Please Help. Betta Very Sick After New Tank.

Hello everyone,

I'm hoping someone can help.

Here's the story:

I bought a beautiful blue CT 2 months ago and put him in a 3 gallon (unfiltered, unheated) tank. The tank actually came with a filter but I decided I would just do regular small water changes (every other day or so). The whole nitrogen cycle kinda scared me to be honest.
He seemed like a happy little guy. He was very active always, he would greet me with a happy dance when I would feed him pellets (2 every morning and 2 every night), followed my finger and rapidly swam to the front of the tank anytime I would walk by. Overall a happy betta.

Last week I bought another CT (he's a marble) and bought him a 2.5 gallon tank. Quite honestly he didn't seem very happy in it so a few days later I decided to buy a glass tank I saw which is shallow and long and is 8 gallons. My idea was to divide it and put each betta on each side.
So I set it up and let the water sit for 24 hours. I cleaned the gravel very well, rinsed it several times and made sure to put prime conditioner in the water also.
The temperature in my house is around 23-24C so I was a little worried the water may be too cold for them. Their small tanks were around 21 C. So I also purchased an eheim jager 50 watt heater.
Anyway, the following evening I scooped Pablo from his 3 gallon with a small container and that stressed him out a lot because only a minute or so later his dark blue fins turned turquoise. That has never happened before. Actually when I bought him 2 months ago he was that color and darkened up slowly.
I knew he must have been very stressed so I made sure to acclimate him slowly (roughly 2 hrs or so). And after that I put in the heater and set it to 25.5C. He seemed fine although not his usual active self. I decided not to put in the new betta until the next evening.

The following morning when I went to see the tank and feed him I noticed that the water seemed cloudy. That's less than 48 hours since set up. I was a little surprised because it's never happened in his 3 gallon. He also seemed different. He seemed to be 'sulking'. His color was still the same and didn't return to his dark blue. He no longer followed my finger or swam up to the tank when I was there. I thought maybe he didn't see me as well because his other tank was acrylic. But either way he was not very active and just kind of floating around or sitting on the gravel. I figured, after searching on google, that he just needs to adjust to his new tank.
That evening I acclimated the marble CT (no name yet). Like Pablo, for around 2 hours or so. To my surprise a bit after I added him they both started flaring at the back of the divider because it has a vertical gap to let water flow through. But they honestly can't actually see each other because the gap is very thin and long. So all evening and right up until I went to bed they pretty much remained there flaring. That worried me but after searching online I read that it's to be expected and to give them some time and see if they stop. By the way, that day I only fed both of them 2 pellets.
Anyway, the following day (yesterday) he was way worse. He was no longer flaring, he was just sitting at the bottom of the tank not moving. Only once in a while to get air from the surface but that's it. I thought maybe he had swim bladder but honestly I don't feed him too much, plus he was not bloated. He's actually a little on the small side. The other betta is bigger. I ended up doing a partial WC. Very small, only about a gallon. And then a little while later another 1 gallon WC.
I started to wonder if the heater was causing bacteria to grow and somehow that affected him? I didn't understand why it was cloudy and if that was the reason he wasn't feeling well. Adding the heater is the only thing that's different. That evening he pooped (it was a bit big) and he seemed to be okay a bit after that for around several minutes, and then he went back down to the gravel and remained there. So out of desperation I scooped him and the other crowntail up and put them both in their old tanks with some of the new tanks water and then added very slowly (1 hour) another 30% of new water.

As the evening went on Pablo remained on the bottom of the tank (no gravel). He was no longer swimming up to get air. At least I didn't see him do it. So I decided to remove half the water and leave it only 3 inches deep to help him get to the surface easier.
On top everything, now they both are without heaters. I guess I just wanted to get them out of the new tank because I was worried that something was really wrong in there. This morning I was actually surprised to see that Pablo was still alive (barely).
I added a a bit of aged/conditioned water and then quickly ran to the fish store nearby to get the water from the new tank tested. I know the strips are not as reliable but the only thing that showed up was small ammonia (it was pale green). Could that have been from the prime? A false postitive?

