roseofsharon

Please forgive me for starting a new thread. I tried to find answers to my questions by searching the forum, but I need things very carefully explained to me...and I didn't find the answer to my very simple question.

Here goes: Assuming my 3 gallon tank cycles sucessfully what do I do then? Do I change the water and/or vacuum the gravel? If I do change the water, what percent and how often thereafter?

If for some reason the cycle wasn't successful, then what do I do?

The tank had been set up a couple of days with water, a mini heater and a filter to make sure everything was working. When the directions say add the SafeStart WITH the fish, does that mean immediatley, immediatley? Fishie was hard to catch that night (he was in his one gallon home and for some reason gave me a really hard time) so it took me about an hour to get him calmed down, captured and moved to his new home.

The water clouded up for a few minutes and then cleared up. Fish is doing fine, he is eating, pooping, and is active. He moved in the night of Vetran's Day, and it is now the night of November 14th so it is the 3rd full day of cycling. So far so good.

Thank you!

pepetj

Since you added SafeStart, just follow the instructions, let your tank be as it is for a week or 10 days. Measure for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates. If you confirm ammonia 0, nitrites 0, and are able to get some readings in nitrates, your tank is like any other cycled tank. Do maintenance as usual. If your tank is not cycled I would consider a second trial with SafeStart since your fish is already in there.

In small tanks like yours (I used to keep male Bettas in 2 and 3 gal tanks but not anymore), my maintenance routine was 30-50% water change weekly (30 if the tank had good mechanical filtration, 50 if not).

As for substrate vacuum, I never do the whole tank the same day but one half at a time.

Pepetj
Santo Domingo

ynaggo

I suggest not taking ammonia readings while your using safestart, The readings would be all over the place.

roseofsharon

Very helpful information.....I appreciate it.

AlyeskaGirl

Usually testing the nitrate level will tell you how much you should change to keep it below 20. I change about 25% every 10 days or so, since I have Bristlenose plecos, messy they are as all plecos, I vacuum all my substrate usually every water change, check my filter media and rinse in bucket of tank water to get any gunk off, not on every water change though.

If it doesn't work, then you can do a huge water change and try again and/or you can cycle fishless using 100% pure ammonia. There's directions for that here on the forum somewhere, lol. Getting a bottle of Prime or Amquel Plus for a water conditioner if you end up having to cycle with him, doing daily water changes for up to 6 weeks or less while testing ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. But we don't want to go that route. Lets hope the TSS will be successful!! As long as you used a dechlorinator, what I mean is you didnt use a conditioner that detoxis ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, like Prime or Amquel Plus. Good luck my friend.

peacemaker92

Great info above! Just to add about the TSS, after adding it, don't do any water tests, water changes or any sort. You can leave the tank alone and just do your regular feedings. Don't do anything for about 1 week, after that, it should be fine Good luck!

aquarist48

Hello Rose. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Ken

roseofsharon