Betta + Ammonia Poisoning

Okay so for some time I've been posting up a lot of new topics about my Betta - and things seemed to be getting better, but last night, things started to go downhill...
Also, my Betta is kept in a 5 gall tank (thought it was a 10 but i was wrong)

Steve (my Betta) has the following things:

- A LOT of red burns on his fins and tails.
- Beginning to develop white stuff on his body and fins (very faint but it's there).

Also: I went to the local Big Al's fish store and talked to a lady who was a Betta Expert (she owns probably about 30 at home)

Anyways, I told her about my problem and this is the stuff she told me to buy:

- a heater (since the water temp was too low in my tank)
- Melafix (for his burns and other stuff) - apparently this prevents a lot of diseases and infections?
- an ammonia detector (it tests for ammonia 24/7 for a few months - to a whole year).
- ammonia clear fizz tabs - which is for an emergency relief


She told me that the heater + Melafix should fix everything up (I'm supposed to pour in half a teaspoon of Melafix for 7 days and then do a water change on the 8th day).
Also, she said to use the ammonia fizz tabs just to get the ammonia a bit in control so I can keep Steve alive! (I really am fighting for his life right now)


Is there anything else I can do?!

First of all yes add the heater.

Do a LARGE water change, a ammonia test kit would be best so you can keep track.

IMO melafix and bettas is a no go. Ive used it once and had no joy with it, also controversy about melafix and the labyrinth organ.

Do you have a filter??

Daily water changes to keep the water 100% clean will help Steve.

I wouldnt add the ammonia clear, water changes are better, as im sure the 'ammonia clear' just covers up the ammonia.

I added the heater!! Apparently it takes approximately an hour for the water to heat up?

I do have a filter, and it is working away like it should.

Why does Melafix not work for Bettas? I heard many great reviews about this product and how it saved Bettas?

I posted up a photo my fish tank just to show what I have in it - also, I know I don't have any plants currently, but i threw them out because they were decaying - rises ammonia levels.

I also posted up a photo of Steve and what state he is currently in

The last picture is when Steve was still healthy

Betta's are very strong fish and can tolerate bad conditions. With that said tho just keep doing water changes till it is all cleared up. If you can get some established media that would be good too even just a squeeze of the sponge to get things going.

have you moved him to the other tank then? in your previous posts say you have no filter just a air stone in the tank that he is in, and your other tank you had just set up is cycling, so no, your filter isnt working as it should, because it cannot have cycled that quickly, you also have said you have no proper test kit, please re-read the link in my signature on cycling

Why does Melafix not work for Bettas? I heard many great reviews about this product and how it saved Bettas?

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Melafix can only treat very mild infections caused primarily by "gram positive bacteria". Most of the fish diseases/infections are caused by "gram negative bacteria".So Melafix should never be the first choice of treatment and if you insist using it, then combine with Primafix.
However, as already mentioned on this thread and your other threads, ammonia is what is causing your fish to get sick. And yes, it is so dangerous to fish that they quickly show all type of ugly symptoms and die if large water changes are not done daily until the tank cycles in 4-8 weeks time.

Also, ammonia and medication at the same time normally produces a dead fish. You've to get rid of the ammonia via large daily water changes which remove nearly all the water, otherwise no matter what medications you dose with and how hard you try, your fish won't recover. It's very good that you got a heater.
Keep up with daily water changes and if you wish to treat, redose the medication for the amount of water you have removed each day, instead of dosing straight for 7 days with no water changes. The ammonia will kill your fish if you don't change that water!!!

Thank you for everybody's help. I just came home too see that my little Steve has passed away

phoenixgsd said:

have you moved him to the other tank then? in your previous posts say you have no filter just a air stone in the tank that he is in, and your other tank you had just set up is cycling, so no, your filter isnt working as it should, because it cannot have cycled that quickly, you also have said you have no proper test kit, please re-read the link in my signature on cycling

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I bought a test for my bigger tank and everything was good. In the bigger tank everything was working as it should. He must have gotten ammonia from the smaller tank her was in. Thank you for your help though

BettaLuver said:

Thank you for everybody's help. I just came home too see that my little Steve has passed away

phoenixgsd said:

have you moved him to the other tank then? in your previous posts say you have no filter just a air stone in the tank that he is in, and your other tank you had just set up is cycling, so no, your filter isnt working as it should, because it cannot have cycled that quickly, you also have said you have no proper test kit, please re-read the link in my signature on cycling

Click to expand...

I bought a test for my bigger tank and everything was good. In the bigger tank everything was working as it should. He must have gotten ammonia from the smaller tank her was in. Thank you for your help though

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Can you please provide the exact ammonia, nitrIte and nitrAte reading for the Bigger tank? You are aware that a tank without fish will have no ammonia sourse so the test might have read fine the first day.Have you tested it since the betta was moved in? And it's impossible to have a tank cycled in a few days so please test the tank now and post the results. What brand is the test you bought?

No i was not aware of that. I have purchased the "Freshwater Master Test Kit" from the company API - it's the one with all the test tube and bottles for testing nitrite, nitrate, ammonia, pH.

The results for the tank in its current condition are as follows:

Ammonia: 0.5

Nitrite: 0.25

Nitrate: 80

pH: 7.2


Also, this morning before I left for sschool I did a 50%-60% water change.

BettaLuver said:

No i was not aware of that. I have purchased the "Freshwater Master Test Kit" from the company API - it's the one with all the test tube and bottles for testing nitrite, nitrate, ammonia, pH.

The results for the tank in its current condition are as follows:

Ammonia: 0.5

Nitrite: 0.25

Nitrate: 80

pH: 7.2


Also, this morning before I left for sschool I did a 50%-60% water change.

Click to expand...

Anything different than 0 for ammonia and nitrIte is poisonous to fish, so although the cycle seems to have started, you need to do daily 80-90% water changes to keep the ammonia below 0.25 and nitrIte as close to 0 as possible. Eventually, in a few weeks time the filter will grow enough bacteria to keep ammonia and nitrIte at 0 for you and then weekly water changes are required to keep the not so poisonous nitrAte below 20ppm.

what a shame he was a stunning looking fish, however you still need to cycle the tank if you wish to continue with the hobby, as said you need ammonia in the tank to start a cycle, so now you have no fish you will need to purchase some and add it to the tank simulating the fish poo so to speak, this fishless method is much easier on you and as you have discovered kinder to fish, fish in cycling can be done BUT you have to be on top of your game constantly for weeks untill your filter takes over the hard work for you, all this info is in the link in my signature

Thank you snazy and phoeanixgd.

I did find out that this was a harder method (since the poor little fella passed on). I am going to continue to cycle the water. However, I am not planning to buy a fish UNTIL the water levels are at the levels that they should be - even if it does take a few weeks.

But once again, thank you so much for all the information you two have been giving me. It taught me things about fish and the water they live, which I didn't even know existed!!

I will write once again to you all when it's time to buy a new Betta and when the tank it all set up and ready to go!