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What about your cycle when you single betta gets sick?

982 views 18 replies 5 participants last post by  finnfinnfriend 
#1 ·
Won't your cycle crash if you have a sick single betta that you need to treat? What do you do about that?
 
#3 ·
I think what finnfinn means is that the fish will be in a QT tank rather than the main one. What about this idea? When you do your water changes, you can just add it in your main tank. It won't be a waste of water, too. ;-)
 
#4 ·
If I did that, the meds and salt would go into the main tank too though /:
 
#6 ·
I don't have ammonia, but the food idea sounds good :). I suppose I could just add food everyday as if he were in there, and then once he is better I do a water change with a good thorough vacuuming before putting him back.

BTW This is hypothetical! By betta is not sick! I just want to know so I know what to do!
 
#7 ·
Depending on how mature your tank is and how stable the cycle-The tank should be fine for 10-14 days while you had the fish in QT.

Anything organic will maintain the nitrogen cycle-Plants, snails, shrimp and old mulm/debris already in the tank. As the debris/mulm breakdown it will create the food source for the beneficial bacteria.
Remembering that the self limiting BB are sticky and adhere to all the surface area within the tank, in the top layer of substrate and in the filter media-very little are in the water column itself.
 
#8 · (Edited)
I don't have any other organic material, but it seems like with just the mulm it would be fine for the standard time of treatment, which is a week. Thank you :)

Could I use any household items as the QT?

EDIT: could I use the water change bucket? He can't jump out if there is a gallon of water in there because it's so tall...
 
#9 ·
So if there are no tank mates or live plants, how long will the cycle be alive without the fish in the tank?
 
#10 ·
As OFL said, it will depend on how mature the tank is (how long it's been cycled).. 10-14 days is what she is saying if your tank is mature/has been cycled for a while.

Could always put a tiny bit of fish flake food in there if need be.. people will use that and raw shrimp to help cycle a tank fishless.. but OFL will know more :)
 
#11 ·
Your water change bucket will work, however, part of treatment is observation and if the bucket is solid in color-that might make observation hard.

Any container will work-I like to use small bare clear containers that can fit in another tank so I can maintain heat-I attach it to the side of my heated tank with duct tape and will either use the lid it came with or plastic veggie wrap to retain heat/humidity over the water.

Personally, I don't worry about any soap residue-but if you worry-just give the container a rinse in vinegar to cut the soap residue-then a good clean water rinse after that.
 
#12 ·
So what about while I'm changing the water? Will I have to do 100% daily changes or are two spread out 50% okay so I don't have to cup him or acclimate him?
 
#13 · (Edited)
In the display tank-not treatment or QT tank-If you have a filter or active growing live plants in under 5gal-twice weekly 50%-unless you have lots of stem plants-then 50% weekly.

I wouldn't do 100% daily-except when treating external parasite while in a QT. IMO/E you don't want or need to make daily 100% for most treatments-due to stress.
 
#14 ·
If you have a filter or active growing live plants in under 5gal-twice weekly 50%-unless you have lots of stem plants-then 50% weekly.
Oh I'm sorry I meant in the QT during treatment :)
 
#15 ·
What would you suggest for most treatments then? Daily 50%? Are external parasites a common ailment?
 
#16 ·
Depending on what you are treating-but-generally 50% daily is all that is needed.
This is why I recommend premixing the treatment water-This way you can make 50% and provide the therapeutic dosage when using a natural treatment.

External parasites-Ich, velvet, flukes...etc....
 
#18 ·
With external parasites-I like to do the 2 cup treatment and swap them out daily with 100% new treatment water (if I use any) or fresh dechlorinated water. This way one cup can dry out so the parasites will die between changes.
Part of the natural treatment I use with external parasites-is to manually remove them from the water as they fall off and why I like the 2 cup method.

IMO/E- less is best-If I don't have to use any salt or higher temps-I don't-this way I can keep the stress down. Stress is a big factor that can compromise the immune response and I weigh the "pros/cons" The 100% can be stressful too-but the faster I can rid the parasite the less I will need to do-Most of the external parasites that are common- have to be killed after they fall off the fish-otherwise we end up killing the fish.

While salt can kill some parasites that are not salt tolerant/resistant-The main reason you would use salt is for secondary infection due to the wounds left by the parasite when it falls/detaches from the fish. Fresh dechlorinated water will also help prevent this.

Higher temps-over 86F can speed the life cycle of some parasites, however, the higher temp can also be stressful on the Betta. I generally will raise the temp to about 80-82 since this is that happy medium to speed the life cycle-but not high enough to stop reproduction of some external parasites-like with Ich.

It all depends on the Betta overall condition to start with, their tolerance, how bad the infestation and what I am treating.
 
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