 1 gallon - 4 gallons. Remember too clean can be sometimes worst than too dirty.
If you have space get a 5 gallon, that one is worth cycling, anything under 5 gallons makes no sense as it does not affect the frequency of water changes. And if you are like me and you already got ammonia in tap water then filter makes even less sense. Prime does the job instead.
Read for yourself and decide in this thread:
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=115758


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## Kim (Apr 30, 2008)

I have to disagree about not cycling anything under 5 gallons. In an uncycled tank, you HAVE to do 100% water changes at some point - there is no way around it (unless you do massive daily water changes, which is probably more work and stress for the fish in the long run) and the math with prove that much. Many members on here have successfully cycled 2.5 gallon tanks, and while I don't care to use tanks that size, I would certainly suggest cycling them if you have them. In an uncycled tank, missing a few water changes because you got the flu, broke an arm, had to visit grandma in the hospital, or simply went on a vacation can be very damaging to your fish. With a cycled tank, however, you can easily leave for a week and come back to a happy, healthy fish (your nitrates may just be a bit high in a 2.5 gallon).

I also just don't think twice weekly water changes are sufficient for a 1 gallon. Maybe a 100% every other day with a 50% in between would work (you'd need to find out for yourself), but I know how quickly my uncycled 5 gallon QT tank got dirty and I was doing 2 50% water changes and 1 100% water change weekly. If I was one day off for that 100% I'd start picking up some ammonia (only happened once thank goodness)....and that was a 5 gallon. 

I absolutely agree that too many water changes can be bad. Heck, that's why I've started a bacteria farm for my QT tank (so I can sterilize the tank and set it up with new media or add some new media after using antibiotics) since I deemed the frequent water changes too stressful for the sick fish I rescue. I also keep my bettas in 10 gallon tanks each for the same reason. _But_, for this same reason I simply won't advocate ever keeping a betta in a 1 gallon tank unless there is some extreme extenuating circumstance. My problem with just dosing prime is that we really don't have any long-term data on the effects of consistently using prime to bind ammonia, all we have to go on is the manufacturer's claims, and while I like SeaChem products, they are still a company and companies will do anything to make money. In this case, I wasn't sure if the OP had a test kit and suggested the daily water changes as a very temporary schedule until their new tank was up and running. In the event of ammonia being in the tap water, the only solution I can really see for that would be a cycled tank or using a different water supply (small RO units are very affordable now - less than the cost of a typical tank kit). Going uncycled would be very risky.


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## mattdocs12345 (Oct 13, 2014)

Filter in a 1 gallon tank can certainly cause stress, especially if its narrow tank and deep. Maybe if you got shallow and long/wide 1 gallon tank. I still stand by oldfishlady water change recomendations, doing daily 100% water changes will kill your fish from injury/stress. 
1 gallon tank can also be once a week water changes if you got actively growing plants. So you dont need to filter/cycle your tanks to have a buffer. And if you get sick for a week, daily 1 drop of prime will solve ammonia issue.


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## Tolak (Nov 13, 2012)

http://www.angelsplus.com/SuppliesBreedingSpawn.htm









There's your 1 gallon with a filter. Repurpose a hatching kit, good to go.


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## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

if changing a bettas water daily kills it, then how do breeders get their fish to survive when they are kept in jars, and need daily 100%'s?. its is 100% necessary to change the water atleast 3x a week in a 1 gal, I personaly would do 4-5+ 100% wc's. I of course would actually base my changing on water params, but it gives you an idea, of how often it needs changed!


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## Kim (Apr 30, 2008)

If your water changes are injuring your fish, then something is very wrong with the methods being used. I do agree that plants can help with ammonia issues, but they 1) must be actively growing and 2) will only consume so much ammonia. I know people have tried things like 2 guppies in a densely planted 10 gallon, but I'm doubtful that you could go a whole week without a single water change in even a planted 1 gallon. I certainly wouldn't rely only on prime to get you through a week without a single water change (plus, the actual dose is .1 ml/gallon, which may or may not be the equivalent of 1 drop depending on what kind of dropper you are using; with my dosing syringe, it is more like 3 drops/gal). 

