Simple fin rips or worse!? (Info included)

[callistra]

Well your water parameters were a big problem when you last posted.. the ammonia shouldn't get but half that ever. Your tank isn't cycled and you can't cycle with a cichlid.. you shouldn't keep one with a betta either. They'll eat him.. You need to rehome the cichlid or get a school in their own tank.

As for the cycling, you should be testing daily and doing a 50% change any time you see either ammonia or nitrites. Cycling will take up to two months (from the time you introduce fish not set the tank up) and after it is cycling you will have no ammonia and no nitrites and some nitrates. At this point a weekly 25-50% with siphon will be enough.

Ends are black, I see fin rot. It probably started with the high ammonia and nitrites, plus lots of stress from the stocking.

[Hadoken Kitty]

The ammonia being at .5 or at 1? the 1 was untreated. I was simply curious at what my untreated tap water levels were. My tank water levels are nowhere near that.

Here is a pic of my baby's fins. He seems to be healing nicely. Lots of love, talking, dancing, and tag.

[callistra]

The one on the first page that said you had .5ppm ammonia in your tank. That is toxic and can cause permanent damage if your fish are left in it too long.

You have 1 ppm ammonia in your tap too?

He looks good in that last pic to me.

[Hadoken Kitty]

Yea, I've been doing insane water changes. I'm trying to get it under control. I'm not sure what to do with it being in my tap like that.

What do you mean by "In your tap too"?

[callistra]

Most people don't have ammonia in their tap water.

Once the tank is fully cycled it should be able to eat all that ammonia in 12 hours or less so that will help in the meantime though you're going to have to make sure to keep up on the prime to convert to ammonium every 48 hours

[Hadoken Kitty]

Pic update. He has some weird lips. Might explain why he doesn't blow bubble nests.

[callistra]

It's part of a disease process. His fins are also showing signs of fin rot.. see the blackened edges? There is some receeding in the same part too.

Are you using Prime.

[Hadoken Kitty]

I can't seem to shake this rot. I did the treatment and weened him off of the AQ salt, since I wasn't going to do it for more than a week (I'd read that week is max time for AQ salt QT).

This is the clearest pic I've been able to get of him thus far. I'm really not sure what to do at this point. He was healing, but now I can't tell. His fins are most definitely fuller and less ragged, and there is less rot than a week ago. The lips worry me. Is it part of the fin rot, or something completely different?

[Hadoken Kitty]

And yes, I'm using Prime.

[callistra]

It's probably the same bacterial infection that's causing the rot.

Trying to treat fin rot with this amount of ammonia in the water may be next to impossible.. but I would go with actual antibiotics in QT away from the tank for a full week. I'd try Kanaplex, Triple Sulfa or Furan 2. Also adding epsom salts at 1 tsp per gallon predissolved will help with the lip bloat part. They must be pure 100% magnesium sulfate with no dyes, perfumes or additives of any kind. CVS Pharmacy has some good ones. Add slowly over an hour to avoid shock. Otherwise redose just like aquarium salt. Once he's used to it you don't have to acclimate slowly anymore. You can use epsom salts for several weeks on end.