I think I messed up big time... bettas + TTS Please help..

Hello I just bought a 2.5 gallon for my aunt with dividers for bettas, I now know the fish store has given me some bad info. But there is a solution of sorts.. I am already in mid cycle on a 10 gallon for my aunt.. and a 20 gallon for me... The problem lies in that I hear you have to use fish while using TSS but my nitrite levels are off the charts from the fishless cycle I was doing. What do I do? I know I have made a mistake but I can fix this I know I can with a little help.

Right now the 2.5 has a filter and I've put some prime in so the ammonia detoxifies, this water is not the water with high nitrites it's tap water. So can anyone give me some advice on what to do? My plan was get nitrites down in my 10 and 20 gallons and use TTS I have a bottle up to 30 gallons. I figure with the BB already built from the cycle I've started on both if I split it in half and put it in it should be okay. I will put one betta in the 20, one in the 10 and the other in the 2.5 for now. I figure water changes are in order but after 2 PWC, one 50% and one 25% on two different days, with it still being off the chart it's not looking good.

I was hoping the TSS would eat the nitrite fast because the NOB colonies would be higher but I don't know.. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I shall never trust the LFS again, Thank you in advance to all who help

Nick

 

HI Nick since you already have nitrites I'd just wait out the cycle and be patient about getting fish.
TSS can be very temperamental and should be used exactly as directed for best results.

As a side note, and I'm sorry I know you didn't ask....
A 2.5 divided isn't a good idea, imo.
That only gives each fish 1.25g's to swim in.
Why not skip the divider and get one betta.

Edit:
Ooops..sorry. mis-read where you re outting the bettas

 

I really wish I could wait out the cycle but I have already bought the safe start and betas and the big als in my area requires a ride which is not easy to get... If it is the only option I guess I will have to swallow my pride and return them all. It will sadden my aunt greatly as she was really looking forward to getting bettas also my ride is a previous fish owner who thinks it's just fine for 3 in a 2.5. So getting him to drive me won't be that easy

I was hoping if I can't get the ride that there must be something I can do with this safe start, my ammonia in the 20 gallon is 0.25 PPM I am trying to let the NOBS eat and not have too high of ammonia so my tank is good for TSS but the nitrite would kill the fish... that's the crux. Is returning the fish the only solution? They are going to go back to being in containers with less than 1 liter...

I feel so stupid right now and rightfully so..

Nick

I should also add that the 20 gallon has been to 5PPM and higher of ammonia before and went back down over time. One time because of faulty readings I added 9ml of ammonia to the tank when 4 usually gets it to 4-5 PPM and it still went down so the AOBS are fine it just seems to be these pesky NOBS.

 

Well you already have the fish in the tank. So, here's what you do. Get prime which you have. Leave the betta's if you can't get a ride.

You shouldn't feel stupid we all make these mistakes. None of us like cycling tanks we like happy tanks with fish so we went we bought fish and ....

Anyway. You only have 22.5 gallons of water which will make things easier of a 300 gallon per say. Every day put in 2x dose of prime. If your nitrite are about 7 then put in 5x (safe according to bottle) once a day.

Do 25% water changes every single day, and in a few weeks you'll be fine.

 

Oh I wish it was 22.5 it's 2.5 gallons with 2 dividers.. they said it wold be completely fine and like a fool I trusted them. So now the crux is that I have 3 bettas in a 2.5 gallon while I'm trying to wait till my two partly cycled tanks cycle ( a 10 and a 20). The 20 gallon is doing much better than the 10. Just for now I moved one betta in to a big cookie jar I know it's not suitable but for now I figure he can be away from the other 2 and not stressed flaring all the time... The water is 0 Ammonia for now along with 0 nitrites and nitrates its tap water with some prime. Any suggestions.. I really feel I messed up here..

 

Since you are doing a fishless cycle and already have the SafeStart and betta's here's what I would do.

Empty the tank(s) and refill with dechlorinated water. Wait 24 hours then add the SafeStart and the fish at the same time. Your betta's should be fine in their temp homes for 24 hours.

 

I just don't want the fish to suffer I can't easily bring them back but I hope no one thinks I don't care. I am willing to do the work to keep them and the water they are in clean even if I have to daily water change partial bits of the water and add prime. I just need to know if they can live in a smaller space as a temp thing. If it will kill them I will return them I would not kill fish over pride and self wanting. I hope someone can concur what others have said, no point in bettas dying over my foolishness and the LFS lies.. right?

