Weird Eye on Betta (Don't think pop... better photos and video)

[Rocky998]

The accident was a few months ago. My main health issues... well I've been on disability since 2013... one issue clears and another takes its place. Maybe this surgery will fix the latest and nothing more takes its place.

I'll carefully read both guides. I did want to ask if I should siphon out the food I put in there or just leave it. You've been a huge help. Thanks. I did get home tonight thankfully! I know I should probably do another water change on the other tank but I'm just hurting too much. Tomorrow I need to clean some algae anyway. Stupidly forgot to turn out his light last week. I've seen it worse but have some clean up to do after breakfast. About to glance at rules again before adding stuff and then after I have go to bed early. Appreciate all the help. It's so weird. I thought I was so knowledgeable. And I so wasn't. Glad there are good places and people to help (especially ones calling you awful for just having 5 gallons. Apartment is too small for 10s or I'd have them.

Hopefully that's the last bad thing to happen to you for while. Seems like you've been through heck.


You can siphon the food out as you don't want it to mold in the tank and be an issue that way. But then after that, you should be able to start up the cycle! After doing the siphon and adding more water, I would wait a day or two before ACTUALLY starting the cycle so that way the dechlorinator has a chance to run through the water and settle.

I was in your exact shoes a year ago thinking that I knew exactly what to do but then realized I was wayyyy off lol.
I'm happy to be able to pass down knowledge I've gained from my time here and keeping the fish I do have.

Ok just read quick version. Confused why you would add more ammonia if both ammonia and nitrite are going way down. I'll read full version in the morning. Maybe it explains. But I'd think adding more ammonia would make it all wonky at that part, especially a full dose.

So on the other big dose you are trying to bud up the nitrates because the nitrites are very toxic but the nitrates are not AS toxic and will "eat" the nitrites that "eat" the ammonia. You are trying to create a balanced factory kinda.

Also confused. You DO add bacteria same day as ammonia right? Says nothing about that...

I would add it a day after you do the water change to remove the food, then the day after that start adding your first doses of ammonia.

 

[metropolis93fan]

Hopefully that's the last bad thing to happen to you for while. Seems like you've been through heck.


You can siphon the food out as you don't want it to mold in the tank and be an issue that way. But then after that, you should be able to start up the cycle! After doing the siphon and adding more water, I would wait a day or two before ACTUALLY starting the cycle so that way the dechlorinator has a chance to run through the water and settle.

I was in your exact shoes a year ago thinking that I knew exactly what to do but then realized I was wayyyy off lol.
I'm happy to be able to pass down knowledge I've gained from my time here and keeping the fish I do have.


So on the other big dose you are trying to bud up the nitrates because the nitrites are very toxic but the nitrates are not AS toxic and will "eat" the nitrites that "eat" the ammonia. You are trying to create a balanced factory kinda.


I would add it a day after you do the water change to remove the food, then the day after that start adding your first doses of ammonia.

Thanks for laying out the exact days to do things. I'm so tired I'm gonna vacuum the tank tomorrow, bacteria Sunday, ammon

 

[metropolis93fan]

Thanks for laying out the exact days to do things. I'm so tired I'm gonna vacuum the tank tomorrow, bacteria Sunday, ammon

Accidentally hit send. Ammonia Monday before going to my parents ' place. PrY it doesn't bottom out while I'm gone. That tiny little bottle was $10. Can't keep doing that.

 

[Rocky998]

Thanks for laying out the exact days to do things. I'm so tired I'm gonna vacuum the tank tomorrow, bacteria Sunday, ammon

Accidentally hit send. Ammonia Monday before going to my parents ' place. PrY it doesn't bottom out while I'm gone. That tiny little bottle was $10. Can't keep doing that.

No problem.
Yes, you got the days right. Aaaand yah the prices for the aquarium hobby is insane. Luckily ammonia is really cheap though. But the bacteria will be a bit expensive because of what it does...
The set up of an aquarium always costs the most up front. When I set up mine I was like: "Daaaaaang I cannot pay this much" lol... And I'm a teen so that makes it 10× better with money and stuff. My parents did help a bit because they were impressed with all my research and meticulous care. But I try to buy stuff myself.
The additives and other things like tests are the continuous payments that suck.

 

[Essjay]

Confused why you would add more ammonia if both ammonia and nitrite are going way down

A tank is considered cycled when a 3 ppm dose of ammonia is converted through nitrite to nitrate in 24 hours. At the beginning of the cycle, it takes a lot longer than this as there are not enough bacteria yet, so ammonia needs to be added to feed them so they'll grow more. If just one dose is added, there won't be enough bacteria to remove ammonia and nitrite to zero in 24 hours so there won't be enough bacteria to deal with the waste from a tankful of fish.

 

[Rocky998]

A tank is considered cycled when a 3 ppm dose of ammonia is converted through nitrite to nitrate in 24 hours. At the beginning of the cycle, it takes a lot longer than this as there are not enough bacteria yet, so ammonia needs to be added to feed them so they'll grow more. If just one dose is added, there won't be enough bacteria to remove ammonia and nitrite to zero in 24 hours so there won't be enough bacteria to deal with the waste from a tankful of fish.

But again you only need 1ppm of ammonia in your tank... Don't put 3ppm in

 

[Essjay]

Ah, I forgot this is for a small tank with one betta. Thanks for the reminder, Rocky

Yes, enough ammonia to get 1 ppm for the main dose and enough to give 0.3 ml for the snack dose

 

[Rocky998]

Ah, I forgot this is for a small tank with one betta. Thanks for the reminder, Rocky

Yes, enough ammonia to get 1 ppm for the main dose and enough to give 0.3 ml for the snack dose

Yup. Already did the maths in the previous posts I believe ...
I forget what I got though for all the answers

 

[metropolis93fan]

Yup. Already did the maths in the previous posts I believe ...
I forget what I got though for all the answers

Ok. So I just put in .25 ml as you said but the BOTTLE says for 2ppm (I know you said one but still shows the math) 4 DROPS per GALLON. .25 mg is nowhere close to half that. "Fishless fuel" is what it's called. How soon is too soon to check levels?

 

[Rocky998]

Ok. So I just put in .25 ml as you said but the BOTTLE says for 2ppm (I know you said one but still shows the math) 4 DROPS per GALLON. .25 mg is nowhere close to half that. "Fishless fuel" is what it's called. How soon is too soon to check levels?

The instructions on here say to test every three days IN THE BEGINNING. But it changes throughout. I would recommend giving the cycling thread another look. It tells you everything you should do better than I can.

 

[metropolis93fan]

I guess more what I meant was... should I check sooner to see if I put enough in because the .25 ml is nowhere close to what the instructions call for. It has 40 mg/mL TAN (total ammonia nitrogen.) The calculator says to have 9.5% of ammonia in the solution. Is this a different amount of ammonia in the bottle than most companies provide? I'm just worried I'm not putting in ENOUGH. I know you normally wait 30 minutes to check the dose and I'm coming up on that... That'll probably tell me all I need to know. I'm just freaking. Sorry.

 

[Rocky998]

I guess more what I meant was... should I check sooner to see if I put enough in because the .25 ml is nowhere close to what the instructions call for. It has 40 mg/mL TAN (total ammonia nitrogen.) The calculator says to have 9.5% of ammonia in the solution. Is this a different amount of ammonia in the bottle than most companies provide? I'm just worried I'm not putting in ENOUGH. I know you normally wait 30 minutes to check the dose and I'm coming up on that... That'll probably tell me all I need to know. I'm just freaking. Sorry.

Oh yes, then check to make sure you have a good amount in. Sorry, I misunderstood

 

[metropolis93fan]

Oh yes, then check to make sure you have a good amount in. Sorry, I misunderstood

Ouch... I threw in one extra DROP and it's too high ALREADY (As in, I started the test 1 minute 40 seconds ago and it's almost 1 ppm. Just what I wanted to do... another water change. *sighs* Did another 50% change on the other tank as the pH is still too high on it.. or was. Haven't checked yet. Lugging the dang jugs hurts like crazy but This isn't good.

 

[metropolis93fan]

Oh yes, then check to make sure you have a good amount in. Sorry, I misunderstood

Also, I checked it BEFORE adding the liquid Ammonia just in case there was any built up from the fish food. There was none.

 

[Rocky998]

Ouch... I threw in one extra DROP and it's too high ALREADY (As in, I started the test 1 minute 40 seconds ago and it's almost 1 ppm. Just what I wanted to do... another water change. *sighs* Did another 50% change on the other tank as the pH is still too high on it.. or was. Haven't checked yet. Lugging the dang jugs hurts like crazy but This isn't good.

1ppm is what you want though right? It's a good number.

Also ammonia makes the ph rise