So now I'm at work and I don't know what to do. As far as I can tell he doesn't have fin rot, ich, velvet, dropsy, parasites (he only eats pellet food) and so on. The only thing I'm thinking is swim bladder from bacteria or possibly damage when he was scooped up? I was very careful but he panicked and now I'm thinking could he have hurt himself?

I'm wondering if I should try an antibiotic like Maracyn 2 or Kanaplex? But how can I do that with water changes? Is that possible? Also I'd like to keep his water level low so he can get to the surface easier.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I really want to help him survive. I feel horrible because he was super happy before I moved him...

 

In an uncycled tank your ammonia will build up and you will still need to do water changes and/or dose Prime every day until the bacteria grow in your filter that will eat the fish wastes. Seeing ammonia in the water is the first stage. After a while bacteria will grow in the filter that eat ammonia and produce nitrites as their waste product. More bacteria grow that eat nitrites and produce nitrates as their waste product. Nitrates are not quite as toxic as the other two so they'll build up and are removed through water changes. After a tank is cycled you won't need to do water changes quite as often, maybe once a week.

The stress of being moved to a tank where he could sense another male betta may have been too much stress for him which would have made him more vulnerable to poor water quality.

What are the dimensions of the new tank?

 

Sorry I guess I didn't add to my post that the new 8 gallon divided tank is without a filter as I plan to just do frequent small water changes.

I'm not sure how ammonia could have built up and affected him in less than 24hrs in a new tank 8 gallon tank all by himself.. He wasn't even fed in that tank the day I switched him over. I fed him before that. The next day he ate the two pellets I gave him so nothing sank to the bottom.

 

How high did the ammonia get?

All living things produce ammonia as a byproduct. We even breathe it out! Very tiny amounts but still.

If it was really high though I suggest you check your tap water. Sometimes there are things in it you don't expect.

 

Hello and welcome to fishlore

First off do not try treating with any antibiotic unless you have reason to believe they are sick. Most fish issues come from poor water quality, filtration and heating so I would address those three first. Second you truly should invest in your own liquid API testing kit, the strips are unreliable and then you don't have to rely on people at the petstore. Third since you don't have any filtration it is easy for water to get cloudy especially in a new tank, I don't think that was the cause of your fishes strange behavior.

I think the odd behavior is from the ammonia in the water (since your tanks aren't cycled) and lack of heat so here is what I would do:
1) Do a 50% water change on both betta tanks. Unless your betta is really struggling with swimming I would refill the tank to normal amount. I am guessing him sitting at the bottom is from the ammonia. Make sure to use Prime.

2) Add a heater to both tanks to have the water 25-27 degrees celsius.

Hopefully by doing these two you will see the boys start to perk up a little. Once they are taken care of then you can take steps to begin the nitrogen cycle. I know it sounds scary but it will lead to an easier to maintain healthy tank and your boys will thank you.

3) To start the nitrogen cycle you will need to purchase a bottle of Tetra Safe Start (+). You will also need a filter with appropriate media. I prefer the filters where you can choose your media because I don't like to have carbon. If you use a carbon filter you have to replace it every 3 weeks otherwise it will leak toxins into your tank. Then you set up the filter in the aquarium and dump the bottle of TSS in. Your tank should be filtered in about one-two weeks. Once you reach this step I can give you more details.

Oh one other thing, you need to decide what tanks you want the bettas in. The 8 gallon long sounds like a really good tank. Do you have your heart set on dividing it? If not I would use it for one male and then get a 5 gallon for the other one. I just have had so many problems with divided tanks where it is not worth it.

Hopefully this gives you a start, let me know what questions you have.

