Need help emergency! Betta and cardinal terra

[Ap97]

Just some info on Prime here. It detoxifies ammonia, nitrite and nitrate by binding them chemically, and they are then harmless, but tests will still show the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate until it is no longer in the water. Prime is effective for 24-36 hours, so if these substances remain in the water after that period, they again revert to the toxic form. So using Prime at a water change will make them harmless for 24-36 hours, but test still detect them whether harmless or toxic.

Ahhh okay yes that makes sense. I am doing daily water changes so I will use it after 24 hours, so do you think maybe by another week or so these levels will all be okay and I won’t have to use prime ? (I know I will have to still condition the water etc)

 

[Byron]

Ahhh okay yes that makes sense. I am doing daily water changes so I will use it after 24 hours, so do you think maybe by another week or so these levels will all be okay and I won’t have to use prime ? (I know I will have to still condition the water etc)

Not easy to say, as each tank is a unique biological system. The issue here is to get the ammonia/nitrite dealt with because fish are present. Daily water changes will help, live plants esp fast growers will really help (in fact, they will instantly solve this whole problem once they are growing and assuming they are fast growers).

 

[Ap97]

Hi all, I’m on my 3rd/4th day of doing daily 50% water changes, I’ve added elodea, moss balls and water sprite, and been using Seachem prime at water changes. I tested the water and it’s showing the ammonia is either 0 or 0.25 it’s hard to tell the colour as they are so similar. I will test again tomorrow and if I’m still not sure if it’s a definite 0 I will do another water change because I don’t think the ammonia will have fully gone that fast just from water changes alone, as the plants only went in today. Will the fin rot heal on its own once the parameters are all reading okay or will I have to add some medication? I do have aquarium salts but I’m reading mixed opinions so I’m not sure about them, also I don’t know if the fin rot is too far gone now and I need to use medication

 

[Ap97]

Hi all, I’m on my 3rd/4th day of doing daily 50% water changes, I’ve added elodea, moss balls and water sprite, and been using Seachem prime at water changes. I tested the water and it’s showing the ammonia is either 0 or 0.25 it’s hard to tell the colour as they are so similar. I will test again tomorrow and if I’m still not sure if it’s a definite 0 I will do another water change because I don’t think the ammonia will have fully gone that fast just from water changes alone, as the plants only went in today. Will the fin rot heal on its own once the parameters are all reading okay or will I have to add some medication? I do have aquarium salts but I’m reading mixed opinions so I’m not sure about them, also I don’t know if the fin rot is too far gone now and I need to use medication

Also my tank is reading 0 nitrites , surely they wouldn’t of turned into nitrate already!? I thought it takes several weeks for this to happen? I can’t work out whether the nitrates are reading 0 or 5ppm unless it’s somewhere in between, or maybe there’s still ammonia and it hasn’t even started to turn into nitrite yet

 

[Byron]

Responding to your last two posts. Ammonia at 0 or 0.25 I would not worry about. Nitrites at 0 is fine, let's not speculate on chemistry, just accept they are not there and that is good. Plants...once in the tank they begin taking up ammonia/ammonium if any is present, and fast growers like Water Sprite can take up an incredible amount, more than the fish if not overstocked could ever begin to create. Point of all this is, you are on the right track.

Sometimes we fuss over numbers. I have set up dozens of tanks (new or re-set with new substrate which is the same thing) and I don't even bother testing for ammonia or nitrite. I do test if fish show problems, like the two times I introduced internal protozoan disease with new fish and fish began dying, but otherwise, never. New aquarists can benefit from testing, but as I said don't get hung up on the chemistry. Water changes, keeping thee water clean of additives and substances that are not essential, all contributes to a healthy biological system that follows the laws of nature.

 

[seangee]

Will the fin rot heal on its own once the parameters are all reading okay or will I have to add some medication? I do have aquarium salts but I’m reading mixed opinions so I’m not sure about them, also I don’t know if the fin rot is too far gone now and I need to use medication

Can you get a picture or video of the fish and its fins. It should heal by itself if there is no infection, hopefully a pic will confirm if this is the case.

 

[Ap97]

Hi all I’m super confused as now my ammonia is reading 0, but so are the nitrites and nitrates. Have I removed all the ammonia with the plants and water changes? Because I know I need at least some ammonia for it to cycle because without it, the tank won’t cycle?

 

[Byron]

Hi all I’m super confused as now my ammonia is reading 0, but so are the nitrites and nitrates. Have I removed all the ammonia with the plants and water changes? Because I know I need at least some ammonia for it to cycle because without it, the tank won’t cycle?

The tank will cycle but you are not going to see it because you now have live plants. The plants take up the ammonia, and there will not be much from one fish and organic decomposition, and nitrite and nitrate do not result from the plants use of the ammonia. The bacteria cycle will still establish but unseen by your tests.

 

[Retired Viking]

Like @Byron said your tank is cycled. I have done this on 3 of my tanks. The planted/silent cycle is the natural way to cycle. The plants have absorbed the ammonia and used it up so there is no byproducts like nitrate and nitrite. As long as you keep the balance between what the plants can absorb and the number of fish and the waste/ammonia they produce you do not have to worry about bacteria. It will develop but is not important in this type of cycle.