Need Some Help With My New Betta Tank & Cycling

Hello everyone!

So my friend is moving and I somehow adopted her male Betta fish. He was in a tiny, filthy bowl so I immediately went to PetSmart and bought at 3.5 gallon tank. I filled the new 3.5 gallon tank (with a filter) with half of his old water, and half new water. I put him in 24 hours later but at the time did not realize I had to cycle the tank!!

Realizing my mistake, I went back to the store and bought a bottle of TopFin bacteria, which I added to the next partial water change. But now after reading on the internet, apparently that bacteria is bad!

My Betta seems happy in his new tank - he has been swimming around a lot (he has some fake plants and a moss ball).

I recently ordered a bottle of SafeSmart, a heater for his tank, along with a water testing kit, a Betta hammock, freeze dried blood worms, and a different kind of food with better ingredients. This stuff will probably arrive sometime next week.

How should I go about cycling now? I already added some of the TopFin bacteria… What should I do when I get the SafeSmart?

I also want to add a live plant but I'm not too sure if I should do that just quite yet?

I'm worried I'm making too many changes for my Betta fish to handle.

Any input or advice would be much appreciated!!

 

Did you mean SafeStart by Tetra?

 

Did you mean SafeStart by Tetra?

Yes, I mixed up the names… SafeStart Plus to be specific

 

It will be fine. Once the safe start comes in, Take him and 1/2 gallon of water out of the 3.5 gallon (Which I'm certain is the tank I have 3 of my bettas in and it holds 3 gallons of actual water when all is said and done.) Partially fill the tank, 2/3+, add the safe start, wait maybe a half hour, add the fish and water back in. Fill the rest of the way at least until you get to that line on the side of the filter that say "Minimum" I usually fill until it is right under the lip for the outlet. Follow the directions on the safe start bottle.

 

I don't believe TSS requires the fish to be removed from the tank or any of that? Maybe would drain a little bit of the water from the tank to get any of the old product out that I interfere. I've used it myself before. I would just follow the directions on the bottle.

 

jojojmo is correct. I don't use the product, I use API product. I did have a bottle here from when I ran out of quick start, so I had to go and quickly read it. I assumed it had a declorinator in it but it does not. If you are using Seachem Prime as a declorinator as well as an ammonia and nitrite binder, you will need to set your water out probably 24 hours before hand and treat with the prime. You can then add the water, the SS+, and the fish all at once

 

Or the other option is Seachem Stability in place of the TSS. With Stability, Prime does not interfere and can be used simultaneously.