Lethargic Betta

[nel3]

the item i got was goldfishbowl conditioner. it removes chlorine, chloramine,ammonia and detoxifies heavy metals. does it do anything different from betta water conditioner?

[Oldfishlady]

Originally Posted by Sakura8

Say, has anyone ever read any studies on how much ammonia a single betta produces in 24 hours? Just curious to know.

In an experiment I conducted (non-scientific) I found that ammonia started to show up in a 1gal unfiltered container, bare bottom, no live plants with one adult Betta-fed 2 times a day with a quality flake food with zero left over...ammonia 0.25ppm at about the 72h mark and even less in 4gal....

[nel3]

Originally Posted by Oldfishlady

In an experiment I conducted (non-scientific) I found that ammonia started to show up in a 1gal unfiltered container, bare bottom, no live plants with one adult Betta-fed 2 times a day with a quality flake food with zero left over...ammonia 0.25ppm at about the 72h mark and even less in 4gal....

ty, so its 4 days unitl ammonia appears. what are dangerous ammonia levels for a betta?

[Oldfishlady]

It is best to keep the ammonia and nitrite 0.25ppm and less...ideally 0ppm is what you want....the first water change on a newly setup tank should be on day 3 to avoid/prevent any ammonia related issues......if the fish is overfed or leftover food is not removed...ammonia levels increase faster and higher...prevention is the best method to a healthy fish...

[nel3]

Originally Posted by Oldfishlady

It is best to keep the ammonia and nitrite 0.25ppm and less...ideally 0ppm is what you want....the first water change on a newly setup tank should be on day 3 to avoid/prevent any ammonia related issues......if the fish is overfed or leftover food is not removed...ammonia levels increase faster and higher...prevention is the best method to a healthy fish...

whhich ammonia test kit is a good price and accurate?

[Oldfishlady]

API is what I use....

[nel3]

Originally Posted by Oldfishlady

API is what I use....

thank you, i'll have to look around for it.

[Sakura8]

Originally Posted by Oldfishlady

In an experiment I conducted (non-scientific) I found that ammonia started to show up in a 1gal unfiltered container, bare bottom, no live plants with one adult Betta-fed 2 times a day with a quality flake food with zero left over...ammonia 0.25ppm at about the 72h mark and even less in 4gal....

Wow, interesting. It's less ammonia than I expected and yet at the same time, still a surprising amount produced by one little fish. It really illustrates how fast the stuff builds up, though, so let it be an incentive to keep up with those water changes. OFL, you really are the great fish guru.