My point is, why bother chancing it with a small, uncycled tank (not preferable in either regard) when you could spend the same amount of money for a larger, more stable tank. Even where small tanks are concerned, I still stand by my assertion that a cycled 2.5 gallon is far preferable to an uncycled 2.5 gallon. Just think: what if that vacation is actually 2 weeks, or what if you get in a car accident and have a 10 day stint in the hospital? I'd rather know that my fish are protected from toxic ammonia than hope that someone doses prime or that my plants are growing really well.


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## mattdocs12345 (Oct 13, 2014)

http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=115758

I assume you didn't read this thread.
I encouraged the OP to read the thread above and decide for himself if he agrees with the rule of twice weekly water changes for tanks 1-4 gallons. I stand by Oldfishlady who wasn't just an old fish keeper but someone who actually experimented with different ways to keep this specie. I also stand by that keeping your tank too clean and too many water changes will be worst off than using prime in between.
And honestly I don't buy sick/hospitalized argument unless you are 1) really old and get sick a lot and don't take the damn pills that your doc gives you or 2) you have no friends/family to put in 3 drops per day of Prime.
I don't know if you ever been in ER but 99% of people who have car accidents are either out the same day or in less than few days. If you get to the point that you have to stay 2 weeks in a hospital after car accident, at this point the last thing on your mind should be the well being of your fish.


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## Kim (Apr 30, 2008)

Actually, I've read that thread several times. I've also read many other informative pieces on betta care - that doesn't mean that I necessarily agree with everything that has been posted in every one of them. I personally feel that a 1 gallon and a 4 gallon tank are two completely different things (one is 4 times the size of the other!). Based on my actual experience with an uncycled 5 gallon (daily ammonia testing), I believe that ammonia will build up in a 1 gallon only changed twice weekly, and ammonia is toxic to fish. If you have evidence to prove that ammonia will not build up during this time period, then please post it. My mind is always open to reading some actual data. 

Also, please note that I am NOT disagreeing with everything you are saying. I personally don't advocate using small uncycled tanks specifically BECAUSE I feel that frequent large water changes are stressful on the fish. BUT, I also know that ammonia is harmful to fish, so I do not feel that one week of daily partial to full water changes will be more harmful than subjecting the fish to ammonia. Also, please post any studies that show that *longterm* use of prime to neutralize ammonia has no detrimental effects on the fish (seachem studies will obviously be biased, I'm talking about studies done by impartial outside sources). The other point of disagreement seems to be that while I was recommending frequent water changes as a temporary solution, you recommended your solution as a long-term method of caring for bettas. I *absolutely agree* that either way would probably work in the short-term (in this case, until the OP gets a bigger tank), and a short-term solution is all that I intended my suggestions be used for. If there is any real evidence that long-term prime use to control ammonia is not detrimental, then I will gladly revise my opinions on the matter.

As for your argument about getting sick, all I have to say is wow. Just wow. I take great offense at that argument (and this is where most of my bitterness in this post is stemming from - just to let you know), having known many people with chronic and debilitating diseases. If you knew anything about medicine, you would know that "magic pills" simply don't exist. Sometimes people can be sick for a very long time with no hope of a cure. What you said is downright rude and insulting to these people who suffer continuously, and demonstrates your lack of medical knowledge and immaturity. Plus, although a person who is out of commission for 2 weeks should be thinking about themselves, I doubt any animal lover would want their pets to suffer too. All I did was make a suggestion that IF a tank is large enough to be cycled (many people here cycle their 2.5 gallons), then I would recommend doing so for the increased safety and ease of care that cycling brings. I'm also AGREEING with you that frequent 100% water changes can be detrimental, and suggested cycling as a way to eliminate ever having to do a 100% change. It seems that you are contradicting yourself by stating that frequent changes are bad on one hand, and then suggesting a method of fishkeeping that requires 100% water changes on the other hand.

