Unexpected New Betta need help

[BBlue]

Hello everyone,

First time with a fish. My friend did not want the fish anymore so gave him to me. He came with his bowl and food. I have been researching and scrambling to get things for the fish to help it. I am really worried for him since my house is in the low 70's and it has been cold outside. I bought a 10 gallon tank, heater and sponge filter. I want to put a couple plants and hardscape in it one day. Still need substrate and the stand to put the tank on. They should come in tomorrow. How do I transfer him? I know it is best to cycle the tank but I don't know if I have time for that. I want to get him out of the bowl as soon as I can for the heater. He seems to be sluggish and then some burst of energy.  I don't know what to do right now. Please need some help.

[Flumpweesel]

Sounds like you are making all the right decisions so far, in an ideal world it's good to cycle the tank first but we don't always have luxury of that so you just need to look into a "fish in cycle"  it's a bit more work than without but done right perfectly safe.

Is there anything in his bowl (decor, fake plants anything) you can move into the new tank with him it will hopefully already have some beneficial bacteria on it to help you start off even if you change it out later.

 

[1moretank]

@BBlue  is there any way you can set the current bowl inside the 10 gallon tank and then add water until the 10 gallon is full?
That would allow the temperature to even out and make the change less stressful.
Once the waters were the same temp, you could just tip the bowl until the fish could swim out.
That would prevent the stress of netting him and it would also let you have he benefit of all the beneficial bacteria currently in his bowl.

Good luck.

 

[BBlue]

Hello, 

Thank you for the comments. I was able to get the substrate. It is a beta fish and I did get him a floating log and a leaf hammock that you stick on the side. They are in the bowl with him. For the 10 gallon it has been a couple days and I have been putting in Prime Seachem every other day and I put the recommended amount of QuickStart once. Their is gravel and eco complete in the tank now and that is about it. I have been testing the water to make sure it is ok for him to go in. I am just nervous to do it. I know this 10 gallon has a heater and sponge filter so it is better already I just don’t want to put him in a toxic tank since it isn’t cycled. But here is the picture of the water test the one on the furthest right is of today. I am still new on reading the strip. Is it good now? 

[Schuyler]

Did you put any kind of food or ammonia source in your new 10 gallon?

If not then it's probably better than his current tank. Eco complete comes with some beneficial bacteria and has a lot more surface area for it to grow on that his current mostly empty tank.

Personally, I would just move him over now and do a fish in cycle. Maybe take most of the water out of his bowl, slowly add water from the big tank a cup at a time every 20 mins or so to help him adjust to the parameters, then you can just set the smaller tank in the big one for a bit to let the temps even out, and then just kinda tip him into the big one.

Without a nitrogen source the beneficial bacteria in the big tank won't be able to grow.

[BBlue]

That is true I didn’t put any food in the new tank. As for ammonia source what would that be? Like the fish and maybe a plant? How does the test strips look? Do they look a bit better? And I know if I had a source it would be better. Also I don’t have a lid for the tank yet it should be coming in on Tuesday. If I were to put him in the new tank now do I put like a towel over the top until the lid comes in? 

Oh and where would be a good place to buy hardscape. Like maybe a piece of wood and some rocks? Online/ store