Emergency question

[Peyton L]

Hello! I am having a very hard time with a beta I have recently gotten. I had him in a 5 gallon tank that was cycled for weeks but upon adding him in, the ammonia has spiked and will not go down. I have tried removing him and adding him (with a. Divider) to a several year cycles 30 gallon tank while I figure out what’s wrong with his 5 gallon. Now, after only a week the ammonia has spiked to a dark green color in the 30 gallon tank. I have never experienced so much ammonia problems and I have run out of solutions. I have tried changing his water daily, I have tried the ammonia removing drops, I have even indivually tested all decor and they’re all clear. Is this fish just contaminated?? Is this possible?? I don’t even know how he is alive at this point and I feel so bad but I have tried everything and now I’m scared he will kill my other fish. Please help

 

[itiwhetu]

Is he stressed. The ammonia level is not such a problem when you have a fish with a labyrinth, Don't panic fighters live in pretty bad water naturally.

 

[Fishmanic]

Test your tap water with your test kit. I wonder if the test chemicals are bad or were not shaken enough.

 

[kwi]

Is there anything stuck in your filter, old food etc.?

 

[Peyton L]

Is there anything stuck in your filter, old food etc.?

Nope I actually had a brand new filter in the original tank I cycled for him

 

[Peyton L]

Is he stressed. The ammonia level is not such a problem when you have a fish with a labyrinth, Don't panic fighters live in pretty bad water naturally.

I wouldn’t say he is stressed as he has somewhat “adapted” to these conditions but he has experienced fin rot and he hasn’t been able to fully heal because no matter what tank I put him in it’s like ammonia just spreads into

 

[Peyton L]

Test your tap water with your test kit. I wonder if the test chemicals are bad or were not shaken enough.

I originally questioned the test kit as well but then i realized that my other tank has been coming out clean no ammonia this whole time before adding him in to try to give him a break

 

[kwi]

Nope I actually had a brand new filter in the original tank I cycled for him

Was the filter cycled? If you've replaced a filter in an old tank did you use the media from the old filter? If not you've removed a good portion of your beneficial bacteria. So your ammonia spikes there could really be just fish poop.
What else is in the 30g?

 

[Peyton L]

Hello! I am having a very hard time with a beta I have recently gotten. I had him in a 5 gallon tank that was cycled for weeks but upon adding him in, the ammonia has spiked and will not go down. I have tried removing him and adding him (with a. Divider) to a several year cycles 30 gallon tank while I figure out what’s wrong with his 5 gallon. Now, after only a week the ammonia has spiked to a dark green color in the 30 gallon tank. I have never experienced so much ammonia problems and I have run out of solutions. I have tried changing his water daily, I have tried the ammonia removing drops, I have even indivually tested all decor and they’re all clear. Is this fish just contaminated?? Is this possible?? I don’t even know how he is alive at this point and I feel so bad but I have tried everything and now I’m scared he will kill my other fish. Please help

I know this sounds bizarre and it’s like impossible but I’ve literally tested everything and gone through 2 test kits. And he has been moved around like crazy.. but I swear this fish just makes ammonia !! Lol. I know he doesn’t but god I literally cannot figure out what it is. I’ve even tried the beta water from the store and there was ammonia after the 2nd day and he only eats like 2 beta pellets a day.

 

[kwi]

Fish do produce ammonia........

 

[Peyton L]

Was the filter cycled? If you've replaced a filter in an old tank did you use the media from the old filter? If not you've removed a good portion of your beneficial bacteria. So your ammonia spikes there could really be just fish poop.
What else is in the 30g?

Yes his Original tank was 100% cycled filter and all. And I would say just fish poop, but at one point as a break I even put him in a plastic 2.5 gallon and I had to change his water literally every other day because of ammonia. I don’t see a beta pooping that much but idk. And in this 30 gallon I only have a common pletco and a blue gourami. Separated with a divider of course

 

[Peyton L]

Fish do produce ammonia........

But this much?? He’s a tiny betta in a 30 gallon tank that made the ammonia go to 2ppm in only a week when normally there is never above a slight amount made by the other dish

 

[Peyton L]

But this much?? He’s a tiny betta in a 30 gallon tank that made the ammonia go to 2ppm in only a week when normally there is never above a slight amount made by the other dish

Even when I had him alone he was producing that
Much to the point where it was going over 2ppm in as little as 2 days even if I skipped feeding him and I’ve been having to change his water like crazy to keep him alive from fin rot too

 

[Peyton L]

Yes I know fish produce ammonia, I meant it’s kinda bizarre that this tiny betta could produce enough to provide lethal amounts to a 30gallon tank that has been cycled for 20 years with never any ammonia spikes with the current fish.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I'm mystified, have no idea what's going on for you here. @Ch4rlie is the person I trust most to understand these sorts of things, maybe he'll have some ideas!