Cleaning new tank

[Anpa1019]

I just bought a new 6.6 gallon tank for my betta. He is currently recovering from fin rot so I put him in the conditioned water right away so he can have a filter and heater in his tank...big upgrade from his 1 gallon tank. However, I realize the tank is uncycled so how often should I be changing his water. Also, this is my first real tank so I am not sure how to clean it. 2 buckets...one to set out the clean water the day before, one for the dirty, and a siphon to get out the water and vacuum the gravel? That's what I have learned from the other posts but I don't know if I am on the right track.

[tenaj-6]

u shud cycle the tank first.
but im a newbie so dont hold me to it.

[emc7]

Being in an uncycled 6.6 is a step up from an uncycled 1 gallon. But you will need to do more water changes than you will once its cycled. Ideally you'd test water and change enough water keep the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate below toxic levels. If you feed lightly, and have only one fish. I would guess You should be ok with 50% water changes twice a week for 8 weeks and then start cutting back. Eventually 20% once a week should do. You could also try "seeding" your filter with biology in a bottle or squeezings from someone else's filter.

[emc7]

Ideally, you'd have "clean" and "dirty" water buckets. Many people make do with one, but separate is better practice. As for letting the water sit, many people do this, but unless your tank is room temperature, you should have a heater in the bucket. If you use a commercial dechlorinator such as Prime, you can prob. match the temp. from the tap and only let it sit in the bucket a few minutes. Letting the water sit overnight can be helpful if your hot tap water is nasty and you want to use cold, or if you water is full of sediment you want to fall out or to "naturally" dechlorinate, but it doesn't work if your water system uses chloramine so I don't recommend it over drops.

[emc7]

Oh, and do get a "gravel washer". Its just a siphon hose with a wide end for getting gunk out of the gravel. Siphon 1/2-1/3 of the gravel every time you change water.