Red1313

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Time: 48 hours ago.
My tank was cycled for weeks. (ammonia and nitrate 0 at last test). My Babie was happy.
Then the poop hit the fan.
Time: Roughly 8am yesterday morning.
Noticed that Babie was laying on bottom of tank. Very still. Fins clamped. I was late for school so I did a quick 10% water change till I got back that night.
Time:7 pm last night.
Babie was still laying on the bottom of the tank with her fins clamped. Did water test. Ammonia reading not just yellow, not just orange, almost brown!!!Did 75% water change and worried about her.
Time: 8 am this morning.
Worried about her and fussed about her. Fins still clamped. Only moveing to swim up to surface to breath then back down again. Was going to do water change but thought that since it had been less then 12 hours since last one she would be fine till I got home.
Time: 3:50 pm Today
Home from class and checked on Babie. No change. Tested water. Ammonia levels not yellow, not orange, brown. Again!!!!
Time:3:55 pm Today
Have no ammonia lock.
Water changes obviously not helping. Tank must have larger issues.
Time: 4:00 pm Today
Desperate measures are enacted. Red has a room-mate.

:End: Note:] all time references are to 4:13 pm October 1.


Note: Her gills are bright cherry red, and since the only tanks I have are: 3gal=Ray, 5 gal=Coolie, 10=Red. I figure that for the time that it takes me to figure out what to do she would be better off in a cycled, normal tank with a fish that refuses for any reason to leave his cave while the tank lights are on, then in an ammonia bath.

So I guess that we'll call this an experiment. When my room-mate gets back with a car I'll get her to run me over to Wally world to grab one of those breeding net things. If I have to leave her in Red's tank overnight I'll put her in there that way I know that even if he does get agressive she'll be alright.

misty spills

maybe its just unhappy it might be more inclined to be happy if something nice is there to eat, what about brine fish

Red1313

Hahaha, thanks misty but I'm pretty sure that it's ammonia poisioning not depression.

pamd

Does your test kit specify PPM? If so, that would be helpful information.

I'd highly recommend you get an API (Aquarium Pharmaceuticals) master test kit. That's what almost all the most experienced fish keepers here use. It's pricey -- about $30 if bought locally in the U.S. and much less online -- but well worth the investment. It's accurate and lasts for many, many tests. Not sure if it's available in Saskatchewan, but I hope so because you need it quickly.

I think that's the only way you'll really know what's going on in Babie's tank and to help you prevent such a desperate time in the future. I'm suspicious of your tests for two reasons. You should have seen a noticeable improvement in the ammonia readings after the water changes, especially the 75% one. And you shouldn't be seeing 0 nitrate in an established tank.

Having said all that, I think your diagnosis of ammonia poisoning is probably correct. She's got classic symptoms of it and your tests do indeed back that up. Poor Babie.

Red1313

My test does specify ppm. And I'm using a Mini Master test kit put out by Nutrafin. The color score for ammonia (it tests for both NH3 &NH4) only goes down to 7.3 mg/L (1mg/L=1ppm) and the color for that is a very definat orange color. THe color I got was darker then that. So my reading was >7.3 ppm. I banged the bottle and mixed it well to check. Nitrites (natrates was a typo sorry) were 0.
Off the top of my head I can't think of which (NH3 or NH4) is toxic but divide the above result by 1.22 to find "ammonia as nitrogen (NH3-H)".
I can't see how adding a heater would casue such a drastic ammonia spike but that the only thing that's changed about her tank recently.

RandomKayos

If adding the heater actually raised the temp at all, you would have had an increase in the decay rate of anything decaying in the tank. (Poo, uneaten food, dead plant material and so on) However you would not have had an increase in the amonia processing bacteria to match. Once the temp stabalizes then the amonia processing bacteria should increase to match the load and it will settle out.

RK

Red1313

But a spike that big?
Oh well, I'll let Babie and Red bond for a few days and I'll test the water to see if the ammonia goes down at all. Once I think that it's safe again I'll let her move back in. Unless I decide to upgrade her to the evil empty ten gal... hmm... I could have another betta... lol.

Red1313

Oh boy... I'm probably just over worrying about her now but anyway at least you guys will hear me out. I'm gonna move her back into her old tank tommorrow after I finish the water changes for the week. However she's acting oddyly right now. When I first put her in with Red she swam around and checked out the tank and everything but now all she's doing is sitting the corner of the tank. I don't think that Red's bothering her since he's in his cave and she wasn't acting like this till this morning. She's listless and isn't interested in eating anything. I don't know what could be wrong now!

goggles2

she could just be stressed/depressed by her current situation

she will probably perkup once you get her tank under control and her back to her home

best of luck

Red1313

Well it's been 4 days and I tested the water again, the amonia has gone down slightly, it's readable now, and sitting at approx. 2.4ppm. And N02 is at 0. I'll do a water change tonight but I don't know if I should put her back into the tank of leave her in Red's tank. At the moment she's in one of those hard plastic floating breeders nets. (I decided I didn't want to risk her getting beat up).

Red wag platy

You could try a divider in your other fish's tank until the parameters are fine.

Red1313

Cross you fingers everyone, the ammonia was down to 0.6 (a drastic improvement) tonight so I decided that is was probably safe enough to let Babie go back home. She seems quite happy and is busy checking everything out. I'll do partial water changes every day just to make sure that the ammonia is under control till it's finally back at 0 again.