My kid wants a fish tank

My 4 year old has decided he wants to use his piggy bank money to get a fish tank and get a “rainbow betta” whatever that means. I’d like to get him a 10-20 gallon and would like to seed it with bacteria from one of my tanks but I have some questions. I have a sponge filter in my 5 gallon and plan to use a sponge in his as well. Would it make more sense and be best for my fish to buy the sponge now and let it sit in my tank for a while? If so how long before a new filter has enough bacteria to seed a new tank? Or should I put the new filter in my tank and use my current sponge in his tank since it’s been in use for several months? Any advise would be so appreciated.

 

Fun! I would use the sponge filter you have in your current tank and buy a new one now and trade it out. So old filter in new tank and new filter in old tank. That way he can get a tank sooner rather than later. Do you have a water testing kit?
I'm not sure how long it tanks exactly for a new filter to seed but I would say at the minimum 2-3 weeks just to be safe? I always just think the dirtier it looks the better. Or if I squeeze it and stuff comes out I know it's probably good to go.

 

I too would do the second option; go ahead and buy a new sponge for your tank but use the old one in the new tank. I usually measure the ammonia every day or every other day the first week to make sure things are ok and if there is any sort of spike (more than .25) add a bit of sachem prime to neutralize the ammonia as the new tank breaks in - with a single fish you shouldn't have too much issue. I personally prefer 20 long but if all your 4 year old want is a betta a 10 might be a better option (too much tank with too little fish might not be so good for him). One of the reason i like the 20 long is it is good for growing plants (shallow for high light at the bottom). Also it works well with apistogramma and similar. Betta are pretty - but can be difficult to mix with other fishes.
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For my tanks the new tanks have usually done fine on the old sponge after the first week and my ramp up (fish population) has not been gentle in these tanks (I did both 29 and 20 long this way and both pretty much showed good cycle activity in under a week with peak spike of about .5 ammonia).

 

Ok thanks everyone! Bought the tank today, we got him a 10 gallon and got a new sponge filter. I’ll put it in my 5 gallon right away. How long should I wait before taking out the old filter? Won’t it crash my cycle?

 

Ok thanks everyone! Bought the tank today, we got him a 10 gallon and got a new sponge filter. I’ll put it in my 5 gallon right away. How long should I wait before taking out the old filter? Won’t it crash my cycle?

No ur substrate and decor should have enough bacteria to support ur load while ur new sponge seeds

 

Ok thanks everyone! Bought the tank today, we got him a 10 gallon and got a new sponge filter. I’ll put it in my 5 gallon right away. How long should I wait before taking out the old filter? Won’t it crash my cycle?

As kattiq said, wait about three weeks before taking it out. And as Tallen78 said, it will not crash your cycle. How long have you had the 5 gallon cycled?

 

If the sponge is the principal filter in the 5 i'd wait 2 or 3 weeks depending on what else is in there. A 5 is pretty small and without knowing more about it - it is not clear if the tank has a lot of bacteria elsewhere (also i'm conservative). Your son probably doesn't want to wait that long. Hum. I always run an extra sponge or 2 or 3 in my tanks but they are a bit larger.

Ok thanks everyone! Bought the tank today, we got him a 10 gallon and got a new sponge filter. I’ll put it in my 5 gallon right away. How long should I wait before taking out the old filter? Won’t it crash my cycle?

 

If the sponge is the principal filter in the 5 i'd wait 2 or 3 weeks depending on what else is in there. A 5 is pretty small and without knowing more about it - it is not clear if the tank has a lot of bacteria elsewhere (also i'm conservative). Your son probably doesn't want to wait that long. Hum. I always run an extra sponge or 2 or 3 in my tanks but they are a bit larger.

This tank has been cycled for about a month and a half but it has gravel and fluval stratum with driftwood, java ferns, Taiwan moss, frogbit and a pothos growing out of it. The sponge filter is the only filter in the tank.

Gah! I hope he can wait that long. I wish I had space to run extra sponges, but my 5 is pretty small, since it’s a vertical style tank and my 17 doesn’t have a lot of space for one.


We just got it put together (minus filter and light) and he’s already asking for his betta!! Maybe I’ll put some pond snails in for him to watch...

 

This tank has been cycled for about a month and a half but it has gravel and fluval stratum with driftwood, java ferns, Taiwan moss, frogbit and a pothos growing out of it. The sponge filter is the only filter in the tank.

Gah! I hope he can wait that long. I wish I had space to run extra sponges, but my 5 is pretty small, since it’s a vertical style tank and my 17 doesn’t have a lot of space for one.

View attachment 705013We just got it put together (minus filter and light) and he’s already asking for his betta!! Maybe I’ll put some pond snails in for him to watch...

Aww that is such a perfect boy tank! I think the transfer of the sponge filter will work out perfectly. Good luck, looking forward to seeing the betta you get!

 

Aww that is such a perfect boy tank! I think the transfer of the sponge filter will work out perfectly. Good luck, looking forward to seeing the betta you get!

Thank you! He’s pretty excited about it. We’ll update the post with his new betta and maybe it’s friends after we visit aquarium coop in a couple weeks

 

Dang you're lucky. That is a pretty decent fish store to have in driving distance. Pity your son isn't interested in apistogramma.

Thank you! He’s pretty excited about it. We’ll update the post with his new betta and maybe it’s friends after we visit aquarium coop in a couple weeks

 

Dang you're lucky. That is a pretty decent fish store to have in driving distance. Pity your son isn't interested in apistogramma.

Yes, coop is our favorite fish store. The betta section is amazing. Apistogramma is my next fish, I’ve decided. I’m still pretty new to the fish game, so I still need to do more research on them. But they are so cool.

 

Lucky!

 

If you're worried about your tank crashing from the new filter. I would add SeaChem Stability to your tank to help your bacteria from taking a nosedive. You should be fine, but with such a small tank, things can change quickly. I like the snail idea. I also think it should take about two weeks to kickstart the cycle. The bioload of one betta won't be bad, so just keep doing water changes and you will be fine. Bettas are fairly forgiving compared to a lot of fish. Best of luck!

 

That's really nice tank for him, but something to keep in mind when getting that betta: flowy fins might get cought to sharp decorations, rip, and develop fin rot. So I would perhaps get short finned betta, they are beautiful, or file decorations sharp tips rounder. Bettas are fine in community tanks, if they are well fed, tank is not too crowded, and there's lots of live plants to cut line of sight and give cover.

But like I said, beautiful tank, and lucky son!
edit: and lucky fish!

 

That's really nice tank for him, but something to keep in mind when getting that betta: flowy fins might get cought to sharp decorations, rip, and develop fin rot. So I would perhaps get short finned betta, they are beautiful, or file decorations sharp tips rounder. Bettas are fine in community tanks, if they are well fed, tank is not too crowded, and there's lots of live plants to cut line of sight and give cover.

But like I said, beautiful tank, and lucky son!
edit: and lucky fish!

Thankfully the decorations are all pretty rounded. We plan to pick up some java ferns when we get the betta to add a little more cover as well. Thank you!