.50 ppm ammonia in tank?

[BrittneyBetta]

I've done 3 25% water changes the past 3 days (once a day) and the ammonia hasn't gone down at all. Its a 5 gallon filtered, heated, and cycled tank with a betta fish and nerite snail in it. Does it take more than 3 water changes to get .50 ammonia to get down or am I doing something wrong?

My betta has no sign of fin rot and I've had him for at least 2 months. The ammonia has been in there the past 3 days. The online thing that is a little wrong with my betta is that he has some tail splitting, but it only splits up to a centimeter in like 2 spots, and I think it may be due to a plastic plant I have in there, so I'm going to take it out

 

[dandries]

What test are you using?

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[BrittneyBetta]

API Freshwater Master Test Kit

And it hasn't gone bad because I checked purified water and it showed 0 ppm.

 

[elephantnose]

I would do a 50% water change then wait an hour and do another 50% water change then test your water. A 5g is really easy to do a WC in.


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[BrittneyBetta]

I can't do 50%. I dont have a bucket that big. I can only do up to 1 gallon/20 - 25% at a time. So what else could I do then..

 

[dandries]

Try this: take out 1 gallon. Empty bucket. Take out another gallon. Empty bucket. Then take out 1/2 gallon.

When you are through, add new water.

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[BrittneyBetta]

Duh.. I got no sleep last night haha sorry. Wouldn't that be bad though? Since you're technically doing a 100% wc making the cycle restart?

 

[dandries]

It's not the water that creates the cycle. It is the bacteria. Bacteria lives in filter, rocks and on surfaces.

You don't do large water changes because it can stress out fish. But so can ammonia. In this case it is better to lower ammonia.

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[elephantnose]

When doing a larger WC make sure to treat the water if needed and match the temp as close as possible.


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