Aquarium salt doesn’t work. What’s next?

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Potluck said:
I think it is a sky blue crown tail, which looks exactly like the ops

http://www.bettafishcenter.com/img/gallery/CB-Crowntail-ChloeM.jpg
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Yeah, I don’t see the fin rot the op is referring to in the pic of his/her betta.

Also, with all the overfeeding your filter cartridge is probably gunked up with leftover food, adding to the ammonia source. Rinse it well in a bucket of tank water along with vacuuming your gravel regularly. Things should balance out soon enough if you keep up the cleaning and reduce feedings.
 
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Everything is eaten. Nothing is left after the feeding time because I always give him one at a time.

Also, I don’t give him the combination of pallets and flakes in one day.
For example, on Monday, I give him pallets, Tuesday, the bloodworm, Wednesday, flakes, and so on.
(The freezed dried bloodworms are given only once a week)

So far, I’ve done 4 PWC everyday for 4 days now. I take about a gallon out and put back in new water everyday.
 
IMG_6981.jpgIMG_6984.jpgIMG_6987.jpgIMG_6989.jpgIMG_6976.jpg

( I know I’m not supposed to keep adding to old posts, but this is a follow up to the tank quality.)

So, this Sunday, it’ll mark the end of the 3 weeks of me doing water changes everyday.

I did the water testing today.
It says:
Ammonia->0.25ppm
Nitrite->0
Nitrate-> Just like the picture above.

Temp->78F

The question is what else should I do to improve the tank quality? His fin looks the same to me. I don’t want it to progress any further. Seeing one of his fin fell off is just sad.
 
Oh! One more thing, I even changed to Sechem hoping that it’ll help with the Ammonia, but it’s not working.
 
Betta_Lover97 said:
Oh! One more thing, I even changed to Sechem hoping that it’ll help with the Ammonia, but it’s not working.
Click to expand...
Prime is helping because the ammonia you're seeing is ammonium meaning it's less toxic as prime locks and detoxifies it, I honestly don't know why you have ammonia unless it's in the tap water, could you test the tap water (source water not tank) for ammonia and nitrate and pH and get back to us?
 
OK, how long has he been in the tank? Have you cleaned the filter pad at all. If so, how? And how often? Something ain't adding up. What % water changes. What size tank? Prime works good. I use it with my Betta.
 
IMG_7002.jpgIMG_7003.jpgIMG_7004.jpg

So, these are the test for my tap water.

I’ve been changing the tank water as someone had suggested me to do so for 3 weeks every day about 50%.

Normally, I’d do it once every week.

I’m currently giving him only the pallets, 4-5. Once a week I’ll give him the freezed dried bloodworm.
 
Angellove78 said:
OK, how long has he been in the tank? Have you cleaned the filter pad at all. If so, how? And how often? Something ain't adding up. What % water changes. What size tank? Prime works good. I use it with my Betta.
Click to expand...



He’s been in this tank since last summer.

I just recently washed the filter pad with the tank water after the aquarium salt had clogged up the filter.

I’d change the water about 50% every time I do water changes.

He’s in a 3 gallon tank.
IMG_1515332587.986087.jpgIMG_1515332615.788952.jpg
 
I don't think your tank is completely cycled due to water maintenence over kill. Your BB needs bio nutrients in order to bloom to a sufficient population. Your noted 50% daily WC's has likely led to a sterile, uncycled tank. Consider this: two 25% WC a week / squeeze the filter sponge out in used tank water once a month / continue your noted feeding routine / continue using Prime / discontinue adding salt/ at some point add a scavenger such as a Snail.
I haven't kept Bettas since I was a child. My setup was very low tech, a bowl, a cotton wool -charcoal bubble filter, no heater or water conditioner and Wardley flake food. I don't remember any serious problems. My point being, slow down a bit, relax and enjoy. If this Betta doesn't pull through, there are stacks of them in little containers just waiting for their chance at Petco.
 
I agree with V. I think stepping back on the water changes. Also, you might need to use the high range pH test to get a better reading. Usually when the low range/standard pH test maxes out at 7.6, it's usually higher than that.
 
Your showing ammonia in your tap water. Your tank is only 3 gallons so just get a jug of water from another source that doesn't have ammonia for your water changes.
 
Betta_Lover97 said:
View attachment 306052View attachment 306053View attachment 306054

So, these are the test for my tap water.

I’ve been changing the tank water as someone had suggested me to do so for 3 weeks every day about 50%.

