Are ammonia test strips a total waste of money? I have the API Master kit but since I am cycling I am testing at least once a day. The levels are always high! Also has anyone tried the ammonia meters? I would use either in addition to the drop test, I am just being OCD since every time I test I have to do a water change! I have been doing at least 30% changes once a day
Oh! And incase it helps I have two male bettas. Both in their own tanks. One is in a 6.8 gallon and the other in a 4 gallon. Both have plants and filters. I am almost a week into the cycle in the 4 gallon, only on day 2 of the 6.8 gallon.
Oh, the joys of cycling a tank!! I feel your pain. When you say levels are high, how high are we talking? If you are doing a fish in cycle you should be testing once daily preferably around the same time each day. I would stick with the liquid test, some people swear by the in tank ammonia detector, its just not something I'm comfortable relying on. How long have you been cycling?
The 6.8 only a few days the 4 gallon is a week in. The 4 gallon tests at a 1 almost every time. I have been testing and doing 25-30% changes daily :(. I was just wondering if I should test more than once a day wince I seem to be having such an issue or get the meter. Then I can do multiple checks per day.
Oh and I do have live plants in both tanks. The small one has a java fern, an anubias, salviana and a Marino moss ball. The bigger tank so far has two anubias and some salvina.
How many critters are in that tank? Then I have to ask are you over feeding to the point there is food left behind to cause this ammonia.
You have fish in a tank that keeps spiking with ammonia? Can you get some live plants?
Poop causes ammonia too, but well lots of people keep bettas in tanks that you would have a hard time believing ever cycle, the size of them, lack of filtration, etc. and with daily water changes these tanks don't usually have ammonia spikes. That's just a point to be made, not that I would ever keep my bettas in anything less than a 3 gallon, but many do.
Like I said only one fish in each tank, both tanks have live plants (listed how many and what types also). In the larger tank I have two baby rabbit snails also (only under an inch long each). I think the issue is the excess food. They are both new fish (within a week) so they prob aren't eating yet, or at least I haven't seen them eat. I have been giving each 3 pieces of the New Life Spectrum Betta food. The snails I only have not fed yet b/c I just got them yesterday and they haven't even come out of their shells yet LOL! Gonna try a slice of cucumber tomorrow AM.
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