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Emergency :(((((((

932 views 18 replies 6 participants last post by  LaLaLeyla 
#1 ·
I'm pretty sure my fish has ammonia burns!!!! I've been doing everything right.. I'm so heartbroken. She has a 2.5 gal tank, I change a quarter or so of her water every week, the temp is always fine.....

I have a testing kit, but the damn thing is messed up. It's one of the testers that stays on the tank wall. It's mostly yellow (safe) and 1/4 of it is light green (caution) ...ugh guys :'(

She has a little red blotch on both gills. Are they ammonia burns?

I really don't know what to do...

Help :( I don't want to hurt her... :cry:
 
#2 ·
I'm so frustrated! I tried so hard to do everything right. :'(
 
#3 ·
FIRST OF ALL, I'm taking the tester back to Petsmart. It's not giving an accurate reading, so how the heck am I supposed to make sure that the ammonia levels are safe? Ridiculous.
 
#4 ·
Hi, I'm sorry you're having issues with your girl.

If your tank has a filter that might be enough water changes, but if her tank is unfiltered then you should have been doing a minimum of 1 50% change a week and another 100% change about 3 days later. I would start doing daily water changes until her gills clear up. Can you post any photos? Do her gills look inflamed? Is she eating? If you fill out the sticky and post it here it will help us help you!
 
#5 ·
Those testers are not worth a darn IMO. They lure people into a false sense of security. The API Ammonia test kit is the one people most frequently use and with most success.
GreenTea is also correct. It sounds as though you need to do a lot more water changes. However, on a 2 gallon, even with a filter you would still need to do about the same number of water changes. Anything less than 5 gallons cannot be properly cycled. I hope your girl pulls through!
 
#6 ·
She's eating fine. She's hyper, so, I think that's a good sign. I can take pictures tomorrow morning and post them on here. Ughhhh, yeah, I see that now! :( I'll definitely go find a kit. I just couldn't find one ANYWHERE (they must have been sold out..), so I settled for the one at Petsmart. I had a filter up until a few days ago, until the current setting took a crap and the current was wayyyyyy too strong for her. So, I have to find a new one too. This is just a mess.
 
#7 ·
If I were you I'd have your tap water levels checked for all the usual things, AND heavy metals - and then have your treated aquarium water tested too. Sometimes things are fine for awhile, but the water in our area can change will the seasons, pollution, etc. I had all my boys get bloated and lethargic once, only to find that there were metals present in my tap water that hadn't been there before..

Petco and petsmart will test your water for free...Hope this helps.
 
#9 ·
ok, here's a pic. the little red blotch is what im talking about :/
 

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#10 ·
Thanks for all the advice guys. I'm definitely taking everything into consideration. I have to figure something out. New testing kit. New water changing schedule.
 
#11 ·
Do her gills seem to stick out as well, like do they appear swollen? Is it possible any chemicals, perfumes, etc got into the water? I'd say clean water with aq salt until you know whats going on with your water. Any signs of parasites in/on her gills?

It's likely it's just ammonia burn from too few water changes.
 
#12 ·
They don't appear to be "swollen." They just have the "burn" appearance.... on both sides. No, not a chance. She's away from all of that kind of stuff. Alright. Thank you for all of your help! So, I should do water changes 2 x a week? 50%? I'll definitely change her water more. I originally wanted to, but my family kept saying that it was too much and that I was "getting rid" of valuable bacteria. I'm not an expert, so I just tried the once a week... :/ Do you think she can recover okay though?
 
#13 ·
That's silly they said that...Strange to be giving advice on something they know nothing about. There will still be bacteria on her decor in the tank, as well as the tank walls (even if you rinse them, which you should every once in awhile.) There will also be bacteria in the water you're changing, so when you put her in the new clean water, the bacteria on her, her decor, and in the water in the cup she's in will be introduced to the new tank and there will be beneficial bacteria.

She should be fine, and no, not two 50% changes.

Twice a week changes, one of them 50%, one of them 100%, (making sure you clear the gravel of poop and decaying food/other waste) every week and she should be fine. Until her gills clear up though, I'd do daily 50% changes with a pinch of aquarium salt to keep infection away and stress down.


If you are ever unsure of what to do, please read the stickys here and other disease and disorder threads, there is lots of valuable information members give all the time.
 
#14 ·
Good Evening, I'm sorry to hear your girl is not well. For that size unfiltered, I recommend one or two 50% changes a week, and a full 100% change on the weekend. Just as Green Tea said :)

I have a guide in my sticky that is generally very easy to read! Let me know if you have further questions.

I hope she gets well soon! She is very pretty <3
 
#15 ·
Aw thanks a lot bahamut! I definitely appreciate everyone's help! She's doing fine today. She's swimming around like a nutcase, and I bought a new testing kit!!! .....ALL OF THE levels are safe after I did a water change. I'm gonna throw some salt in there for her, just to help with the tiny burns. I also called the dumb company that made the faulty tester that I have in my tank, they're sending me a new one, so, I guess I'll use it in emergencies or something, lol. Also, found a tiny filter at meijer :)
 
#16 ·

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#18 ·
Yes! I have that same heater in my 2.5 gals and it has worked great for me!

I know some people have not had it heat their water properly, but I actually have one in my 10 gal with my giant and it keeps the water at 76, so they've worked for me. They have never overheated my smaller tanks or burnt me or my fish.

They have a limited warranty too, you could probably get it replaced if it malfunctions???

Petsmart sells a small heater that has no glass, so less of a risk to burning fish, however in my experience it IS a little faulty and leaves something to be desired in consistency. I just use it occasionally in my hospital tank.
 
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