# URGENT - Betta has Nitrate poisoning/shock



## T0mmy (Oct 24, 2020)

First off please dont take this as being rude but I dont want to sit here and explain the lead up to the issue because i just need answers. One of my bettas has died yesterday from what im sure was nitrate poisoning and it so happened that another of my betta males ended up in that same water (not at the same time of course) which at the time i had no idea could have been high in nitrate. I know how sketchy it sounds but i came from another forum and am tired of irrelevant questions and arguments. Im not a newbie at fishkeeping, i just have never dealt with something like this.

I need to save my boy. I got him clean water and now i know that wasnt the best because youre meant to do it gradually but i panicked before i looked into the condition deeper. Hes lying on the bottom hardly moving, hes pale and has rapid gill movement and wont eat. Ive noticed this within the last 5ish hours and im scared hes going to die too.

Please, i hope someone can help me


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## Momofbetta (May 16, 2020)

How high were your nitrates exactly?

Welcome - 

Right now, add aquarium salt at 1 tsp per gallon. Keep lights off to minimize stress.

If you have StressGuard or any source of tannins (Indian Almond Leaves/plain rooibos tea), add that too.

Also, please answer these questions so we can help  

Many illnesses can be traced to water conditions. Your water-changing schedule is the most important element in diagnosing. Please be honest.

*Housing:*
How many gallons is your tank?
Does it have a filter?
Does it have a heater?
What temperature is your tank?
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?
Does your Betta have tank mates? What kind?

*Food:*
What food brand do you use?
Do you feed flakes or pellets?
Freeze-dried?
How often do you feed your Betta? How much?

*Maintenance:
Before* your Betta became ill how often did you perform a water change?
What percentage of water did you change?
What is the source of your water?
Do you vacuum the substrate or just dip out water?
What additives do you use other than conditioner? What brand of conditioner?

*Water Parameters:*
What are your water parameters? Please give exact numbers. If tested by pet store please get exact numbers. "Fine" or "Safe" won't help us help you. Important: Test your water _before_ the regular water change; not after one.

Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness (GH):
Alkalinity (KH):

*Symptoms and Treatment:*
When did you first notice the symptoms?
How has your Betta’s appearance changed?
How has your Betta’s behavior changed?
Is your Betta still eating?
Have you started treating your Betta? If so, how?
Does your Betta have any history of being ill?
How long have you owned your Betta?
Was he or she ill or suffering some sort of damage when purchased?

*PLEASE PROVIDE CLEAR PHOTOS*


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## BettaloverSara (Oct 15, 2020)

I think at this point you just have to wait and see what happens. Do you have any kind of air stone? The only thing I could think of would be to add some extra oxygen to the water.

Do you know how high the nitrates were? Was there also high ammonia and nitrite? Do you have any Indian almond leaf or plain roobois tea you could add to the tank?


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## T0mmy (Oct 24, 2020)

Momofbetta said:


> How high were your nitrates exactly?
> 
> Welcome -
> 
> ...


Regretably i dont know what the original nitrate reading was, but that water was mixed with fresh water so it meant when i did take a nitrate reading it was only 10ppm but like i said it could have been way higher. Im guessing its nitrate poisoning because if how he's acting.

I have indian almond leaves, but should i move him into a smaller tank while i treat him? Hes in a 7 gallon. Unfortunately i dont have aquarium salts but i can get some asap if it'll help.

*Housing:*
How many gallons is your tank? 7
Does it have a filter? Sponge filter
Does it have a heater? Yes
What temperature is your tank? 26c
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? No
Does your Betta have tank mates? What kind? None

*Food:*
What food brand do you use? Tetra/Hikari/Fluval/JBL/Omega
Do you feed flakes or pellets? Pellets and sometimes flake
Freeze-dried? No
How often do you feed your Betta? How much? I feed once a day 6 times a week and they get about 3-4 soaked pellets or the same amount of bloodworms etc

*Maintenance:
Before* your Betta became ill how often did you perform a water change? Once a week
What percentage of water did you change? 30%
What is the source of your water? Tap
Do you vacuum the substrate or just dip out water? Just take out water
What additives do you use other than conditioner? What brand of conditioner? No additives, i use tetra aquasafe to dechlotinate

*Water Parameters:*
What are your water parameters? Please give exact numbers. If tested by pet store please get exact numbers. "Fine" or "Safe" won't help us help you. Important: Test your water _before_ the regular water change; not after one.
(Im going to give readings for the affected holding water he was in as that was the contaminated water)
Ammonia: 1ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 10ppm
pH: 6.7
Hardness (GH): unsure
Alkalinity (KH): unsure

*Symptoms and Treatment:*
When did you first notice the symptoms? About 12 hours ago
How has your Betta’s appearance changed? Hes pale and bends his spine
How has your Betta’s behavior changed? He lies on the bottom not moving with rapid gill movement and has no appetite at all
Is your Betta still eating? No
Have you started treating your Betta? If so, how? Changing him to clean water and ive done a 10 min meth blue bath
Does your Betta have any history of being ill? No
How long have you owned your Betta? About 7 months
Was he or she ill or suffering some sort of damage when purchased? No


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## T0mmy (Oct 24, 2020)

BettaloverSara said:


> I think at this point you just have to wait and see what happens. Do you have any kind of air stone? The only thing I could think of would be to add some extra oxygen to the water.
> 
> Do you know how high the nitrates were? Was there also high ammonia and nitrite? Do you have any Indian almond leaf or plain roobois tea you could add to the tank?