Normally, I’d do it once every week.

I’m currently giving him only the pallets, 4-5. Once a week I’ll give him the freezed dried bloodworm.
Click to expand...
Wow! It's no wounder your not getting anywhere, there's to much ammonia in you TAP water. You can try putting your water in a bucket with prime (covered) over night (24hrs.) and then test it, if it's safe then put it in the tank. Might have to up the dose alittle. There will be other members with experience on this. Hang in there.
 
Bingo, always test your tap water folks, you will need to do ro/di or distilled water and then remineralize it, you don't have a huge tank so it won't be expensive, im not exactly sure how to remineralize the water but others in here that do it will be glad to help you out.

Glad we got to the bottom of the ammonia for you now is time to fix it :)
But now my concern is with you and your family, I wouldn't drink that water, maybe you could call your water dept and show them the tests, there might be something wrong with your municipal water system.


Don't do 50% cut back to 25-30%, slow down on the water changes as well, there's people going to say you need to do 50%-70% weekly that's incorrect, I do 40% weekly on a heavily stocked 55 gallon and the only issue I have is my nitrates get up to about 50 because of my ferts, with the occasional sickness that's not water quality related my ammonia/nitrite are always 0 pH is always 7.4-7.5, phosphate (which you don't have to worry about) it's always 1.0-1.2 kh/gh is always 6-7

Try what angel said, set out a 1 gallon bucket of your tap water, treat it with 2 drops (double dose) let it sit overnight and test it the next day see if the ammonia is 0
 
Potluck said:
Bingo, always test your tap water folks, you will need to do ro/di or distilled water and then remineralize it, you don't have a huge tank so it won't be expensive, im not exactly sure how to remineralize the water but others in here that do it will be glad to help you out.

Glad we got to the bottom of the ammonia for you now is time to fix it :)
But now my concern is with you and your family, I wouldn't drink that water, maybe you could call your water dept and show them the tests, there might be something wrong with your municipal water system.


Don't do 50% cut back to 25-30%, slow down on the water changes as well, there's people going to say you need to do 50%-70% weekly that's incorrect, I do 40% weekly on a heavily stocked 55 gallon and the only issue I have is my nitrates get up to about 50 because of my ferts, with the occasional sickness that's not water quality related my ammonia/nitrite are always 0 pH is always 7.4-7.5, phosphate (which you don't have to worry about) it's always 1.0-1.2 kh/gh is always 6-7

Try what angel said, set out a 1 gallon bucket of your tap water, treat it with 2 drops (double dose) let it sit overnight and test it the next day see if the ammonia is 0
Click to expand...
I totally agree with ya Potluck! Cut back on water changes. BECAUSE, with lots of water changes all your doing is putting the ammonia back in. Let the prime do it's job. And another thing I'm gonna suggest is, once you get that ammonia level out the next water change you do. Use the old tank water(in a bowl) take your filter pad and squeeze it out a few times. All that ammonia will be traced in your filter pad. Or just change it.
 
Angellove78 said:
I totally agree with ya Potluck! Cut back on water changes. BECAUSE, with lots of water changes all your doing is putting the ammonia back in. Let the prime do it's job. And another thing I'm gonna suggest is, once you get that ammonia level out the next water change you do. Use the old tank water(in a bowl) take your filter pad and squeeze it out a few times. All that ammonia will be traced in your filter pad. Or just change it.
Click to expand...
Don't change it because that gets rid of her beneficial bacteria, the op needs to modify their filter with media, I don't know what filter it is so I don't know what gram Media to recommend but basically you get a refill package if fluval/aquaclear media,put it in the bag or it might come in the bag already and put it on the side of the cartridge where the water flows back into the tank.

By doing this you double the surface the beneficial bacteria grows on and after the media has established the op dint have to worry about a crash when changing the cartridge.


If the op had a bigger amount of BB the ammonia wouldn't be in the tank as the BB would eat the ammonia
Get this and put it on the return side of your cartridge
Aquaclear 30-Gallon Biomax https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000A7978Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_EpNuAbN8Z2RKW

Or just get the whole filter, you will have to find a way to baffle the current in the tank for the betta because you will run both filters at once so that the aquaclear can get its media established then you can remove the other filter a month or 2 later.

AquaClear 30 Power Filter - 110 V, UL Listed (Includes AquaClear 30 Carbon, AquaClear 30 Foam & AquaClear 30 BioMax) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00020SVDG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_LtNuAbQTDCGT9
 
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