How To Adjust Med Doses For A 5.5 Gallon

Tldr: skip to last paragraph.

So my betta colonel mustard is quite sick. He has pretty much had some ailment or another the whole almost year I've had him. A few months after getting him he developed a lump. It doesn't change, it doesn't go away, it doesn't affect his swimming or eating. He's had this for about a half year. It is either fish tb or fish cancer, which I can't do anything about. But I think this causes him to be more succeptable to other diseases.

He has battles with fin rot every couple months, even though I do pwc regularly and the parameters are great. There have been a couple times where he's had other things going on, but his appetite and behavior never changed. So I just did paraguard and tried to keep his tank clean. Well the past month or so his behavior and appetite have changed. He still eats, just not as much. He still swims around, just not as much. And he hides in his floating log or behind the filter alot.

After much internal debate and many hours or research, I'm pretty confident that he has septicemia. I have antibiotics already that I could treat him with. But I didn't have enough of any of them to treat the 20 gallon he was in. And I just gave away my 10 gallon to a friend a month or so ago. So I go out and buy a 5.5 gallon to medicate him in. I didn't worry about cycling it, since the antibiotics I'm using will most likely kill the bio filter anyway. I just plan on changing the water a lot, keeping an eye on that ammonia, and using ammolock if necessary.

Here's my problem, the directions for the med are measured by 10 gallon tank. So really I divide it in half. But that means a day's dose is a half packet. How in the world do I measure a half packet? Eyeball it? My scale for weighing my geckos won't register a weight that low, so I can't divide it by weight. And if I do figure some way to divide it, will the half that is left be good after the packet is opened for a day? Should I maybe just do double dose(one whole packet) one day and skip a day, then double dose again? Anyone have experience with this?

 

Tldr: skip to last paragraph.

So my betta colonel mustard is quite sick. He has pretty much had some ailment or another the whole almost year I've had him. A few months after getting him he developed a lump. It doesn't change, it doesn't go away, it doesn't affect his swimming or eating. He's had this for about a half year. It is either fish tb or fish cancer, which I can't do anything about. But I think this causes him to be more succeptable to other diseases.

He has battles with fin rot every couple months, even though I do pwc regularly and the parameters are great. There have been a couple times where he's had other things going on, but his appetite and behavior never changed. So I just did paraguard and tried to keep his tank clean. Well the past month or so his behavior and appetite have changed. He still eats, just not as much. He still swims around, just not as much. And he hides in his floating log or behind the filter alot.

After much internal debate and many hours or research, I'm pretty confident that he has septicemia. I have antibiotics already that I could treat him with. But I didn't have enough of any of them to treat the 20 gallon he was in. And I just gave away my 10 gallon to a friend a month or so ago. So I go out and buy a 5.5 gallon to medicate him in. I didn't worry about cycling it, since the antibiotics I'm using will most likely kill the bio filter anyway. I just plan on changing the water a lot, keeping an eye on that ammonia, and using ammolock if necessary.

Here's my problem, the directions for the med are measured by 10 gallon tank. So really I divide it in half. But that means a day's dose is a half packet. How in the world do I measure a half packet? Eyeball it? My scale for weighing my geckos won't register a weight that low, so I can't divide it by weight. And if I do figure some way to divide it, will the half that is left be good after the packet is opened for a day? Should I maybe just do double dose(one whole packet) one day and skip a day, then double dose again? Anyone have experience with this?

I always just eyeball it. My fish have been fine. Do you have access to Orime? It would be better than Ammolock to detox ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Good luck, hope he recoups quickly!

 

I always just eyeball it. My fish have been fine. Do you have access to Orime? It would be better than Ammolock to detox ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Good luck, hope he recoups quickly!

I've never even heard of orime, so I'm guessing no. And I already have ammolock. I think I might have another brand of ammonia detoxifier, but not sure. I'm also thinking I should put some indian almond leaf in.

 

I think its a typo. I'm assuming prime water conditioner not orime.

 

I think its a typo. I'm assuming prime water conditioner not orime.

If it is supposed to be prime, yes that is what I use in all my tanks.

 

If you want to be a bit more precise, you could pour the powder out onto a piece of wax paper, and use a razor or similar flat surface (even a separate folded piece of paper would work) to cut the pile of powder into two even piles. Use one pile, replace other pile in package.

 

If you want to be a bit more precise, you could pour the powder out onto a piece of wax paper, and use a razor or similar flat surface (even a separate folded piece of paper would work) to cut the pile of powder into two even piles. Use one pile, replace other pile in package.

I was thinking of doing something like this. But I wasn't sure how precise I could get it, or if it would be ok. But I think I might try. Now to find a razor blade...might have to use my algae scraper. Lol! Disinfected before and after of course.

 

I've never even heard of orime, so I'm guessing no. And I already have ammolock. I think I might have another brand of ammonia detoxifier, but not sure. I'm also thinking I should put some indian almond leaf in.

My apologies. I meant Prime.

 

My apologies. I meant Prime.

Typos happen! And yes I use prime.

 

You don't have to be 100% accurate with the dosing. Open the packet, eyeball half and dump it into the tank. +/- 5% of meds won't make a huge difference.