 

Hello and welcome to fishlore

First off do not try treating with any antibiotic unless you have reason to believe they are sick. Most fish issues come from poor water quality, filtration and heating so I would address those three first. Second you truly should invest in your own liquid API testing kit, the strips are unreliable and then you don't have to rely on people at the petstore. Third since you don't have any filtration it is easy for water to get cloudy especially in a new tank, I don't think that was the cause of your fishes strange behavior.

I think the odd behavior is from the ammonia in the water (since your tanks aren't cycled) and lack of heat so here is what I would do:
1) Do a 50% water change on both betta tanks. Unless your betta is really struggling with swimming I would refill the tank to normal amount. I am guessing him sitting at the bottom is from the ammonia. Make sure to use Prime.

2) Add a heater to both tanks to have the water 25-27 degrees celsius.

Hopefully by doing these two you will see the boys start to perk up a little. Once they are taken care of then you can take steps to begin the nitrogen cycle. I know it sounds scary but it will lead to an easier to maintain healthy tank and your boys will thank you.

3) To start the nitrogen cycle you will need to purchase a bottle of Tetra Safe Start (+). You will also need a filter with appropriate media. I prefer the filters where you can choose your media because I don't like to have carbon. If you use a carbon filter you have to replace it every 3 weeks otherwise it will leak toxins into your tank. Then you set up the filter in the aquarium and dump the bottle of TSS in. Your tank should be filtered in about one-two weeks. Once you reach this step I can give you more details.

Oh one other thing, you need to decide what tanks you want the bettas in. The 8 gallon long sounds like a really good tank. Do you have your heart set on dividing it? If not I would use it for one male and then get a 5 gallon for the other one. I just have had so many problems with divided tanks where it is not worth it.

Hopefully this gives you a start, let me know what questions you have.

Hi, thanks very much for your reply.

I can't believe I missed to write another major symptom he has - clamped fins.

Like I wrote earlier, the sick betta got sick almost immediately after switching him to a heated 8 gallon tank. He was by himself in the tank the first day and the following day I also added the new betta fish I got a few days ago. The test strip showed a light green color at the fish store. The person working there said " a little ammonia ". I think it was below .5ppm or less. I don't understand how he can get sick so quickly in a new tank. Plus, his gills are not red or inflamed and he was a very active fish prior to the switch.

I also want to mention that the new betta fish is not showing similar symptoms. I took him out of the 8 gallon just in case because I didn't want him to get sick also..

Now I know you said I should add heaters to the small tanks that they're in now, but I have no where to get any 25w (or less) heaters around here. Everything is 50watts and up so I'd have to order them. I bought the 50 watt heater with the 8 gallon tank last week, should I clean that tank out and put them back in there?

The reason I am considering antibiotics is because I am wondering if he has some bacterial infection or something? Maybe bacterial swim bladder? I feel like he has trouble swimming. Why did the water get cloudy only after a day? This never happened with his other tank when it was first set up.

The only 'new' thing is the heater.

His symptoms are: clamped fins and laying on the bottom of tank.

 

Are you able to post pictures of both boys and their tanks, maybe a video if possible? It would be helpful to see what you are meaning for his symptoms. Clamped fins can be caused by a lot of things. There aren't any white spots or unusual marks on his body are there? I really would not try any medication until after you try other things.
Also, any ammonia is toxic to fish no matter how little it is. Remind me your process for acclimating the bettas to the new tank?
Cloudy water is very common in new tanks, especially without filtration here is a link: .
Maybe the combination of stress and ammonia allowed him to get sick so easily? Being next to a new betta can also be very stressful on bettas.
You wouldn't want to put both bettas in the 8 gallon if you think one is sick. The new guy is acting okay? How soon could you get the 25watt heater? You could always move Pablo to the 8 gallon heated tank and then add the heater to the 3 gallon once you get it. Are you planning on keeping the 8 gallon divided?

