slerhard1994
New Member
Hey guys!
So I am brand new to all of this! I had some Betta fish when I was younger but honestly was too young to properly take care of them. Durning the quarantine, I decided to buy one. When I did, I set up the tank how most people would think it is okay to set up a Betta tank because this was all I knew when I was younger. After about two days the fish didn't look good at all, I was for sure she was going to die. I did alot of research and decided to get her a better tank with live plants and an environment that would be more healthy for her. I learned about the shock with temperatures and ammonia poisoning. I have been doing daily 30-50% water changes, depending on how the tanks looks and how she is acting. She has really been responding to this! The first few days she wouldn't eat, she LOVES eating now. She wants to eat more than she should. I have been keeping bags of hot water on the bowl to make sure the water temperature stays above 70, I know it should be closer to 78...but 70 is the best I can do until I get her in the new tank. Since it has been warm out, the water has been warming up a bit more on its own, I also keep her in the warmest room in my house.
So I am cycling her new tank, it has a heater, an LED light that isn't too bright and I put some plants in it, with some rocks I got in my front yard, that I washed extremely well. I started the cycle with fish food, I had some pretty good readings the first week, my ammonia was high and then I started getting some Nitrites and a smidge of Nitrates, then last week, which would have been the fourth week of my cycle. I had no ammonia and very high Nitrites with a small smidge of Nitrates. Then a few days ago, I had no ammonia, no nitrites and no Nitrates. I tried to put a bit more fish food in it about two days ago to see if maybe it was because I accidentally starved the bacteria with having no ammonia...which I would have been devastated about because I had completely forgot that the bacteria need the ammonia to keep thriving, I hadn't put any ammonia in since I started the cycle...I didn't do any water changes, only a super small one yesterday I don't know why I thought it would help, I guess I am freaking out a bit and trying anything I can. I put more fish food in yesterday and I tested the water again today and I am zero'd out on everything....but shouldn't there be ammonia from the fish food I have been putting in the past few days? Are there nitrates that aren't coming up on the test? I know the Nitrate test on the test kit has to be done very precisely and I honestly thought I was.....I am just freaking out at this point because I put alot of hard work into this and while I know my fish is okay because I have been taking very good care of her, I want to get her into her new home! She is glass surfing in the bowl and it breaks my heart. She looks forward to eating everyday because it is the most excitement she gets. I just want to get her in her new environment so she can enjoy it. Should I go to the fish store and get the bacteria to add to the tank? Is there bacteria in there and it isn't getting picked up on the test.
Please someone help me! Oh yeah by the way my baby's name is Stella and she is wonderful! She is red and purple and she is full of life now. I love her. She looks so healthy, I just really need to get her into her new home and I am also scared to put her in there and for her not to be able to adjust to the water. I know I have to pre adjust her, I have been doing it everytime I have to clean her gravel now but I am so nervous to put her in and for her to pass away, I would be devastated, I spent alot of time on making her healthy.
So I am brand new to all of this! I had some Betta fish when I was younger but honestly was too young to properly take care of them. Durning the quarantine, I decided to buy one. When I did, I set up the tank how most people would think it is okay to set up a Betta tank because this was all I knew when I was younger. After about two days the fish didn't look good at all, I was for sure she was going to die. I did alot of research and decided to get her a better tank with live plants and an environment that would be more healthy for her. I learned about the shock with temperatures and ammonia poisoning. I have been doing daily 30-50% water changes, depending on how the tanks looks and how she is acting. She has really been responding to this! The first few days she wouldn't eat, she LOVES eating now. She wants to eat more than she should. I have been keeping bags of hot water on the bowl to make sure the water temperature stays above 70, I know it should be closer to 78...but 70 is the best I can do until I get her in the new tank. Since it has been warm out, the water has been warming up a bit more on its own, I also keep her in the warmest room in my house.
So I am cycling her new tank, it has a heater, an LED light that isn't too bright and I put some plants in it, with some rocks I got in my front yard, that I washed extremely well. I started the cycle with fish food, I had some pretty good readings the first week, my ammonia was high and then I started getting some Nitrites and a smidge of Nitrates, then last week, which would have been the fourth week of my cycle. I had no ammonia and very high Nitrites with a small smidge of Nitrates. Then a few days ago, I had no ammonia, no nitrites and no Nitrates. I tried to put a bit more fish food in it about two days ago to see if maybe it was because I accidentally starved the bacteria with having no ammonia...which I would have been devastated about because I had completely forgot that the bacteria need the ammonia to keep thriving, I hadn't put any ammonia in since I started the cycle...I didn't do any water changes, only a super small one yesterday I don't know why I thought it would help, I guess I am freaking out a bit and trying anything I can. I put more fish food in yesterday and I tested the water again today and I am zero'd out on everything....but shouldn't there be ammonia from the fish food I have been putting in the past few days? Are there nitrates that aren't coming up on the test? I know the Nitrate test on the test kit has to be done very precisely and I honestly thought I was.....I am just freaking out at this point because I put alot of hard work into this and while I know my fish is okay because I have been taking very good care of her, I want to get her into her new home! She is glass surfing in the bowl and it breaks my heart. She looks forward to eating everyday because it is the most excitement she gets. I just want to get her in her new environment so she can enjoy it. Should I go to the fish store and get the bacteria to add to the tank? Is there bacteria in there and it isn't getting picked up on the test.
Please someone help me! Oh yeah by the way my baby's name is Stella and she is wonderful! She is red and purple and she is full of life now. I love her. She looks so healthy, I just really need to get her into her new home and I am also scared to put her in there and for her not to be able to adjust to the water. I know I have to pre adjust her, I have been doing it everytime I have to clean her gravel now but I am so nervous to put her in and for her to pass away, I would be devastated, I spent alot of time on making her healthy.