Best way to transfer Betta from old 5ga tank to new 10ga tank?

So I've tried searching all over and so far have mostly found info on transferring and acclimating a Betta to a new tank from a small bowl or bag, but I'm trying to figure out the safest way to transfer my Betta from my cycled 5ga tank to his new cycled 10ga tank?

Water temp will be as close to 79 in both tanks as well as pH should be similar, and would triple check before moving him.

Am I better off to do a water change from the old tank to the new tank right before? Given the size difference, the most I could do is 40% to 50% old tank water. Also I have read nets aren't the best for Betta's, would a cup work best to transfer him over? Do I still need to acclimate him, and if so how?

Thanks!

 

I would do the normal acclimation: floating cup or bag in new tank water for 1 hr, putting 1 cup water in every 15 minutes. That would be the safest way. I'd also suggest putting as much tank water from his old tank as possible (the full 50% if possible) and then putting the fish in. Then, you can start putting the new water in, maybe a gallon a time, waiting a bit in between. That way, it'll just be like a normal water change. But if you already have it cycled and everything's ready, you should just do the first method. Also, you can definetly use cups to transfer him over, since it's not from the petstore or something, it would not be dirty water. Good luck!

 

Just move everything from the 5 gallon tank over to the 10 gallon tank. Everything including the water. By doing so your little guy will just feel like he has had a 50% water change. No extra acclimation should be necessary since he is already used to your water.

 

Second what Mattgirl said. Also yes use a cup. I use a cup on my small betta tanks to do water changes when I don’t gravel vac and I can’t count the times my dumb rainbow boy swims right into the cup much safer and less stressful than a net.

 

Yeah I use a cup to put the water back in the tank during a water change and the little guy is super curious, always comes right up to it. I just want it to be as little stress on him as possible.

Had a scare a couple of nights ago, went in to check the levels on the new tank and noticed he was sleeping in the back corner of his current tank. He normally wakes up when I walk in so that was odd. He could barely swim, kept floating down, so immediately I added some Prime and checked his levels, but they were all good.

Turns out I think he was just worn out from the current in his tank. I had cleaned the pre filter sponge in some old tank water which increased the flow quite a bit. Poor little guy was really struggling, so I got creative and added a spare filter sponge to the outflow of the HOB filter and that did the trick! He's as happy as the day we brought him home, but man that one stressed me out.

 

If it would make this less stressful for you I will tell you I move fish from one tank to another every once in a while. Since I know all of my tanks use the same source water the water in all my tanks are pretty much the same. I keep all of them the same temp too so when moving fish from one tank to another requires no acclimation. Since you are using the same source water in both of your tanks moving him from one tank to another should not affect him at all.

If I am understanding what I am reading you fishless cycled the 10 gallon tank while your little guy was in an already cycled tank. If that is correct you could have saved yourself a lot of time by just moving the cycle from the 5 gallon tank over to the 10 gallon. Moving EVERYTHING over to the bigger tank would have instantly cycled the bigger tank. The cycle doesn't care about how much water it is in. Its only concern is the bio-load (amount of ammonia it has to eat)

Its too late for this information now but it might come in handy in the future

 

I'm about half way through the cycle on the 10ga using ammonia, so not quite ready to move the little guy over. I had thought about doing it instantly and moving everything over, but I'm going with a different filter and media setup, and still haven't finalized what I'm doing for the aquascape in the new one so figured it wasn't a big deal to do it ahead of time. I am slo planning on using the 5ga for something else so keeping it cycled would be ideal. The 10 ga will be planted like his current one, has the same substrate, and I will bring over his coconut hut, floating log, and a few of the plants, but may do some mopani driftwood in the new one with some Anubias planted on it.

Thanks for all of the great advice!