 

You are correct it IS a bacteria bloom, but it's a sign your cycle is starting, it's your beneficial bacteria. A reason the ammonia kicked up faster is most likely the higher temp of the water, it speeds your cycle up the warmer you keep your tank The clamping could be from many things, can you take a picture? I want to see his gills, are they red are they blackening? The bloating could be a sign of something internal, but you didn't mention the poop you saw being stringy or white...correct? How about the eyes, are they clear, foggy, or bulgey. See any white specs that look like tiny grains of sugar? Or if you shine a flashlight on the fish in the dark do you see a gold dusting?

Stress and water parameters fluctuating are two common things that let opportunistic parasites like velvet and ich take hold. You could very well be dealing with dual issues, I'm thinking ammonia burn and possible parasites. Is he eating the same or has he lost his appetite? You can try a blanched,deshelled, tiny bits of pea along with a short fasting to see if the bloating passes on its own, if you can get it daphnia it is a great fish laxative and they love it so if he's not eating that or any other frozen live food will do.... another question: any live foods or just pellets?

Edit: my genuine apologies sharkbaithoohah I didn't see your above post, where you say almost the exact same thing lol they do say two minds are better then 1

 

You are correct it IS a bacteria bloom, but it's a sign your cycle is starting, it's your beneficial bacteria. A reason the ammonia kicked up faster is most likely the higher temp of the water, it speeds your cycle up the warmer you keep your tank The clamping could be from many things, can you take a picture? I want to see his gills, are they red are they blackening? The bloating could be a sign of something internal, but you didn't mention the poop you saw being stringy or white...correct? How about the eyes, are they clear, foggy, or bulgey. See any white specs that look like tiny grains of sugar? Or if you shine a flashlight on the fish in the dark do you see a gold dusting?

Stress and water parameters fluctuating are two common things that let opportunistic parasites like velvet and ich take hold. You could very well be dealing with dual issues, I'm thinking ammonia burn and possible parasites. Is he eating the same or has he lost his appetite? You can try a blanched,deshelled, tiny bits of pea along with a short fasting to see if the bloating passes on its own, if you can get it daphnia it is a great fish laxative and they love it so if he's not eating that or any other frozen live food will do.... another question: any live foods or just pellets?

Edit: my genuine apologies sharkbaithoohah I didn't see your above post, where you say almost the exact same thing lol they do say two minds are better then 1

Hehe yes and you provided a lot more detail that I couldn't figure out how to say where it would make sense. I didn't know about the daphnia thanks for that tip!

 

Thank you all for your replies.

I got home and the little guy is (thank goodness) still alive. I checked him again to see if he has bloating or any marks but he doesn't. The only thing is that his color has not returned to the dark blue he was. His fins are still clamped. He swam to the surface to get air and I noticed when he swims that his body seems a bit stiff. He doesn't move his body at all when he swims? Does that mean anything? Otherwise he's laying at the bottom of the tank. Yesterday he was a bit less responsive...tonight he actually swam towards my finger (once). But overall he seems really ill.

Sharkbaithoohah, he has no white spots or unusual marks. I checked all those things when I noticed he wasn't himself. And yes, the new guy is doing okay. When I bought him he wasn't in the best condition but he's doing fine. I still think it's more than just the ammonia. Pablo seems to have trouble swimming. I really think it has to do with his swim bladder. Maybe bacterial or some kind of injury? Definitely not constipated. He's not bloated at all.

Bleedingheartmommy, that makes sense that the heater speeds up the cycle but now I don't know what to do. Does this mean that with a heater I can't ever go the unfiltered route? Where I can just do frequent small water changes? Since it's an 8 gallon tank with only two bettas I thought that would be okay. Can I just have the tank unfiltered with the heater and just do frequent water changes? I really would prefer that. By the way, his gills are fine from what I can see. They're not red or inflamed or anything. He doesn't have ich either from what I can see. He has not gold dusting and his eyes seem fine. I checked all those things when I noticed he wasn't feeling well. And I think you misunderstood, he isn't bloated. Otherwise I would have fed him a pea or what you suggested. Either way, I haven't fed him at all today just in case.

