didnt cylce, bad person?

mandakay

mandakay

Small Fish
#1
Feb 9, 2006
39
0
0
southren KY
#1
i have my 5.5 gal tank up and running since sunday night.
all my stats (ph, nitrite, nitrate, etc) are betta safe.
i DID NOT cylce.
what do you think of me introducting a betta and snail tomrrow night?
wont they cycle it for me?
will they probably die.
i am under the impression that if i wacth my water closely and immedatly fix anything that needs to be fixed i will be fine.
i have read articles on fishless cycleing.
to be honest i dont understand at all. do they make a "for idiots" version??
lol.
i will admit that i dont want to wait.
but i do want my fish to live, of course.
input please.
 

homebunnyj

homebunnyj

Superstar Fish
#4
Jul 13, 2005
1,299
4
0
Western NC
#4
If it were anything other than a betta, I'd definitely say 'cycle first'. But, bettas are labyrinth fish. They come up for air. That doesn't mean water conditions don't matter. It just means that they are more tolerant of less-than-perfect water. So, put the betta in, monitor the water parameters, go through the cycle with water changes whenever the ammonia or nitrites are present. By 'water change' I mean enough to bring the ammonia or nitrites down, not complete water change (unless it was really, really bad), and do not disturb your filter media. Let the bacteria grow. When the tank has cycled (ammonia 0, nitrites 0, probably take a few weeks), then I'd add the snail.
Oh... and try to get your betta from a reputable place. Whenever I've gotten one from a place that is known for bad fishkeeping conditions (in my town, that would be W--mart) even though they have looked healthy, I've ended up doing a treatment for fin rot just about as soon as I got them home. I think their resistance must be low from living in poor conditions and the change in environment just sends them on over the edge.
Keep your water in good shape and, if you do get some fin rot or something, don't despair, there's lots of help right here. : )
 

mandakay

mandakay

Small Fish
#5
Feb 9, 2006
39
0
0
southren KY
#5
thank you! i know a place in town that specailizes in fish. its a little ma and pa shop. i have never seen a sick looking fish there....
but then again i dont even really know what a sick fish looks like....
lol
 

mandakay

mandakay

Small Fish
#9
Feb 9, 2006
39
0
0
southren KY
#9
if i got one of those little air bubble maker things wouldnt it help cycle the tank?
and plus when i get my snail he can preform antics for me!
what would betta think of a filter AND one of those bubble things?
 

homebunnyj

homebunnyj

Superstar Fish
#10
Jul 13, 2005
1,299
4
0
Western NC
#10
Bettas hate having too much water movement. They come from slow-moving rivers, rice paddy's, that kind of thing. The bubbler would have no impact of any kind on the cycling or the condition of the water at all. I'd save my money, spend it on some kind of ornament the betta can rest on, or a broad-leaved plant like jave fern, so he won't be dragging his fins across the gravel all the time.
Seems to me that when my bettas have spent l lot of their resting time on the bottom, they have tended to be susceptible to fin rot, unless I was vacuuming the gravel just about all the time. Just opinion, not based on scientific fact or anything.
 

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