Saltwater & Reef

PooreKS · 06-15-2021, 03:00 PM

I have been a fish keeper for a year now. I have a 15 gallon and a 5 gallon tank. I do at least a 50% water change weekly. I have a female betta, 5 glo danios, 4 loaches and a mystery snail in the big tank and until today a male betta and snail in the 5 gallon tank. I have live plants in both tanks. This past weekend I raked the sand and rearranged the tank. Tested the water 1 hr later and 24hrs later. No issues. Today I had a dead betta. I tested the water and had high ammonia. But is it due to the dead fish? The sand being mixed up? Advice is welcome.

**Aiken Drum** · 06-15-2021, 03:51 PM

What are you considering high ammonia?

Stirring up the substrate and a decomposing fish could both cause an ammonia spike.

I would opt for the dead fish being the cause as you didn't detect ammonia 24 hours after your substrate got disturbed but you did after the fish died.