Helping a betta with suspected ammonia burns

[kindheart]

I posted about the fin-tanked betta I got from a pet store yesterday, and I was worried about the pale coloring on his fins and lips. Now I've got even more reason to worry - my tank had an ammonia spike today.

I noticed the little guy swimming erratically earlier, so I tested for ammonia and nitrites with the API Master test kit, just in case. I added some Seachem Prime first, since it detoxifies nitrogen compounds like ammonia.

When I saw the test results, I was glad I took action - no nitrites, but the ammonia test tube was a clear green color, at least 1 ppm. I didn't check the exact measurement, but I did a 50% water change, added some Stress Coat, and tested again. The ammonia was down to 0 or 0.25, so I'll do another water change later. I also checked the pH, since the catappa leaf had lowered it, but it's back up again.

I'm worried that ammonia poisoning might have contributed to my last baby's death, but this guy seems to be doing better after the water change - he's swimming around, though his Sprig does seem a bit heavier than usual.

I want to help him recover and get healthy enough for a forever home, but I'm not sure if clean water is enough, given he's underweight from the pet store. Can anyone suggest ways to speed up his recovery from ammonia burns or poisoning? I've seen different suggestions online, like using antibiotics or antibacterial treatments, adding aquarium salt, or lowering the pH.

Also, I'd appreciate any insight into why he might be having trouble eating. He's underweight, so I was happy when he ate all the pellets yesterday, but today he kept spitting out the second pellet. He seemed hungry, trying to chew on plants at the top of the water, but he's spitting out flakes too, which is worrying. At least he might have gotten some smaller ones down - his belly doesn't look swollen, so I don't think it's constipation.

[coltin]

I think the best course of action for dealing with ammonia issues in a tank is to cut back on feeding and perform a large water change, along with a thorough gravel cleaning of the substrate, on a daily basis until the levels reach 0 ppm.

I'd recommend doing a 75% water change, in addition to a good gravel cleaning, every day for at least a week, or until the ammonia levels are completely gone.

It's also worth noting that if your pH is below 7.0, the ammonia becomes less toxic, which can be a bit of a relief.

[kindheart]

I'm thinking of adding another catappa leaf to the tank to lower the pH, but I'm not sure if that's a good idea given the current situation - would that help or make things worse for my fin-tank, especially considering the ammonia spike?

[oakleaf]

I was thinking maybe he's dealing with parasites or something, since he's underweight and now having trouble eating. What's the color of his poop, do you know? I've read that if it's white and stringy, that's a sign of parasites, which could be causing him to lose weight.

[kindheart]

I was thinking maybe he's dealing with parasites or something, since he's underweight and now having trouble eating. What's the color of his poop, do you know? I've read that if it's white and stringy, that's a sign of parasites, which could be causing him to lose weight.

I last saw his poop yesterday and it was round and bright orange, same as when he was in his cup - I'm thinking maybe he's just skinny from not being fed enough at the pet store or stress from the little cup, or I'm just being paranoid.

[oakleaf]

I posted about the fin-tanked betta I got from a pet store yesterday, and I was worried about the pale coloring on his fins and lips. Now I've got even more reason to worry - my tank had an ammonia spike today.

I noticed the little guy swimming erratically earlier, so I tested for ammonia and nitrites with the API Master test kit, just in case. I added some Seachem Prime first, since it detoxifies nitrogen compounds like ammonia.

When I saw the test results, I was glad I took action - no nitrites, but the ammonia test tube was a clear green color, at least 1 ppm. I didn't check the exact measurement, but I did a 50% water change, added some Stress Coat, and tested again. The ammonia was down to 0 or 0.25, so I'll do another water change later. I also checked the pH, since the catappa leaf had lowered it, but it's back up again.

I'm worried that ammonia poisoning might have contributed to my last baby's death, but this guy seems to be doing better after the water change - he's swimming around, though his Sprig does seem a bit heavier than usual.

I want to help him recover and get healthy enough for a forever home, but I'm not sure if clean water is enough, given he's underweight from the pet store. Can anyone suggest ways to speed up his recovery from ammonia burns or poisoning? I've seen different suggestions online, like using antibiotics or antibacterial treatments, adding aquarium salt, or lowering the pH.

Also, I'd appreciate any insight into why he might be having trouble eating. He's underweight, so I was happy when he ate all the pellets yesterday, but today he kept spitting out the second pellet. He seemed hungry, trying to chew on plants at the top of the water, but he's spitting out flakes too, which is worrying. At least he might have gotten some smaller ones down - his belly doesn't look swollen, so I don't think it's constipation.

That seems pretty normal to me. The color of his poop is similar to the food he's eating, so I think you might be right about him just being underweight from the pet store or stress.