Going out of town w/o my betta

Question
Hello again!
Thank you Chris for your wonderful answer to my last question concerning my betta's fins!

I have a betta who lives in a 5 gallon tank that's his and his alone.  
No filter, a silk plant, and a small pot for him to play in.  
I do 25% water change every 7 days.
He has a water heater.

I will be going out of town for about 14-17 days in November.  My concern is of course, my betta. I do have someone who can watch him, but I want to make things as easy as possible for the sitter, and as stress free as possible for my betta.

I figure setting up a filter in the tank will do away with water changes while I am gone.  Do I need to set up a filter before I put the betta in?  I have heard folks say no and others say I have to go through a cycle - not sure what that means. What is your advice/suggestions for leaving my fish with a friend while I am away?
I don't want to sound silly, but I really am fond of my little guy (he's been through alot!).  I just want to make sure I cover the bases for my betta and ensure that he will be alive when I return.

Thank you very much!
Mo  

Answer
Hi Mo;

Your concerns aren't silly at all. We love our fish and they depend on us to care for them. Compassion is a very good thing. ;-)

It's a good idea to have someone come in to care for your fish while you are away. If you want to add a filter, now would be a good time to do it. It will "break-in", which means that beneficial bacteria will have to grow colonies inside the filter pads. Your tank isn't going to experience a traditional "break-in period" like a brand new tank though. You probably won't even notice anything is different except cleaner and better smelling tank water. The gravel, decorations, plants, etc., already have beneficial bacteria growing on them and it probably does help control some of his dissolved wastes. The bacteria "eats" it. You will have a lot more of those beneficial bacteria colonies, as well as trapping of solid wastes once the filter gets going.

If your friend could change 25% of the tank water about a week after you leave, that would be ideal. Having a filter doesn't eliminate the need for doing water changes. They still should be done weekly along with a gravel vacuuming.

If you are curious about the break-in, here is a link to my article about it;

http://www.xanga.com/Expert_Fish_Help

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins