Hello all,

It's been a while since I've been to the forums. I've recently switched from having goldfish and bettas to just having bettas. I've had a lot of problems with goldfish (probably too small of a tank, and I really didn't have enough money to buy a larger one).

Current setup:

I have a 15 gallon tall tank with 3 bettas in it. I have two dividers to separate them. The dividers are made from that cross stitching plastic screen stuff, held up with suction cups with hooks, and the bottom is buried within the gravel. This setup as worked well and is much cheaper than buying tank dividers. They are also wide enough so they brace the edges tightly. I also have a 10-20 gallon filter (AquaTech, nnnnnn brand) with a submersible heater.

They seem to be doing quite well as I've had them in there for about 7 months or so.

Unfortunately I'm going to be moving soon. This means I have to tear down the tank and start over. I have some questions about this:

1. I know that beneficial bacterial grows on the filter cartridge/media. Can I put some tank water in a container and put this media in the container to preserve the bacteria? The drive would be about twenty minutes. If this won't work, is there a way to do it?

2. Should I put one betta in the tank once I have everything setup to help start the tank again?

3. Should I setup the tank and let it sit empty with water and filter and heating going for a few days, weeks, before putting in a betta?

4. Should I put in one or all 3?

5. I do have 3 half gallon/gallon tanks for them if I need temporary housing for them for a while, but they seem so much happier in the big tank with filter and heater.

If anyone could help me I'd appreciate it.

20 minutes is no problem. As long as you keep the media completely wet with tank water the entire time, the media should be almost perfectly preserved. Once the tank is set up and ready, it will be safe to put all three bettas in. Remember to acclimate them a little, especially if you are receiving different water than your old house. It's best to transport them in solid containers so the dark will calm them.

When I was having cycling problems another member here (Daust) was kind enough to give me some of her media and some tank water. I bought a Penn Plax battery operated air pump which was under $20 and used it to keep the water/bacteria oxygenated and had no problems keeping it alive.

Um the 20 minute drive should be no problem. One time, when I bought my first set of fancy goldfishes, after we got out of the pet store, we went out to find that the car had a FLAT TIRE. We were surprised and I was like OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD lol. We had to wait 4 fricken hours for triple a to come and change our tires (lol nobody that was there knew how) and then the 30 min drive home. And they still survived. lol

Sorry about the double post.