# How fast does ammonia build in a one-gallon?



## Aquabetta (Jul 28, 2015)

I have three one gallon tanks each containing a Betta. All unfiltered/unheated. I have one adult that does have a 7-watt lightbulb that heats up a little bit but I only have it on at night for maybe an hour. I have two babies in their separate tanks on a bookshelf near, but not in the direct beam of the window so during most days their water is heated. 

My question is, how fast does ammonia build in these tanks? I change the tank water monthly and have had no troubles with sick Bettas. The tanks have glass rocks covering the bottom, which I know helps with beneficial bacteria. I have been wondering about this lately and I thought you guys could help me out


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## Mo (Mar 15, 2012)

Hi! Ideally in tanks that small you should be doing 1-2 50% water changes plus one more 100% water change weekly to keep the ammonia level down in the range where it won't be having an adverse effect on your little guys. Once a month is not enough in my opinion and it's kind of surprising that you've had no health issues, you must just be a natural Betta keeper  Also there were some other things that I did not address as they were not part of your question.... But be prepared for some other comments regarding the housing/environment that your Bettas are being housed in  ..... I recommend reading this sticky too! It's very informative and helps a lot. http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=232570


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## Aquabetta (Jul 28, 2015)

Thanks Mo. Yes, I am fully prepared to receive some well-intentioned guff from other members.  

Im not allowed to have filter or heater and basically I'm limited to bowls and critter keepers. Bettas were the only aquatic creature that came up for suitable Ina one-gallon. I would really love to continue fish keeping so if there is any other fish or inverts--I've seen that 2 glo danios can be in a one gallon; is this true?--that can be comfortably kept in a .5 or one gallon tank, please let me know! 

Thanks so much Mo!


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## Mo (Mar 15, 2012)

Haha yeah I'm not so comfortable like saying a lot of other stuff because I'm not as confident with that and feel like I'd be saying the wrong thing, I'm just waiting for a more experienced member to come by. Also, to my knowledge there aren't any fish that can be permanently kept in a tank of that size but there are certain inverts such as shrimp that can... What are you interested in?


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## Elleth (Feb 23, 2015)

I wouldn't keep Danios in a one gallon, I believe they need a 10 gallon. 

I would encourage you to up the amount of water changes you're doing on your bettas. I've recently acquired a rescue betta who was kept for over a year in a two gallon tank with weekly water changes. That wasn't enough, and he came to me with ammonia burns all over his sides, and blind, from the conditions he was in. I know these are hardy little fish, but sooner or later it will catch up with them. 

I do every other day changes on him and my boy in a 2.5, but I'm probably overdoing it a bit, lol. 

The babies should really be getting every other day water changes, or they will get stunted. This thread is awesome for reading about baby betta care: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=457330&highlight=PetCo+Baby+Care+Thread

Also thought you might enjoy this thread. People share their 1-2 gallon tanks with happy, healthy bettas.  (Sorry, didn't mean to make it highlight the babies, but I'm on my phone and changing it is difficult.) 
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=117828&highlight=Petco+baby+betta


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## Aquabetta (Jul 28, 2015)

Anything! Nothing with super-specialized requirements, like high powered filters or live plants or only eats Mexican food and stuff like that.  you get my drift. I'm looking for the beginner live aquatic critters. I would like to know more about red cherry shrimp also. 

I will continue to keep my Bettas because I don't feel comfortable with anyone in my area (including my LFS) taking care of them. At least they are in better health than they would have been in the original pet store cups.


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## Aquabetta (Jul 28, 2015)

Thank you Elleth! I will check that thread out.


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## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

if you ask me, the only aquatic critter for a unheatef, unfiltered 1gal is a Ramshorn, pond or mts snail. Other then a moss ball, everything else atlesst needs a heater, and most definitely will benefit from a filter


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## Aquabetta (Jul 28, 2015)

Thanks!


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## Aquabetta (Jul 28, 2015)

Wait, what does mts stand for


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## Elleth (Feb 23, 2015)

Malaysian Trumpet Snails. I love mine.


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## Aquabetta (Jul 28, 2015)

Cool! Thanks! How many could I put in a one gallon? How do you feed a snail? @Elleth


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## Elleth (Feb 23, 2015)

I feed mine the same food I feed my fish, NLS and Omega One pellets. Just drop it in, it sinks and they find it and eat it. Not sure how many can go in a one gallon, sorry!


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## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

I'd stick to one with live plants, feed weekly


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

Is there _any_ way you would be able to purchase heaters for your fish? Even though they seem healthy now, being exposed to constantly fluctuating temperatures will eventually take its toll. There are a number of diseases and parasites that will take advantage of a stressed fish, and some of these are particularly nasty, and will require a stable temperature as part of their treatment. You've been very fortunate that your fish sound especially hardy. 

I am not someone who is rabid about tank size, but I do think an aquarium heater is a mandatory piece of equipment save for very few circumstances. 

I would definitely agree with everyone that you need to increase the number of water changes that you are currently performing. If you have the funds, I would strongly recommend purchasing the liquid API ammonia test kit. It is one of the best investments as a hobbyist you can make. We can't see when our water quality is deteriorating. What looks clean to us, may be deadly to fish due to the build-up of toxic chemicals. An ammonia kit would allow you to test your water, and work out when it needed changing. 

I understand if their living environments and care is out of your control, but it would definitely benefit your fish if you could at least provide them with heaters. Betta splendens _are_ a tropical species in spite of what some fish store employees might say.


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## Greenapp1es (Dec 4, 2014)

+1 to getting heaters if at all possible. This would really help to keep the health of your little guys stable.

+1 also to more frequent water changes, and getting a water testing kit if at all possible. With 1 gallon tanks I'd do 2-3 50% plus 1 100% for the adult weekly - and as already noted the babies need more frequent water changes as they release a growth-stunting hormone that needs to be removed from the water.

Otherwise - I'll have to give you a little bit of warning about MTS. They're awesome for a planted tank, but they reproduce asexually. Therefore, even if you were to get one, you won't END UP with one. I had 1 in a small tank - I've now got 30-40 in that tank (and that's without overfeeding my fish) and am looking for people to take some. I've got even more in my larger tanks.

A snail is a really good idea though. I've got ramshorns as well - they look more stereotypically "snail-like" and though they'll reproduce like mad as well, you need two tango...so to speak.


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## Zhylis (Nov 4, 2014)

Aquabetta said:


> My question is, how fast does ammonia build in these tanks? I change the tank water monthly and have had no troubles with sick Bettas.


That's actually a rather complex question since several factors affect just how toxic "ammonia" really is (to fish). First, in an aquarium, ammonia is found in two forms depending on pH. At low acidic pH, you get more NH4+ (ammonium) which is less toxic. At higher alkaline pH, you get NH3 (ammonia) which is much more toxic. Second, temperature also plays a role: cooler temps = less toxic whereas higher temps = more toxic. Third, fish are usually the major source of ammonia, meaning the more they eat, the more ammonia they produce. 

That said, under breeding conditions (2-3 feedings/day at 80-82°F), one betta in an uncycled, bare-bottom 1 gallon tank can generate 0.5-1.0 ppm ammonia in one week as measured by the API liquid test. (Which also means a >50% water change every other day to keep up.) However, API tests for TOTAL ammonia (NH4+ and NH3). It doesn't tell you how much of the more toxic ammonia is present in the tank. (One reason why I prefer Seachem Ammonia Alert over API, since it only detects NH3.) If the water is cooler and more acidic, the amount on more toxic NH3 is less, which may explain why you've yet to have any problems. 

At 77°F: _(These numbers will change depending on temperature!)_








EDIT: For comparison, here's Seachem Ammonia Alert: (Safe is considered <0.02 ppm.) "As free ammonia, the ALERT color corresponds to about 0.05 ppm, ALARM to about 0.2 ppm, and TOXIC to about 0.5 ppm. The ALERT concentration is tolerated for several days, ALARM for a few days, and TOXIC is rapidly harmful. This product is not recommended for use at acid pH."

However, in the end both NH3 and NH4+ are toxic, just because the betta doesn't immediately flop over twitching doesn't mean that it's healthy. Ammonia exits a fish through it's gills, either by passive diffusion or by active export. Long-term exposure to low levels of ammonia actually causes changes in the structure of the gills, ultimately preventing the necessary exchange of ions/metabolites/oxygen. It's the same idea as liver failure in alcoholics or smoker's lung. The gills eventually stop working. And then that's a dead fish.


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## Elleth (Feb 23, 2015)

Wow, awesome info Zhylis! Thank you so much for sharing! Great little lecture on ammonia there.


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## BettaBoy11 (Apr 21, 2015)

+1! I change my 3.5 gallon weelkly, or sometimes every 5 or 6 days. It probably isn't enough.
I'd do water changes every other day in your tank. And in a 1 gallon, I'm not sure a filter is a good idea, as a filter may put too much current in the water in such a small tank. But, as others have said, if you can, get a heater. (but it is hard to safely heat anything less then 2 gallons.)


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## Sadist (Jan 1, 2015)

I probably wouldn't do shrimp in that size of a tank since they like well-established cycled tanks. I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's really hard to cycle a 1 gallon tank. Shrimp are also super sensitive to water changes, so you'd have to do tons of little water changes a week. They look super cool, so if you can ever get a larger tank and cycle it and have lots of live plants, they'd be good. Most of them scavenge food particles, and some eat algae.

The ammonia test kit will tell you how fast the ammonia builds up to bad levels. You can use it as a guide to how often you need to change the water. I was told 1/month on my 10 gallon by store employees, but even that isn't enough.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

Great info Zhylis! I had been wondering about the ammonium/ammonia relationship for a while now.


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## juanitawolf (May 12, 2014)

helloo, just wondering, why you have trouble upgrading the tanks and getting filters? 

you can get critter keepers, they are cheap and some of them have the right size, and for the filters....its really easy to make one yourself
here we have a lot of dyi methods to save a feew bucks, we are here to help!

oh, and also you may want to get some seachem prime, it detoxifies ammonia


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## yogosans14 (Jul 14, 2014)

I used to believe a betta would be fine in a 1 gallon.

My views have changed recently. I truly believe a 2 gallon is Minimum for a betta because it provides enough swimming space and enough waste dilution. A 1 gallon ammonia would be up to high within a couple of days and could harm your betta or they can get fin rot. Please upgrade and get filters for all of the tanks.


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## Aquabetta (Jul 28, 2015)

Thanks for all your help guys! I've learned a lot! 

Juanita-- I would love to get filters, but I'm not allowed to. 

Also, someone said something about heaters. I'll look into those. I've heard that you can get clip-on ones? 

One more question: if I upgrade all my size small knitter keepers to, say, size large (which I think is 2 gallons...?) would I have less ammonia problems? Since I'm not allowed a filter would getting a bigger tank help?


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## Elleth (Feb 23, 2015)

Yes, definitely. It'll dilute the ammonia more. It would also make it easier to safely heat your bettas.


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## juanitawolf (May 12, 2014)

it will help a lot


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## Aquabetta (Jul 28, 2015)

After much well-taught information (that was transferred to me lovingly, as opposed to the rock-hard non-answers I get from some people) from here and some guff from another forum I have decided to upgrade my eldest Betta to a 2.5 gallon with a filter. It's the 2.5 Betta bow kit from aqueon. I'm so excited! In hindsight, I wish I hadn't poured money into sub-par arrangements for three Bettas and instead accepted knowledge and poured money into one great tank. Anyways, my babies are in the 1 gallons for now and Razzmatazz, my veil tail male, will be residing in his 2.5. 

Now, how do I cycle one of these things?


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## Aquabetta (Jul 28, 2015)

You don't even know how excited I am! Eee! This is my first time dealing with a filter. Hopefully I can control ammonia in a 2.5 a little better than in a 1 gallon.


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## Elleth (Feb 23, 2015)

Congratulations!  How exciting.


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

While my opinions based on personal experience and experiments are very unpopular....

I have found that a single Betta can be safely kept in unfiltered, unplanted 1gal containers- provided that proper water changes are made-
Some of the Long fin males will even thrive better in smaller containers-especially without filter-since often the space and water movement are the cause of stress, tattered fins and neurotic behaviors-not all, but some-all depending on the Betta itself.

I have updated the my water change recommendation after conducting more experiments last year. The sticky posted that I wrote is out-dated.

I found in 1gal unfiltered-without live plants containers with a single Betta-water changes of 50% weekly would maintain water quality-provided that you didn't over feed. I found that 100% water changes are rarely if ever needed-except under special reasons.
A Betta doesn't produce that much by-product-most water quality issues are a result of overfeeding not the Betta based on my experiments.

Due to stress being one of the biggest reasons a fish often will get sick since stress has a great impact on the immune response-the 100% water changes or removing the fish for partial water changes can sometimes do more harm than good. 
That said, some tolerate 100% water changes and/or removal from the tank without issue when it is done correctly-Its when the fish isn't properly acclimated that generally causes the problems and many new hobbyist don't always know how to do this properly and thus should be avoid to prevent issues until they gain more experience.

You may or may not need a heater-many times you may not-your goal is to maintain at least 72-80F and if you do need a heater-I have found many nice heaters that will safely heat 1gal containers. Both pre-set and adjustable work fine IMO/E and keep the water within range more or less 2-5 degrees based on room temp and tank placement.
The slow/gradual water temp changes that happen normally-day/night-lights on/off...etc.... are tolerated by healthy Bettas IMO/E-It is not uncommon and even normal for water temp to vary from 2-5 degrees within the tank itself at different levels in containers of at least 10in tall based on my experiments. A lot of gradual temp changes go on within the tank itself that you may never been aware of.

As for adding shrimp and/or snails-since you plan to get a larger tank that would work, however, the biggest issue you might have with the shrimp in smaller tanks would be from the Betta hunting them down unless you provided some type of cover for them-Even in a 1gal container-as long as you had some live plants for the shrimp to hide in-that would work and you would have the added benefit of the live plants to help with the added bio-load.

As for the nitrogen cycle in either a filtered tank or an unfiltered tank with active growing live plants-IMO/E based on experiment-you can safely do this with the Betta provided that you make the 50% weekly water changes needed and don't overfeed-with or without testing products on hand.


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## Aquabetta (Jul 28, 2015)

Elleth--thanks!! 

Oldfishlady--thank you for your information! I'm going to move one of my three Bettas into a 2.5 filtered tank but the other two (which are babies) are going to stay in plain ol 1 gallons. I'm excited to see that we share the same opinion--Bettas can be safely kept in one gallons (with proper care). It can be very tiring to be cracked down upon by other people (not on here, mostly on another forum) for my views.


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## Dargent (Oct 29, 2015)

*Thank you Thank you Thank you!*

This post confirms what I have been hearing from other Betta keepers in my local area, all of whom have told me that they successfully keep Bettas in unfiltered, unheated 1g - 2.5g unplanted containers by simply changing the water. They all told me not to overthink it. But alas, I am still thinking....

My question for you is this, if you can elaborate further for me: In my 2.5, I have gravel, a cave and a large fake plant (hopefully photos will load). How often should I remove the plant and cave to rinse them off and to do a complete gravel vacuuming? Should I actually rinse them off, or not? I believe that removing these items from the tank will stress the Betta, so I don't want to do it more than necessary.

I had an interesting experience with my juvenile DT Betta (body length just under an inch, maybe 3/4), my very first Betta or fish for that matter, ever. Happily adjusted and bubble nest making 11 days in, in a one gallon bowl with plant, rocks, cave, I did some internet reading and decided he needed an upgrade to 2.5 with filter, heater, the works. What a disaster -- even the low, the filter current was unbearable for him, but what was worse was the four reflected sides of Bettas he was fighting relentlessly. In 11 days he had never flared, was just curious and interested in everything inside and out of his bowl. In the big tank, flaring and attacking, bashing against the side. I left him like that for about 10 hours (half way thru I removed the filter), but I could see he was so stressed and not settling at all. It was not worth it. Back in the bowl he went. Happy settled little Betta was back after about an hour. I will need to see a bubble nest to be sure he is really settled again, but after that stress it could take some time. He is a very people-oriented Betta and seems okay, but I am watching carefully still as its only a few days since the "event". Only performing 50% changes weekly on his bowl will eliminate a ton of stress for both us, I am so happy to read that. In the middle of the week, I turkey baste out visible waste and replace the amount of water that comes out, usually about 2 cups, with fresh conditioned water. I have noticed that he certainly is not eating what I think he has swallowed, it appears a large majority of it is spit out and left. So back to one pellet feedings, begging or not...

So currently residing in the rejected 2.5 cube tank is my "rescue" Betta, Drogon Noire, the black dragon. He is actually a black/blue bodied CT. I happened upon him in PetSmart and felt immediately sorry for the "ugliest Betta I had ever seen". He looked so drab and scraggly in the cup next to all the gloriousness of color exploding around him. It seemed to me that he had grown so large in the cup because who would ever pick a black scraggly betta? Little did I know... so I decided that the 2.5 cube tank would be used to give this black dragon a comfortable home for the rest of his days/months/years to the best of my ability. Drogon is so shy, mostly hides or floats at the back of the tank, loves his dragon lair cave, pokes his head out like a moray eel. The tank suits his personality and needs to a "T". He is slowly venturing out front a bit here and there, has an interest in eating and will come out begrudgingly for me to drop pellets for him. I was hoping his rays would straighten out a bit, and he would brighten up a bit, and he has, almost to the point of being handsome! But wow, what a difference in personalities. So I will do the best that I can do for him, and I thank you so much for any and all advice. The photos of Drogon are from his very first day home. I posted one under a different thread and the comments as to his condition were very encouraging in that he did not appear to be as bad off as I had thought. I will post update/comparison photos if and when there is a real visible difference. I wish I took a photo from the cup, he was pathetic in there, a total mess. I have also included photos of the baby as I call him in his bowl. Two views so you can tell better as to his undistorted size and that he has in fact plenty of room to wander around for now until he grows a bit more. I can say this, I think both plants I picked were winners, the bettas seem to love them, and no fin damage from them yet....
Christine
1g bowl home to Doublure D'Argent (Silver Lining) DT platinum I believe
2.5g cube tank home to Drogon Noire (black dragon) black/blue CT


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

Wow, your "ugly" betta is BEAUTIFUL! And so is the other one. Both have nice homes...you make them interesting with plants and hides. And right in the kitchen gives a nice view/ mental stimulation.


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## Dargent (Oct 29, 2015)

Thank you betta splendids.. Drogon certainly looks different than he did in the cup. He is still very shy and lethargic compared to the baby but I hope he will come around although he does seem to enjoy his private hiding places. I guess I also could not see his black and blue beauty in the store but he certainly does have a quiet elegance of his own, curly fins and all.


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## Kim (Apr 30, 2008)

Oldfishlady said:


> While my opinions based on personal experience and experiments are very unpopular....
> 
> I have found that a single Betta can be safely kept in unfiltered, unplanted 1gal containers- provided that proper water changes are made-
> Some of the Long fin males will even thrive better in smaller containers-especially without filter-since often the space and water movement are the cause of stress, tattered fins and neurotic behaviors-not all, but some-all depending on the Betta itself.
> ...


Sorry, but I just have to say that I've had VERY different experiences with keeping bettas in uncycled tanks. I kept a few uncycled 5 gallon QT tanks for disease treatment purposes last summer and I found that I could keep ammonia at 0 ppm only by doing 2 50% changes and 1 100% change weekly. Any less than that and I'd start seeing 0.25 ppm by day 7, and that was in a barebottom 5 gallon, with no overfeeding and waste removed daily with a turkey baster (since it was barebottom, it was easy to see and I was also removing it for fecal parasite counts). Doing just 50% weekly on a 1 gallon does not sound anywhere near sufficient based on my experience, and how would you address the constant buildup of ammonia that will occur with only partial water changes in an uncycled tank with no live plants? I agree that 100% water changes are stressful, and that's why I recommend cycled tanks. 

To the OP: It's very exciting that you were able to upgrade one of your bettas  I would encourage you to do the same for the other 2 when you get the opportunity. You will be amazed at the difference that heat and good water quality will make for your little guys. I would recommend getting heaters for the other 2 asap, as bettas are tropical fish and will thrive at a temp around 80F. Once you start getting lower than around 76F or so, I've noticed a lot more issues with fin rot, swim bladder disorder (usually due to constipation in bettas kept in cold water), and other diseases. As for water changes, the best thing is to get yourself a liquid ammonia test kit and figure out a schedule that works for you to keep ammonia at 0 ppm. I'm going to bet that at least a partial water change daily/every other day will be necessary, with a weekly 90-100% change to keep the ammonia from accumulating. 

I'll refer you to this thread for cycling your filtered 2.5 gallon, because I'm getting tired and lazy at this hour ;-):
http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...nners-guide-freshwater-aquarium-cycle-353074/


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## Dargent (Oct 29, 2015)

I have seen a lot of posts where the API test was giving a false type of positive for ammonia. Is it possible that happened to you? I have ammonia alerts hanging in both tanks that some people swear by and I haven't seen them budge. Granted I am only 2 weeks in to betta keeping. I promise you I will make sure I do my best for these bettas with a weekly purging of crud and a 50 water change. The 2.5 will get vacuumed too. They will be fine.


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## Kim (Apr 30, 2008)

Dargent said:


> I have seen a lot of posts where the API test was giving a false type of positive for ammonia. Is it possible that happened to you? I have ammonia alerts hanging in both tanks that some people swear by and I haven't seen them budge. Granted I am only 2 weeks in to betta keeping. I promise you I will make sure I do my best for these bettas with a weekly purging of crud and a 50 water change. The 2.5 will get vacuumed too. They will be fine.


The API test does indeed give false positives sometimes, but no, this was real ammonia buildup I was seeing. The reason I determined it was real ammonia was because I was testing daily and there was a definite _change_ in the color of the test on the seventh day (before the 100% change) if I didn't do the 2 50% changes during the week. I also verified this result by using distilled water as a control, and the color was definitely different. 

I know some people have posted that unheated, unfiltered 1 gallon tanks getting weekly partial water changes are perfectly fine, but no matter how tempting it is to believe that for simplicity's sake, it really just isn't true. While we (meaning everyone on this forum) could debate about proper tank size for environmental enrichment purposes all day, ultimately that argument is mostly opinion based and so I won't get into it here. What I can say for sure is that long-term exposure to ammonia and cold, fluctuating temperatures will stress your betta's system and eventually lead to disease, even if the fish appears fine at first. So while the tank size issue may be somewhat subjective, the need for clean, warm, stable water is most certainly not. That's just physiology. 

I will add more information later, but for now I'd just urge you to consider buying heaters for your bettas and also to pick up an ammonia test kit and change the water as necessary to prevent ammonia readings. I guarantee that 50% weekly will be insufficient, because there is no way to prevent a continual buildup of ammonia with only partial water changes in an uncycled tank. For instance, say you have 1 ppm ammonia at the end of week 1. After a 50% water change you have 0.5 ppm. Now your betta produces another 1 ppm of ammonia by the end of week 2, so you have 1.5 ppm total at this time (0.5 ppm from week 1 and 1 ppm from week 2). A 50% water change gets you down to 0.75 ppm. See the pattern? You get a buildup over time. Also, you should be concerned about any ammonia readings in the tank, and for a healthy fish, you ideally want to change the water before you can detect ammonia, so this schedule is insufficient in 2 ways: first, it doesn't prevent ammonia to exposure, and second, it allows a weekly increase in ammonia levels which will eventually become fatal.

I'm out of time, but please don't think I'm attacking you, I just care deeply about animals (I'm a vet student...) and wanted to correct some common misconceptions on betta care that lead to many fish deaths every day.


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## Zhylis (Nov 4, 2014)

API tests for the total ammonia AND ammonium.

Seachem tests for ammonia only.

Only ammonia is toxic to fish.

EDIT: Although high ammonium will led to algae. So not good either.


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