Can the cause still be ammonia if his gills are not inflamed or red? He deteriorated literally over night.

By the way, he has slow and laboured breathing when he's laying there..I can barely see his gills moving.

I wish I knew what was wrong. Maybe the ph or something else in the water was off and it is all too much for him to handle...

 

Hi, Welcome to the Forum

It sounds like you have ammonia in your tap water and .5 is actually a lot of ammonia and very toxic. As temperature rises, the ammonia becomes more toxic. Do you know what your PH is?

I think there are a couple things you can do. 1. Pick up your own liquid test kit, API makes a very good one and test your tap water for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and ph and post them back. Its expensive but will literally give you hundreds of tests. Without knowing your actual parameters we are only guessing at what happened and you're left kind of blind.

2. To help revive him as I am assuming it was from the ammonia and higher temperature, pick up some methylene blue. Kordon makes it and there might be some others and it is known for helping out fish who have been subject to ammonia or nitrite poisoning. Its good for many other things to. When you get it, you can do some 15 minute baths. Just post back and some of us can help you with that.

If you have to order it then I'd recommend adding in a small amount of aquarium salt while waiting. Dissolve it in tank water before adding it in. Use 1/2 tsp per actual gallon of water, it will help him breathe better and relieve osmotic stress.

3. Its actually important to have a cycled, filtered tank. You seem nervous to have one but it removes debris out of the water and performs biological filtration to keep your fish safe and not poison themselves from their own waste. So I would get a filter also, and a bottle of Seachem Stability bacteria to start cycling your tank.

It is normal for the tank to be cloudy at first but this will clear up.

sharkbaithoohah , great advice! Just wanted to say that carbon doesn't leach anything back into the water column, it simply stops absorbing.

 

Hi, Welcome to the Forum

It sounds like you have ammonia in your tap water and .5 is actually a lot of ammonia and very toxic. As temperature rises, the ammonia becomes more toxic. Do you know what your PH is?

I think there are a couple things you can do. 1. Pick up your own liquid test kit, API makes a very good one and test your tap water for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and ph and post them back. Its expensive but will literally give you hundreds of tests. Without knowing your actual parameters we are only guessing at what happened and you're left kind of blind.

2. To help revive him as I am assuming it was from the ammonia and higher temperature, pick up some methylene blue. Kordon makes it and there might be some others and it is known for helping out fish who have been subject to ammonia or nitrite poisoning. Its good for many other things to. When you get it, you can do some 15 minute baths. Just post back and some of us can help you with that.

If you have to order it then I'd recommend adding in a small amount of aquarium salt while waiting. Dissolve it in tank water before adding it in. Use 1/2 tsp per actual gallon of water, it will help him breathe better and relieve osmotic stress.

3. Its actually important to have a cycled, filtered tank. You seem nervous to have one but it removes debris out of the water and performs biological filtration to keep your fish safe and not poison themselves from their own waste. So I would get a filter also, and a bottle of Seachem Stability bacteria to start cycling your tank.

It is normal for the tank to be cloudy at first but this will clear up.

sharkbaithoohah , great advice! Just wanted to say that carbon doesn't leach anything back into the water column, it simply stops absorbing.

I'm surprised that the employee at the store said 'a little ammonia'. I guess it makes sense because adding the heater basically caused the ammonia to become even more toxic.

Unfortunately I do not know what the ph is. I have never checked. When I do water changes I try to age the water and usually add it in small amounts over an hour or so. Having a liquid test kit is definitely a good idea. You're right, now we are only guessing without one.

In regards to methylene blue, it says that it's mainly for fungal infections. Is there a chance it can cause him any harm? How will it help with the ammonia poisoning? And can you tell me if it's possible for the ammonia to be the problem and for him to not have red or enflamed gills?

I'll be honest, I am a bit scared to add aquarium salt as I've read conflicting advice on that. Also, wouldn't cycling the tank at this point be too much for him? Isn't it easier to just do regular water changes and keep the temp a little lower so if there's any ammonia it doesn't become even more toxic?

