Tank Cycling & Ammonia Poisoning

[CrazyDiamond88]

Hey, this is my first post on these forums.
 
I bought my fish about a week and a half ago on the 27th of June. Completely on a whim from the pet store. I haven't had fish as a grown up since this one.
 
He's a betta fish called Kasai.
 
Anyway, I want to care for him as best I can.
 
I've been reading about ammonia and pH, and I suspect my tank has very high levels. 
 
It smells a little odd, and when I do tests with a kit I bought from Petbarn, they come up as the highest pH (7.6). I don't know how accurate these are but I am going to be on the safe side and assume it is reading the water right.
 
Anyway, I bought him and he was put in a plastic bag. I took him home and put him in a .5 gallon tank for about a week.
 
I then transferred him to a 20L tank. Before I did, I ran the heater and filter in the new tank for 24 hours.
 
The water smells strange now.
 
He seems to have the red line on his side that indicates ammonia burn. I feel so awful for subjecting him to this.
 
Can I reverse the damage? And how do I reduce ammonia levels? And how long will this process take, and where do I put him in the meantime?
 
I'm sorry for all the questions, I am really freaked out about Kasai

 

[bigcheed]

im no expert mate but it takes up to and sometimes longer to cycle your tank. there is lots of great info on this forum on the nitrogen cycle which you need to read and understand when keeping fish. so first of all. ignore your ph reading for the moment. your main concern should be ammonia. do a water change. right now. about 40%. also if you can invest in a master test kit or at the very least an ammonia test kit. your aim should be to keep the ammonia level to 0.25 through regular water changes until your tank cycles. once you start getting 0% readings you need to monitor the nitrite level and keep up with the water changes to limit the exposure of your fish to excessive levels. all this will be explained in great detail in the cycling threads on this forum. once you have 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite your goal will be to monitor the level of nitrate which is the end product of the nitrogen cycle. weekly water changes and testing should help keep this to a reading of no more than 40ppm. below 20ppm is a better target to go for though. you have a lovely looking fish there I myself have a betta named vader. hope this gets the ball rolling for you.

sorry I missed out the upto and sometimes longer than 8 weeks at the start.

 

[CrazyDiamond88]

Thank you so much bigcheed for replying, I've been sitting here waiting anxiously for someone to get back to me.
 
I have been doing some reading since I posted this, and I think I've got it now. 
 
At the moment he is in the small tank as I moved home today (was at my bfs). The big tank is heating up at the moment and I will put him in tomorrow.
 
I just changed the water 40%.
 
Tomorrow I'm going to the aquarium to get an API Master test kit.
 
I just don't know where to put him in the mean time while he goes through ammonia hell :c

 

[DrRob]

Simple answer to where to put him is in the biggest tank you've got.
 
At the moment that's probably the 20l, but I suspect that you have bigger containers lying around. Most of us have 60l plastic storage boxes kicking about and they make great emergency tanks. The larger the water volume the less impact the pollution from one small fish can make. May be a way to avoid keeping him in a half gallon tank overnight.
 
Otherwise, you're onto a fish in cycle, again, the larger the tank the easier this is.
 
Out of curiosity, how cold is the 20l tank, they don't take all that long to warm up generally, unless they're in a cold place.

 

[CrazyDiamond88]

Thanks DrRob for your input.
 
I just netted him and put him into the 20L tank. I don't know if I have a bigger one around, but the thing is his 20L tank has been heating for the past 7 hours or so, so he might be more comfortable in there.
 
Having said that, he is just sitting there at the bottom doing nothing. It's really awful to see.
 
I don't have a thermometer, but I'm adding that to my shopping list for my aquarium visit tomorrow.
 
Also I just looked at him from front on, and his gills? belly? I don't know, anyway, he is puffing fairly rapidly.
 
If he is on his way out I am wondering whether it would just be kinder to apply some clove oil

 

[DrRob]

I'd certainly give him a chance to settle.

 

[CrazyDiamond88]

I will then.
 
I just put him in his 20L tank and he is a bit more active which is hopeful.

 

[bigcheed]

Don't give up on him. The fish in cycle isn't ideal but if you keep up with the water tests and changes and you can come through it.

 

[CrazyDiamond88]

Thanks Bigcheed, I'll certainly do my best.
 
He isn't eating at the moment. Sigh.

 

[bigcheed]

what are feeding him? bettas can be fussy. mine will only take new life spectrum betta pellets or tetramin colour crisps. live or frozen brine shrimp are also good for him. hes probably a little stressed also. he wont be used to his new home or you. you will be surprised how interactive bettas are. mine completely ignore my missus when she looks in the tank. but go crazy when I turn up.  

 

[CrazyDiamond88]

That's really quite adorable!
 
I feed him Figherbites from Aquatopia... duunno how good that is for him

 

[bigcheed]

just an after thought, you are treating your tap water with de chlorinator arnt you.

 

[CrazyDiamond88]

Yes -  I am treating it with;
 
API Stress Zyme
API Stress Coat
and AquaOne Water Conditioner. 
 
The AquaOne is probably unnecessary since I have the other two?
 
Also, I've attached a picture of him showing his awful burns  

 

[bigcheed]

that's good. if you can get your hands on it seachem prime is the best water conditioner. its pricey but highly concentrated and you only need small amounts. lasts ages. would help reduce the ammonia too.

 

[CrazyDiamond88]

Thank you, I'll put that on my shopping list.
 
Do his burns look bad?