Nitrates And Ammonia Too High! Ailing Fish! Need Help Now!

[AnneRiceBowl]

Ammonia= 0.25
NitrItes= 0.0
NitrAtes= 40!!!!!!!!
pH= 7.6
Temp.= 79F


I had noticed that the nitrAtes were high yesterday, but ammonia was 0.0. I went and looked into my tankseveral minutes ago, and saw one of my female bettas hiding under driftwood and breathing hard and not moving. I took her out and put her into a 1 quart jar. I lowered the water, so now there's only 1.5 cups in the jar. She's still gasping, head down, rear up, and can barely get to the surface for air. I too out another female yesterday because she was hangiong out at the surface and not moving with clamped fins.

I know that the ammonia is high as well as the nitrAtes. Should I do a water change? I have bio-spira on hand, will adding a little to the water help any?

 

[jwddboy]

Do a daily water change, get to your LFS or a friend and get some filter media out of their filter. This will have bacteria already on it. Did you ever cycle your tank? how new is it?

Make sure your betta doesnt get too cold.

Add some bio-spira

Do you have a filter if so what kind.

 

[AnneRiceBowl]

Do a daily water change, get to your LFS or a friend and get some filter media out of their filter. This will have bacteria already on it. Did you ever cycle your tank? how new is it?

Make sure your betta doesnt get too cold.

Add some bio-spira

Do you have a filter if so what kind.

The tank was cycled. I had used Bio-Spira from the start. I bought enough for 90 US gallons and used 1/2 the pack and that's why I still have some left over (it has been stored in my refrigerator). I don't know anyone else that keeps fish, and there are no stores open right now.

The tank has been running for just about a month. It's a 30 gallon long with an AquaClear 50. I cycled the tank with the original spnoge, and once the carbon expired, I added more sponges to it.

The betta is in a warm and dim room.

I just did a water change. Once the water has been added back to the tank, I#'ll add more Bio-Spira.

 

[jwddboy]

what happened to cause this? has anything unusual happened in your tank recently?

Whats the oxygen like in your tank? how much surface water movement do you have?

 

[AnneRiceBowl]

I really have no idea what could have caused this. I am still rather new at keeping fish, and this is my first big tank--at least to me, this is a new tank. I don't know if it was from overfeeding. I try not to overfeed because of the bamboo shrimp in there. The tank is planted, but I haven't added CO2, yet.

I am not sure how to check for oxygen. The tank is stocked following the Golden Rule of Stocking.

I am trying to keep little current in the tank. It's a female betta sorority tank, and they do not fare well in current. So, there's little to no surface movement. Could this have been the problem?

 

[AnneRiceBowl]

What do I do about the female betta that is in a jar gasping for breath and can barely get to the surface for air?