I am also wondering if there's anyway that adding prime can give a false positive on the strip?

I'd like to say that since I came home I've been slowly adding more conditioned water every 30min or so and he's actually looking better. He even swam slowly around a bit. Which is amazing considering yesterday he didn't move at all. His 3 gallon was only filled with water about 3 inches yesterday to help him get to the surface easier so I'm slowly adding more water. Tomorrow I'll do a small partial water change. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Thanks for all the advice everyone.

 

Methylene blue is a fungus treatment but it's also known for undoing the damage caused to hemoglobin by exposure to high levels of ammonia and nitrite and restoring its oxygen-carrying capability.

 

Methylene blue is a fungus treatment but it's also known for undoing the damage caused to hemoglobin by exposure to high levels of ammonia and nitrite and restoring its oxygen-carrying capability.

Oh I see. Do I have to remove him from the tank he's in now? And are you able to tell me how to do the treatment?

 

You can do it as a dip. Prepare a small container of water, add the appropriate dose of methylene blue and add the fish for a few seconds.

Bottom of this page: Methylene Blue | Kordon!

 

I'm surprised that the employee at the store said 'a little ammonia'. I guess it makes sense because adding the heater basically caused the ammonia to become even more toxic.

Many pet store employees have never kept fish, or are not familiar with the nitrogen cycle, are taught the basic of what to say so I would not trust what they say off the bat.

In regards to methylene blue, it says that it's mainly for fungal infections. Is there a chance it can cause him any harm? How will it help with the ammonia poisoning? And can you tell me if it's possible for the ammonia to be the problem and for him to not have red or enflamed gills?

Methyelene blue has so many uses. Methylene blue, can restores the hemoglobin to its normal oxygen-carrying state after ammonia or nitrite poisoning, is very effective when used as a dip for topical treatment of parasites, fungal, and some infections.

I'll be honest, I am a bit scared to add aquarium salt as I've read conflicting advice on that. Also, wouldn't cycling the tank at this point be too much for him? Isn't it easier to just do regular water changes and keep the temp a little lower so if there's any ammonia it doesn't become even more toxic?

I am also wondering if there's anyway that adding prime can give a false positive on the strip?

Bettas need warm water 78-82 to thrive. Cycling a tank is very safe when you do it correctly. In fact you can do it with Seachem Stability and cycle the filter and keep your betta safe at the same time. Happy to help if you get a filter. I would never recommend not having a filter.

The amount of aquarium salt I recommended is less than the minimum normally recommende at .1%. I only recommended .05%. I have treated many bettas at .1 and even .2% with no issues. If you have to wait for medicine this would only help him.

Prime doesn't ever give a false positive. It shows the total Free Ammonia whether its toxic or not, meaning it doesn't take into account ph or temperature, it only looks at free ammonia. I would be using prime daily right now because I have a feeling you have ammonia in your tap water.

 

Many pet store employees have never kept fish, or are not familiar with the nitrogen cycle, are taught the basic of what to say so I would not trust what they say off the bat.



Methyelene blue has so many uses. Methylene blue, can restores the hemoglobin to its normal oxygen-carrying state after ammonia or nitrite poisoning, is very effective when used as a dip for topical treatment of parasites, fungal, and some infections.



Bettas need warm water 78-82 to thrive. Cycling a tank is very safe when you do it correctly. In fact you can do it with Seachem Stability and cycle the filter and keep your betta safe at the same time. Happy to help if you get a filter. I would never recommend not having a filter.

The amount of aquarium salt I recommended is less than the minimum normally recommende at .1%. I only recommended .05%. I have treated many bettas at .1 and even .2% with no issues. If you have to wait for medicine this would only help him.

Prime doesn't ever give a false positive. It shows the total Free Ammonia whether its toxic or not, meaning it doesn't take into account ph or temperature, it only looks at free ammonia. I would be using prime daily right now because I have a feeling you have ammonia in your tap water.

