Fish In Cycle - Am I Close?

new to cycling
I’m doing fish in cycles ,2x 5.5gallons , a betta in each only
API master test kit: nitrate 5, nitrite 0 , ammonia 0.25
am I close to being cycled ?

Nitrite has been 0 the whole time , nitrate went from between 0 and 5 to definetly over 5 today

 

How long since you started the cycle? Cause I get readings like those on my tank that's fully cycled.

 

Also I'm going to go from 2x 5.5gallons to a split 10gallons..
If in one side of the 10gs I put the gravel and filter and decor from one tank and on other side of the 10 gallon I put the other filter and decor can I just continue on with the cycling? Or will each restart

How long since you started the cycle? Cause I get readings like those on my tank that's fully cycled.

Not very long... I started two weeks ago but last week I had a mess up where other half turned the filter off unknowingly overnight so It all restarted

Oh and I am using seachem stability

 

It shouldn't restart overnight. It would take a few days I think for everything to die off. As long as the filter was damp it should be fine.
Also about the split tank, as long as mesh or some sort of water permeable material is the divider, you'll be fine. Shouldn't need two filters though unless it's an acrylic or glass divider or something. Or you just want to have a back up filter for another tank lol

 

What are your tap water parameters?

 

Oh ok that’s good to know! I just assumed it restarted being off that long so I didn’t bother testing nitrate for a few days and just did ammonia and nitrite so I knew when to change

I’ve had no nitrite the whole two weeks though - should I expect to see a change in nitrite before being cycled though ?

What are your tap water parameters?

Oh to be honest I don’t know , I didn’t know I should test that .. I know the first day I tested tank I had 0 ammonia 0 nitrate and 0 nitrite and the ph was 7.2 and high range 7.5 and that was in day 5 and 6 of cycling and that was 2 weeks ago

 

Okay, then I'd say you're probably cycled since the tank has taken on nitrates.

 

It shouldn't restart overnight. It would take a few days I think for everything to die off. As long as the filter was damp it should be fine.
Also about the split tank, as long as mesh or some sort of water permeable material is the divider, you'll be fine. Shouldn't need two filters though unless it's an acrylic or glass divider or something. Or you just want to have a back up filter for another tank lol

It’s going to be a acrylic divider - will prevent illness spread and means my current filters and heaters will still work as each section will be same size as my current tanks

Okay, then I'd say you're probably cycled since the tank has taken on nitrates.

Even though I never had nitrites? I don’t know how it works so sorry if that question is silly or irrelevant

 

Then what you're going to want to do is run the other filter in the cycled tank so media can be seeded onto it. Really any filter you plan on running for you betta boys should be running in the cycled tank to get some good bacteria on it.

 

Then what you're going to want to do is run the other filter in the cycled tank so media can be seeded onto it. Really any filter you plan on running for you betta boys should be running in the cycled tank to get some good bacteria on it.

I plan to use their current filters. So like a 10 gallon split using acrylic divider and in each side put each boy and his current heater and filter

 

Is each tank cycled or just the one?

 

I’m not sure on the second yet as colour wasn’t enough to make me think it’s a 5 , but I’m assuming it will be by time new tank is ready for use as it isn’t going to be ready to go till 5-6 days from now
I started both tanks within a day of each other

The water won’t be following between the two divided sections though - each half will be a tank in its own right really as the acrylic will be siliconed in

 

Oh okay, well as long as the other tank will be cycled by then, then you should be fine.
I'm not sure if anyone has told you, but do you know how to rinse filter media? Or that you shouldn't replace them like the companies want you to?

 

Wash the filter sponge in the tank water removed in water change ? And don’t replace sponge unless it’s falling apart and in that sit put the new against the old for awhile first is that all I need to know?
I do need to replace the carbon insert monthly though aye?
It’s a hang on the back one I have , this one https://www.animates.co.nz/imagitarium-betta-home-contents-aquarium-9l.html not that tank ( mines 5.5gallon ) but I use that filter
Any advice on it is always appreciated

 

So it seems you do know! Awesome! Some people end up ruining their cycle because no one told them how to clean it lol.
You don't HAVE to replace the carbon, it will lose it's effectiveness within about a month but I don't even use carbon on my tank. I personally see it as like a back up item. If I don't want medicine or odor or tannins in the water, but I doubt I will ever use it.
Nice filter btw, I know Petco is pretty decent with their proprietary brand. I would recommend covering the intake of the filter if you haven't yet though.

