[Atena]

Okay, so guppy has gone from not active to lethargic in his new tank. It is the third day in his new tank, water is supposed to be changed tomorrow but i have been monitoring the water.

My tap water is high PH (7.6) and ammonia (.25).

Last night the tank tested at 7.2ph and .25 ammonia.

This morning it is at 7.6 ph and .50 ammonia.

So it first dropped now it rose. I don't know why.

The tank gets cloudy during the day and turns clear overnight.

I am afraid of adding more chemicals as this will effect Guppy, but changing the water every day will not be good for him either.

I can see he is not happy because he is not active at all, and this morning he was not even interested in eating. He just sits in his cave at the bottom of the tank.

He has a heater that keeps his temperature steady at 82F. No filter. 2.5 gallon tank.

Is my tank trying to cycle itself even though I have no filter?

What should I do?

I don't understand what I am doing wrong. Please help

Should I do a 50% water change today or wait till tomorrow as I am supposed to?

 

[Sena Hansler]

It won't cycle without a filter, really.

The cloudiness, is one of two things I know of... beneficial bacteria trying to bloom, usually after water changes too or a day after.

Or it is excess oxygen/gas which usually forms a ton of bubbles which some people have said can cause problems...

What kind of conditioner do you use? If you can, go into a store with your conditioner and compare to other conditioners and see what it neutralizes, VS other ones. I did that and realized the Nutrafin I was using wasn't the better one.

 

[Atena]

I do have a filter, but I did not put it in after guppy got sick. Should I put it back in?

I use betta bowl plus. Someone recommended prime as it turns out I have ammonia in my tap water and this is supposed to remove it. I will try to get it after work. Ones I get it should I do a 100% water change or a lower amount?

 

[Sena Hansler]

How was he acting before the filter? was it pushing him around?

How has he acted other than lethargic? clamped fins? gasping? darting?

Yeah betta bowl plus really isn't all that great. I used to use it when I first owned Mister and Finicky, but after that I found that the actual conditioners not labelled for a specific fish, was a LOT better

 

[Atena]

He looks fine. He swims up every few minutes to get air then comes back down. I had dropped his water temperature over 4 days from 87 to 82. Could he be cold?

 

[Sena Hansler]

I don't think so...82 is a fine temperature. And the 4 days for that temperature drop is fine. He could be adjusting to having no filter? I find some of my bettas must have a filter or they'll be lazy poops on the bottom of the 10 gallon :roll: even if it's baffled, they'll act better lol

 

[Atena]

No, I took the filter out when he got ich. That was may 8th. With daily water changes a filter seemed pointless. It had a minimal current so I don't think it bothered him much but I was told afterwards a filter is pointless in a tank this small so I never put it in after he recovered.

 

[Sena Hansler]

Yyyeah it may be "pointless" in the fact that your tank won't cycle (well..it can but it won't stay cycled, as it is unstable) but some bettas prefer the flow of filters.

I have Georgie who needs nothing to a little, My HM has to have nothing to little, Red like something to a lot, my fighter Altair prefers something to a lot, etc. If in any case I add a bubbler, because it does agitate the surface

If he was never bothered with the filter, it's up to you if you wanna add it back Not someone who says it is pointless/needed.

Has anything else changed since the ich attack? plants? ornaments? heater?

 

[Atena]

On Thursday he was moved from his hospital tank to this new tank. Before moving the salt and meds were tapered off over a few days.

Everything in the new tank was washed and disinfected, even the new plastic plants. I did not put the live plants in yet as I wanted to ovoid any complications and give him time to settle.

 

[Sena Hansler]

Hmmm how big is the quarantine tank vs the new tank? And when did you get the new tank (and where?)

 

[Atena]

Same size and type. Got both at petsmart. The same petsmart. The new one about two weeks ago.

 

[Atena]

Just got home from work. He is worse, his fins are clamped and his swiming has slowed down significantly.

I see a spot on his tail, it looks like fungus,

I read the treatment is AQ salt, is it safe to put him back on salt so soon after taking him off it?

 

[Atena]

Got the prime BTW, setting up a new batch right now, just not sure if I should add salt.

 

[Atena]

I added new water, lower level so it is easier for him to swim up for air and added the filter. hopefully this will help. I am not sure it is safe to put him back on salt.

I will have to see how he is in the morning.