In any event, I'm happy that you are healthy enough to have this very narrow viewpoint on illness and injury. I know plenty of people that would give anything to be so naive


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## Tolak (Nov 13, 2012)

So you take your tiny tank & do a 90% without removing the fish, so close to 100% that it may as well be. Tell me the fish won't be fine in 1" of water for a bit, they get by fine being shipped that way. Discus people do it all the time, tell me discus are more hardy than bettas. Tall fish that are closer to horizontal than vertical during the process, and no worse for wear. That extra 40% beyond pulling out & replacing half the water is really going to suck a ton of time out of your life.

While OFL went through a lot of trouble for that topic, and does have quite a bit of experience to back it up, it's a guideline, not a rule. There are no rules in keeping fish. I've yet to see someone having a problem doing too many water changes as long as they do it properly, but have seen tons of problems from people doing not enough.

If you're waiting for the next zombie attack or other personal disaster don't keep fish. Fishkeeping is supposed to be a hobby that reduces stress, if you're stressing over missing a water change or a squirt of Prime maybe this isn't for you. Don't even consider breeding, you never get a day off, fry don't understand that humans have personal situations outside their tank.


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## Kim (Apr 30, 2008)

Also, I've yet to see anyone KILL their fish with too many water changes. Too few water changes killing a fish, sure - I've seen that MANY, MANY times.


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## logisticsguy (Sep 7, 2012)

I grow out young male betta fish in 1 to 1.5g containers. We used to use mason jars but found plastic containers easier to do water changes and cleaning. The fish seem to grow better in the little extra water. I never do a 100% water change except for once a month when the containers are power cleaned. I just leave enough water (about an inch) to cover the fish. The water is changed 2x per week and they are more interested in flaring at their buddy than what I am up to with the water. Everyday before feeding poops and any uneaten food are removed via turkey baster. For those that think the 1-1.5 containers are small consider that Thai breeders use much less to do the same job. 

What I do. For each 5g bucket of fresh water used for water changes, 12 drops of Prime and 1 tablespoon aquarium salt are added. I have seen no negative results from using Prime with my fish over a long period of time. The higher salinity helps protect the fish from bacteria and disease. It also reduces the toxicity of any ammonia that could build and helps the fish deal with any nitrite or nitrate that could be in the water. Ive yet to have a fish get sick or have any finrot with this schedule, it seems to keep my parameters just fine according to my test kit. All the fish get an hour long flaring session with the neighbor daily. Flaring is like jogging to humans it keeps them fit and mentally sharp and they love it. Without regular flaring they can become lethargic and bored. I never get a day off here with 5 spawns underway at various stages and looking forward to a break soon once these are completed.

These are the containers I use nowdays. They are shallow but give the betta 3x the surface area compared to the 1g food containers. These are Sterlite 6.8l and have lids with clips. They can be stacked so to fit in a small area and are easy to card and clean. Just sharing what works for me.


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## Kim (Apr 30, 2008)

Thank you for sharing your experiences Logisticsguy! I have a few questions if you wouldn't mind - just for my own knowledge, not because I don't think you are doing a great job with your fish 

Does your ammonia stay at 0 ppm throughout the week with your water change schedule and daily removal of waste? What I meant about the prime thing is that I wasn't sure if constantly being in ammonia plus prime would have long-term detrimental side effects, not that I doubt the prime itself is an excellent water conditioner (I use it too). I have to say that I think a setup like yours would be much easier to keep ammonia free than a conventional tank with gravel since waste can't get trapped anywhere and is easily removed every day. I also like that you use 1-1.5 gallon containers instead of jars for your spawns - I obviously understand that although I recommend larger tanks for permanent homes, giving hundreds of fish a 5-10 gallon tank each just wouldn't be practical or feasible.


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## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

In the interest of keeping this thread on point to the OP's concerns, in reading a bit about 1g tanks, Mishi (my betta) and I decided to do a little test, well, he didn't get much of a say in the matter.

Mishi is young, active and new from the pet store, he eats wells, poops well. The tank is a 1g bowl, no substrate at 80 degrees, no live plants, no filter. All poop is removed once daily with a turkey baster, no uneaten food is left in the tank.

After 24 hours, barely any ammonia registered on the test.
After 48 hours, ammonia registered close to 0.25ppm.
After 72 hours, ammonia appeared a little over 0.25ppm but less than 0.5ppm.