Well I found out that chloramination is used to treat the water supply here. Which means after the prime wears off the ammonia is left behind? So basically frequent water changes haven't helped at all when the prime wears off.

So now I don't know what to do, because he obviously really ill and I'm too afraid to start cycling the tank now. I feel I will mess up. Plus I am on a tight budget at this point and really can't afford to buy more stuff right now. It was only last week that I purchased the 8 gallon tank and the 50 watt heater. I have a question: if I add prime (for 8 gallons) every 48hrs then can this work until he gets a bit better and then I'll look into cycling the tank?

I'd like to say that he seems a bit better when I saw him this morning. Definitely nowhere close to how he was but at least he swims around a bit and goes up for air. That's amazing because Sunday all day he basically stayed in one spot on the gravel. I thought he wouldn't make it to the next day.

 

Well I found out that chloramination is used to treat the water supply here. Which means after the prime wears off the ammonia is left behind? So basically frequent water changes haven't helped at all when the prime wears off.

This is why its a really good idea to cycle your tank because once its cycled and the prime wears off and you're left with ammonia the bio-filter (nitrifyers) will convert that ammonia to less toxic nitrates via the nitrogen cycle.

So now I don't know what to do, because he obviously really ill and I'm too afraid to start cycling the tank now. It was only last week that I purchased the 8 gallon tank and the 50 watt heater. I have a question: if I add prime (for 8 gallons) every 48hrs then can this work until he gets a bit better and then I'll look into cycling the tank?

Yes that will work but we need to know how much ammonia you have after a dechlorinator is used plus he'll put out on his own., plus the amount of nitrites you might have in your tap. Each dose of prime will detoxify up to 1.0 ammonia + nitrites. I would recommend dosing 2x the amount every 48 hours until you can get your own test kit. It is quite a bit less expensive on Amazon.

You can find some internal filters that are fairly inexpensive. I like the aqueons because they're quiet, have an adjustable flow and an out flow you can rotate.

I'd like to say that he seems a bit better when I saw him this morning. Definitely nowhere close to how he was but at least he swims around a bit and goes up for air. That's amazing because Sunday all day he basically stayed in one spot on the gravel. I thought he wouldn't make it to the next day.

I think a small amount of aquarium salt will help him recover.

 

Hi, Welcome to the Forum

It sounds like you have ammonia in your tap water and .5 is actually a lot of ammonia and very toxic. As temperature rises, the ammonia becomes more toxic. Do you know what your PH is?

I think there are a couple things you can do. 1. Pick up your own liquid test kit, API makes a very good one and test your tap water for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and ph and post them back. Its expensive but will literally give you hundreds of tests. Without knowing your actual parameters we are only guessing at what happened and you're left kind of blind.

2. To help revive him as I am assuming it was from the ammonia and higher temperature, pick up some methylene blue. Kordon makes it and there might be some others and it is known for helping out fish who have been subject to ammonia or nitrite poisoning. Its good for many other things to. When you get it, you can do some 15 minute baths. Just post back and some of us can help you with that.

If you have to order it then I'd recommend adding in a small amount of aquarium salt while waiting. Dissolve it in tank water before adding it in. Use 1/2 tsp per actual gallon of water, it will help him breathe better and relieve osmotic stress.

3. Its actually important to have a cycled, filtered tank. You seem nervous to have one but it removes debris out of the water and performs biological filtration to keep your fish safe and not poison themselves from their own waste. So I would get a filter also, and a bottle of Seachem Stability bacteria to start cycling your tank.

It is normal for the tank to be cloudy at first but this will clear up.

sharkbaithoohah , great advice! Just wanted to say that carbon doesn't leach anything back into the water column, it simply stops absorbing.

CindiL Really that is so interesting I have been told otherwise, thank you for clearing that up. I will have to tell my sister she has been misinformed hehe