Ammonia and Treatment???

Can you use api ammo chips while treating with api general cure??

api general cure says to take carbon filter out while treating... this has caused an ammonia spike (it could also be because general cure can kill off good bacteria). Because directions say to remove carbon because it will eat up the medicine, Can the ammo chips even be used to get the ammonia levels down?

I have already been doing daily water changes, since spike... but it is still high.

 

I have to ask what kind of filter do you have on this tiny tank? Is the only media in it a disposable cartridge? Did you remove the whole cartridge? I really wish these folks that say remove carbon filter would change that to "remove carbon". When you remove the carbon filter (cartridge with carbon inside) you are removing a big chunk of the bacteria keeping the tank safe. If you removed the whole cartridge have you kept it wet since you removed it?

How high is your ammonia going up to between water changes? If you don't already have it I will recommend you get a bottle of Seachem Prime. It is first and foremost a water conditioner that you will use instead of the top fin you are using now but it goes one step farther and detoxes low levels of ammonia.

I've not read reports of general cure killing off bacteria but I suppose anything is possible.

 

I have to ask what kind of filter do you have on this tiny tank? Is the only media in it a disposable cartridge? Did you remove the whole cartridge? I really wish these folks that say remove carbon filter would change that to "remove carbon". When you remove the carbon filter (cartridge with carbon inside) you are removing a big chunk of the bacteria keeping the tank safe. If you removed the whole cartridge have you kept it wet since you removed it?

How high is your ammonia going up to between water changes? If you don't already have it I will recommend you get a bottle of Seachem Prime. It is first and foremost a water conditioner that you will use instead of the top fin you are using now but it goes one step farther and detoxes low levels of ammonia.

I've not read reports of general cure killing off bacteria but I suppose anything is possible.

I do not know what kind of filter. It is a waterfall filter that came with two small carbon filters inside. They are white and I am assuming the carbon was inside of them. No I did not keep them for fear of velvet being on them. The tank was cycled before buying any fish. Have not kept the two filters. Ammonia level is currently at .25, nitrite is also at .25. I just put an api nitra zorb pouch in the tank.
Api general cure stated it would kill velvet (parasite). Just needing to know if I can still continue to treat for velvet and use ammonia lowering treatments??

 

I do not know what kind of filter. It is a waterfall filter that came with two small carbon filters inside. They are white and I am assuming the carbon was inside of them. No I did not keep them for fear of velvet being on them. The tank was cycled before buying any fish. Have not kept the two filters. Ammonia level is currently at .25, nitrite is also at .25. I just put an api nitra zorb pouch in the tank.
Api general cure stated it would kill velvet (parasite). Just needing to know if I can still continue to treat for velvet and use ammonia lowering treatments??

Do you have any media at all in you filter right now? If no, you can cut a slit in a new cartridge and dump the carbon out. You need media in the filter for the bacteria to grow on. Bacteria grows on everything in our tanks but the strongest colony is going to be where the most water movement is. That is going to be the filter. I know your main concern right now is medicating your fish but getting and keeping a colony of bacteria during this time is very important to the health of your fish too.

Nitra-zorb should help but it is possible it will also pull the medication out. I actually use it myself but only to help keep my nitrates down between water changes. Since I've never medicated a tank I don't know what affect ammonia lowering treatments will have on the medication you are adding. As long as your ammonia plus nitrites don't go any higher than they are right now Prime will protect your fish.

 

Do you have any media at all in you filter right now? If no, you can cut a slit in a new cartridge and dump the carbon out. You need media in the filter for the bacteria to grow on. Bacteria grows on everything in our tanks but the strongest colony is going to be where the most water movement is. That is going to be the filter. I know your main concern right now is medicating your fish but getting and keeping a colony of bacteria during this time is very important to the health of your fish too.

Nitra-zorb should help but it is possible it will also pull the medication out. I actually use it myself but only to help keep my nitrates down between water changes. Since I've never medicated a tank I don't know what affect ammonia lowering treatments will have on the medication you are adding. As long as your ammonia plus nitrites don't go any higher than they are right now Prime will protect your fish.

Thank you!!! I so wish I would have thought about cutting the carbon out. I am so much more informed now and hope to be a better fish mommy for my next rescue betta (if Julio does not survive).

 

Ammo Chips are probably zeolite which bind cations. I wouldn't use it except for ammonia emergencies as it will bind anything with a positive charge including Na+ which you need at least small amounts of in the water.