Performed a water change after the 72 hours, repeated, took him out after 7 days. Dosed 1 drop of prime per day, and used an API test kit so I don't think Prime would skew that result.


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## Kim (Apr 30, 2008)

Very interesting Veloran! Those results were about what I expected. So, I guess if you're in the camp that thinks exposure to any ammonia is bad (I'm of this mindset), you'd need to do daily water changes to keep the ammonia from ever reaching .25 ppm. If you're of the mindset that water needs to be changed when it reaches .25 ppm, then you'd need to change the water every 48 hours (3-4 times weekly).


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## mattdocs12345 (Oct 13, 2014)

Or you could be in a camp that thinks ammonia bound to prime doesn't hurt the fish and spares it unnecessary stress of daily water changes.


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## Kim (Apr 30, 2008)

First off, I was not being sarcastic. There are some people who go both ways, and I was just pointing out a water change schedule that would work with either opinion based on the data. Second, it still remains to be proven whether regularly dosing prime when ammonia is definitely present will result in long term detrimental health effects. I am not saying that prime couldn't be an absolutely safe way to constantly detoxify ammonia, but until we know for sure, it is just your *opinion* that this procedure is adequate. People can decide and do as they wish, but they should know that it is not a *fact* that using prime in such a manner is absolutely 100% effective and safe. It is, however, a *fact *that water changes will remove ammonia and create a safe environment for your fish. 

Plus, as with any chemical reaction, you must have the appropriate amount of reagent to detoxify the specific amount of ammonia in your tank. If you have .5 ppm ammonia and only add enough prime to detoxify .25 ppm, then you still have .25 ppm of bound ammonia. So, in order to determine just how much prime to add, you'd need to know how much prime is in 1 "drop" and how much ammonia is neutralized by this amount.


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## logisticsguy (Sep 7, 2012)

I keep a close eye on ammonia, it is the root cause of a lot of betta problems. My 1.5 containers start to get some build up to .25 on change day. I personally would do 3x change per week in a perfect scenario my problem is time with 5 spawns and a full time job. I feel that the small amount of extra salinity helps protect them but I also add a little duckweed to each container after water changes. My big tanks produce a huge volume of extra duckweed that I steal for the containers. Without a cycled filter its hard to ever be at true zero. Remember free ammonia (the super bad stuff) is more toxic in high ph, high temperature and low salinity. So far the change schedule has been ok here with 2x per week on these. 1g containers usually hold a little less than 1g and I always did 3x per week on those.


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## mattdocs12345 (Oct 13, 2014)

Yeah I lower the pH with IAL. I didn't try salt yet. Im kind of afraid of damaging my plants.
But there is a downside with lower pH. It makes lead more toxic. I do too have thriving plants.


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

Kim said:


> If you have .5 ppm ammonia and only add enough prime to detoxify .25 ppm, then you still have .25 ppm of bound ammonia.


My understanding, from readi9ng between the lines on the Seachem site, is that anything close to the optimum dose of Prime locks all the ammonia. The amount of Prime determines the rate at which ammonia is unlocked. I've been after them to confirm this, but so far, no answer. 



Kim said:


> So, in order to determine just how much prime to add, you'd need to know how much prime is in 1 "drop" and how much ammonia is neutralized by this amount.


If I remember correctly, Seachem claims two-drops of Prime lock/bind/detoxify 1.0ppm ammonia. I probably won't be able to find that statistic again, but it's somewhere on the Seachem site. It's the basis of their 2-drops every other day advice. I prefer 1-drop/gal/day, and I recommend that.

A drop is a drop (of any liquid) regardless of the method of "dropping," whether a syringe, dropper bottle, toothpick, whatever. Or at least close enough that it makes little difference. Drop size is mostly fixed by viscosity and gravity.

I agree with everything you're saying on this thread, Kim. Thank you.


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

I don't know about lead. But lower pH reduces the efficiency of the nitrogen cycle and impairs the cycling bacteria. 

I've heard lower pH allows pathogens an easier foothold. There are keepers on this thread who can confirm that.


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## Kim (Apr 30, 2008)

Thanks for the information Hallyx!


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