 

I just seen that message THANK YOU, I will do this, also someone said before I can use prime x5 to bring nitrites down. At the moment the ammonia is low in both tanks one from water changes the other from AOBS. My 20 gallon is cycling the best but if it is anything like my other tank the 10 gallon. I worry there will still be high nitrites I've done a complete water change over the course of 2 and a half days and still the 10 gallons nitrites are high. Maybe if I do a big water change and then add the x5 prime to bring it down if it's still off the chart? Thank you so much for all your help and kindness, I won't forget the info you've given.

 

Prime cannot detox really high nitrites, so you would need to bring them down through water changes.

 

Prime cannot detox really high nitrites, so you would need to bring them down through water changes.

Thank you that is greatly appreciated and I suppose the less chemicals the better, I've grown quite fond of the one betta I am keeping so the bettas don't stress. it seems the 3 divisions makes them all anxious from having males near. so I kept the middle division empty and the two remaining bettas on the far sides of the tank. Since the smaller bowls have no heaters I plan to keep the water in a warm area that does no fluctuate in temp.

 

Jdhef what about amquel plus would a higher dose with water change help the nitrite situation? I will give it 24+ just in case after dosage, as I've heard that any ammonia detoxifying product will kill the BB in TSS.

 

Amquel+ works much like Prime in as it can detox a certain level of ammonia/nitrites. I'm not sure what those levels are, but they are listed on both products websites.

You are correct in waiting 24 hours between adding Prime/Amquel+ and TSS. But sinec you are doing a fishless cycle, there is no reason you couldn't just empty the tank and refill with new water. This would eliminate all ammonia/nitrite. That way you would have no chance of overwhelming the bacteria in SafeStart or harming the fish due to elevated ammonia/nitrite levels.

 

I completely emptied my 20 gallon and still it has 5ppm nitrite I didn't disturb the sand as to not mess with my BB so maybe tomorrow another 100% water change? It took one 50% a 25% then a complete 100% over three days to rid my aunts 10 gallon of her high nitrites. I think I put the tanks cycle in to beast mode for the AOBS and they ate the ammonia I put in pretty promptly and created tonnes of nitrites. Thank you for all the help guys and gals. You're making me feel at home here on Fishlore

 

You don't really have to worry about beneficial bacteria in the substrate, especially when you're just starting a tank. The vast majority of the bb will be contained within your filter media and on surface areas. I've changed substrate out completely in well established tanks and never even gone into a mini-cycle.

There's a huge learning curve in this hobby, but you're asking all the right questions and willingly taking some great advice from forum members. That speaks volumes. Once you get over these initial hurdles, you'll reach the fun part of fishkeeping.

 

Do you have nitrite in your tap water? If you did a 100% water change you should nave zero ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate unless it's in your tap water.

If you are going to use SafeStart, there is no need to worry about any exist bacteria, since the SafeStart will contain all the needed bacteria.

 

Oddly no, no nitrite in the tap water, could this maybe explain it? I started cycling with a lot of oxygen in the tank mixed with a higher temp. Along with that I followed an article from someone on here who cycled his tank in a week using a method of keeping the ammonia at 5ppm for 2 weeks almost. It came to a point where 9ml of ammonia would be eaten by the AOBS in about 16 hours or so.

Could all of that ammonia have turned in to such a high concentration that what little water was left in the gravel still contained enough to make the tank well over 5 PPM? Because it really did take me a 100% change after a 50 % and 25% the previous two days before. Now it's at 0 PPM finally.. I have tested the tap water before for nitrite and it was 0 and by the fact that my aunts is now 0 PPM after the 100 % change that also tells me it is probably at 0 PPM. I can always check again to be safe though.

There's a huge learning curve in this hobby, but you're asking all the right questions and willingly taking some great advice from forum members.

I am willing to take all advice and soak it up like a sponge and talk about a learning curve.. I left my filter off when I did my water change to let the sand settle for 20 mins or so just to make sure fine grains don't get sucked up. It doesn't get murky when I move it around it just seems dusty if that's the right word. The water is over 90% transparent I'd even say 95-98 it just seems a bit dusty like when the sun hits dust in the air on the bright day.

I digress though I forgot to turn it back on and left the filter off for over an hour with only some water in it. Time to do some research on BB and their effects out of water and temp changes... hope I didn't do too much damage we shall see.. sigh I've been so absent minded lately.. but off to research !