YOu don't need to use an Epsom Salt necessarily. They sell these at pet stores and your local pharmacies.
You can use regular Aquarium salt, Kosher salt, or table (iodized) salt to treat his ammonia burn as well. 1 teaspoon should be okay for your setup, but make sure you dissolve it in the water you're adding to your tank after a water change.
It is a very mild antiseptic. Rather than treating too much, it is wisest to just make changes very slowly and patiently.
He's living, he's breathing, just treat him well, and give him a little salt to clean up his wounds, and keep his water clean.
YOu don't need to use an Epsom Salt necessarily. They sell these at pet stores and your local pharmacies.
You can use regular Aquarium salt, Kosher salt, or table (iodized) salt to treat his ammonia burn as well. 1 teaspoon should be okay for your setup, but make sure you dissolve it in the water you're adding to your tank after a water change.
It is a very mild antiseptic. Rather than treating too much, it is wisest to just make changes very slowly and patiently.
He's living, he's breathing, just treat him well, and give him a little salt to clean up his wounds, and keep his water clean.
Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) and aquarium salt (Sodium chloride) are two different salts, epsom salt will help with swelling and will also work as a laxative and aquarium salt will not, both do have an antibacterial/fungal action among other actions, neither will do anything for ammonia in the water but can be helpful to heal wounds from ammonia burns, best treatment for ammonia in water is "water change"
A safe starting dosage for either salt is 1tsp/gal up to 3tsp/gal, using wrong dosages can cause resistant pathogens/parasites, long term use in some species has been shown to cause internal damage as well, treatment best for 7-10 days
Yeah, I'm familiar with the difference between Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt) and Sodium Chloride (Table/Sea Salt). I simply don't see the laxative effects of Epsom salt being necessary in the antiseptic aid of healing the labyrinth and gills, and that is my opinion on the matter.
Never said anything about it treating ammonia in the water, just that it will aid the betta in healing.
I just came back from the drug store with 4kg () of Epsom Salt (I will have to use it in my bath, 4kg!!!). I'll try tomorrow (with his water change and with conditionner).
I'll feed him a little bit tonight and maybe skip a day for the next 10 days (I don't know how to say that... basically, once per 2 days).
For that I know, his water is pretty ok (but the nitrogen cycle is not building very fast... there's an ok amount of ammonia, but VERY VERY few nitrate/nitrite... after 17 days).
I'm glad you listened to oldfishlady...the epsom salt was the right way to go. Regular salt will lead to water retention in your fish, which is the last thing you need right now.
For that I know, his water is pretty ok (but the nitrogen cycle is not building very fast... there's an ok amount of ammonia, but VERY VERY few nitrate/nitrite... after 17 days).
I am not sure I understand what you are saying here.......you DO NOT want ammonia in the water with the fish......IMO you need to get your fish well and then worry about the cycle.......
I know. But I read on another website that, when the tank is cycling, the ammonia level (at first) is supposed to raise, and, ±10 days later, the nitrite/nitrate levels too. Then after, everything is supposed to fall and the tank is cycled.
Is that right?
(I tested the water every 2 days, with ammonia/nitrite/nitrate tests). Everything was fine, an ammonia level a little over 0,25, which is supposed to be ok, and almost none nitrite/nitrate.
I know. But I read on another website that, when the tank is cycling, the ammonia level (at first) is supposed to raise, and, ±10 days later, the nitrite/nitrate levels too. Then after, everything is supposed to fall and the tank is cycled.
Is that right?
(I tested the water every 2 days, with ammonia/nitrite/nitrate tests). Everything was fine, an ammonia level a little over 0,25, which is supposed to be ok, and almost none nitrite/nitrate.
That is correct, however, when cycling with fish you have to take the safety and health of the fish first IMO.
Ammonia can burn the fish and then the long term damage from scar tissue on the gills can make it hard for the fish to breath or secondary infection from burns.
Nitrite can affect the oxygen from being carried through the blood and cause suffocation.
Nitrate at high level can affect the immune response.
This can be stressful for the fish and they can become symptomatic.
With fishless cycling you don't have to worry about these issues, but cycling with fish you do IMO, when ammonia/nitrite are 0.25ppm or greater water changes need to be made until they are 0ppm IMO. Nitrate 20ppm and greater IMO water changes need to be made to keep at 5-10ppm...to keep the fish safe and healthy during cycling.
You know you are cycled when your water prams are:
Ammonia and nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 5-10ppm
pH-varies and best when kept stable without chemical additives
Cycling can take 4-8 weeks, pH, water temp and oxygen level are factors
The nitrifying bacteria are sticking and adhere to everything in the tank, like the walls, decorations, plants both real and fake, in the top layer of substrate and most are in the filter media...very little are in the water column itself so water changes will not effect the cycling process, however, aggressive vacuuming more than once a week and over cleaning or changing the filter media can slow or cause a mini cycle depending on the cycling stage.