 

I had 2 Bettas for 3 years so I learnt during various googles and threads some of the tricks like washing filter etc - but I never cycled per say ... I never water tested , I thought it seemed hard and with my lack of knowledge about it at the time I think I just happened to get lucky and my tanks must have cycled by fluke as I had no issues for 3 years and perfect health. This time I didn’t want to rely on luck ... but I’m still getting my head around the nitrite nitrate etc etc

Oh and I crammed extra filter sponge in the filters the first day and out silk plants in front , they actually don’t have much flow at all and my halfmoon has no issue at all with it but I do do have the extra sponge and plant so that may be why...
My spade tail plakats tank I ended up moving the plant away from filter as he loves the wee bit of current and loves playing in it

The intake came with a rounded sponge to slip over it I haven’t worked out where I can get replacements yet but I’m going to stock pile of them when I do find somewhere haha

 

I get you with the cycling, I don't think I ever properly cycled my betta's tanks when I upgraded him. Didn't start testing the water until months after I got the 20 I have now, and that was like mid last year or something.
Ooooh yes. Plakats love current I think, my child will FIGHT the new water during a water change lol he gets tossed around but comes swimming back as hard and as fast as he can. Psycho-bonkers-crazy...that's my fish lol.

 

Is your betta in a 20g? Lucky betta!
I always look at the 20s and up and think I’d love to give my guys that each - I think my halfmoon Niko would be more peeved at me than happy though since he would have to drag himself up to the top haha

 

Yes! Love this tank, the only issue is finding plants to fill it in and grow fast like I want them to lol
My first betta was actually a halfmoon. He was the one who went through all the upgrades. In order: 1 gallon (1 month), 3 gallon (3-4months), 6.6gallon (4-5months), and finally the 20 gallon that I got in September of last year. He lived until March the next year. Did well in the huge tank cause I had a TON of silk plants for him to rest on and a lot of hanging logs. When he got older he spent almost all of his time in the biggest log.
Sorry for rambling! I know this thread is about cycling and I'm kinda derailing lol

 

Oh wow how cool! Oh and I didn’t mind the derailing at all anything betta is always a good conversation

 

True that!
I honestly annoy my family sometimes with all of my fish talk lol
While we are talking about bettas....tell me about yours! I've seen pics and that crowntail is just...HHHHHHGN. So beautiful! I was telling my mom when I got my plakat that my next betta was going to be a black crowntail, already have a name too and I don't even have the dang fish yet!

 

I had two veil tails first - Aladdin (red) and dr Seuss ( blue) who lived 3 years. Both were tough as nails and never sick until near the end.
Then we had a year break and then planned to get a black orchid crowntail ( our dream betta ya the time ) but we got chosen by others instead - a old steelblue crowntail and a mustard gas ( well bicolour yellow I think it’s called officially ) but both had severe fin rot and fin melt at time we adopted and didn’t last long despite our best efforts. Put me off crowntails completely.
Then we found Niko the halfmoon, I left him at the pet store overnight but could not shake the need to have him so went back the next day. He’s like a cheeky puppy , he leaped into my hand yesterday giving him and I both a heck of a fright! Kaido is a spade tail plakat - I thought I would never have a plakat, they didn’t appeal but again something about him drew me in. We left pet store , posted here about him and somehow ended up going back for him within an hour ! He looks for us tail fin wagging and face pressed against the glass at every movement !That was us done. Two tanks is plenty. But... amongst our shopping we stop at the pet store just to look - then we found Koda... and that all changed. The black orchid crowntail we originally wanted , we couldn’t leave him. Rest of the shopping canceled , fish in bag - we headed up to set up tank 3.
He’s a grump , reminds me of a grumpy black cockatoo. Both in look and attitude - he flares at everything including the kids and my camera haha - only one day in but I can tell already he will bring a lot of personality to our family

 

They all sound amazing! Koda sounds like my koi boy lol. I also have to agree with the plakats. I never thought I would see myself having one but here we are lol Their fins never appealed to me at first, but then I saw the kois...and it was all over. All I wanted was a koi type for the longest time. When I went in to get one there was literally only one koi on the shelf, every other betta was something other than what I wanted. Took it as a sign.
It's like an addiction that you can't shake when it comes to these fish! I have to fight myself to not buy more than one at a time. I would love to get a whole fish room of just bettas...and maybe some goldfish lol.
Wild types look cool too but I just have more pity for the cup ones I guess.

 

I hear you about limiting! We always said two at a time ... now it’s 3 and we are talking about a 4th ! Might as well split both 10gallons and get a 4th right ? Haha
No more after that though. Not at one time

 

Might as well! Go get you a fourth betta!