Is This Silent Killer Lurking In Your Betta Tank?

They're often found in aquariums and fish bowls all across this country. 

What's "they"?

Well, they refers to three chemicals that you should be familiar with if you hope to succeed in keeping betta fish healthy.  Two of them you want to bid farewell to as soon as you can even though one typically one follows the other.  The third you want to welcome. Maybe not a warm welcome, mind you, but it is at least the least obnoxious of the three. 

The three chemicals we're talking about are ammonia, nitrites and nitrates.  Usually when you set up a tank, they will follow each other in succession over the first 60 days in the water. Each will spike and fall in turn as the beneficial bacteria in your tank develop in sufficient numbers to keep them in check. 

You may see this referred to sometimes as new tank syndrome. Or the nitrogen cycle.

Of those, we're going to focus on ammonia for now since spikes of that in your betta tank can be killers.  Not that nitrites are all that much better but one thing at a time. 

So the water looks good and all.  It's clear.  Clean. But it's what you can't see that counts.  And how it makes your guy react that counts all the more.  At high enough levels ammonia can be fatal.  At any level it can be stressful.  Which isn't exactly good for when it comes to enjoying a long beta fish life span, now is it?

For this reason you really, really, really, need to control the ammonia levels in your tank.  Like I just said, most anything above zero PPM will be stressful for your fish.  They will think of little more than surviving while your tank runs through the nitrogen cycle. Which can take up to 6-8 weeks.  Best you can do is do frequent 10-15% water changes to keep things as close to tolerable as possible.  Especially in a new tank. 

You see, any new tank set up is going to see a spike in ammonia levels.  Guaranteed.  That's because there are no good bugs to consume it and convert it into nitrites.  This can be a bad situation for your fish.  (Not that high nitrites are a day in the park either but that's another story.) Fish waste and uneaten food are what "cause" it.  They are the source.  And there is really little you can do to fix it. 

Unchecked it can even cause burns on your fish.  And imagine how that must feel! 

You can and do want to monitor ammonia levels using a quality water testing kit.  Any readings above ZERO for ammonia and ZERO for nitrites are poisonous to your fish.  (I know I keep repeating it, but I want to make sure it sinks in.)

Some will plant their new tank. This can help some because living plants will use ammonia as plant food.  But the only reliable way to keep levels lower is by water changes. 

Then there's another idea.  You see some will tell you that you can instantly cycle a tank using the methods suggested in this video:

Basically all you are doing is taking filter material from an existing tank that has been doing well for a couple of months and is disease free, and inserting that into your filter for the new tank. Leave it in the new tank for up to a week.  The theory being it will flood the water with beneficial bacteria that will colonize the tank in next to no time.  Feasting on the ammonia and nitrites that result.  Or...instant cycling.

Not sure it quite works INSTANTLY.  But it can't hurt and may just help move things along the road towards a cycled tank quite nicely, thank-you-very-much.  Meaning your betta will have to deal with the ups and downs of ammonia, nitrites and nitrates for a much shorter period of time.  If at all.  And if you've learned nothing else you know that ammonia and nitrites are not good for your fish.