I have an air stone somewhere, im going to go and find it. As i said, i unfortunately dont know the original undiluted nitrate reading and i wish i did. But as i put on the template, the ammonia was suddenly raised to 1ppm. And i do have IAL but again, im wondering if a smaller tank/container is better for him at the moment and i can put them in there?


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## BTanaka05! (Aug 11, 2021)

Did you use a water conditioner? I have one that removes chlorine and nitrates as well as several sword plants in my tank. Plants will absorb extra nutrients and nitrates in the water. Hope this helps.


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## Hania41806 (Dec 10, 2020)

T0mmy said:


> Ammonia: 1ppm


1ppm??? is that a typo? if not, your fish isn't dying of nitrate poisoning, it's dying of ammonia poisoning.


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## T0mmy (Oct 24, 2020)

Hania41806 said:


> 1ppm??? is that a typo? if not, your fish isn't dying of nitrate poisoning, it's dying of ammonia poisoning.


Its not a typo, and i looked for symptoms of ammonia poisoning already and they dont match. That water would only have been that way for less than 24h. And either way, whether its ammonia or nitrate A. Hes no longer in those conditions and B. I actually just need advice on how to help him NOW its not quite as important right now which one of the two hurt him if you see my point


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## BettaloverSara (Oct 15, 2020)

T0mmy said:


> Its not a typo, and i looked for symptoms of ammonia poisoning already and they dont match. That water would only have been that way for less than 24h. And either way, whether its ammonia or nitrate A. Hes no longer in those conditions and B. I actually just need advice on how to help him NOW its not quite as important right now which one of the two hurt him if you see my point


How is he today?


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## T0mmy (Oct 24, 2020)

BettaloverSara said:


> How is he today?


Still the same, he's just lying curled at the bottom of the tank, only moving every few hours and he's still breathing quite rapidly


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## BettaloverSara (Oct 15, 2020)

I don't really think there is much else to do. Does the smaller tank you asked about have a filter? If he can tolerate the move a smaller tank might be helpful, or if you have a breeder box that would be good too. I feel like his best chance at the moment is just super clean water, Indian almond leaf and some decent aeration. I know it's hard to wait it out when they are that sick but sometimes that's all you can do.


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## T0mmy (Oct 24, 2020)

Ive got him into the smaller tank, i just did everything very slowly and i got his heater and filter in there too along with an air stone. Im gonna put some indian almond leaves in too. 
Im wondering though, would a breeder box maybe have been a better idea? Im more thinking of the fact he cant get up to breath surface air?


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## YogisMom (Jul 7, 2020)

T0mmy said:


> First off please dont take this as being rude but I dont want to sit here and explain the lead up to the issue because i just need answers. One of my bettas has died yesterday from what im sure was nitrate poisoning and it so happened that another of my betta males ended up in that same water (not at the same time of course) which at the time i had no idea could have been high in nitrate. I know how sketchy it sounds but i came from another forum and am tired of irrelevant questions and arguments. Im not a newbie at fishkeeping, i just have never dealt with something like this.
> 
> I need to save my boy. I got him clean water and now i know that wasnt the best because youre meant to do it gradually but i panicked before i looked into the condition deeper. Hes lying on the bottom hardly moving, hes pale and has rapid gill movement and wont eat. Ive noticed this within the last 5ish hours and im scared hes going to die too.
> 
> Please, i hope someone can help me


Hi, I’m real sorry to hear your boy isn’t feeling well. I know how stressful it is to have a sick betta. I don’t have anything more to offer, I just want you to know I’m thinking of you both and rooting for a quick recovery.


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## T0mmy (Oct 24, 2020)

YogisMom said:


> Hi, I’m real sorry to hear your boy isn’t feeling well. I know how stressful it is to have a sick betta. I don’t have anything more to offer, I just want you to know I’m thinking of you both and rooting for a quick recovery.


Thank you very much, however I'd just now gone back to check on him and he's unfortunately passed  <3


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Sorry he died. They are so fragile.

I'll try to find the link(s) but it is my understanding that Nitrate poisoning requires the Nitrates to be well over 100 for several days before there's any impact. Except, of course, in delicate fish like Discus which are sensitive to as little as 20 ppm.


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## T0mmy (Oct 24, 2020)

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> Sorry he died. They are so fragile.
> 
> I'll try to find the link(s) but it is my understanding that Nitrate poisoning requires the Nitrates to be well over 100 for several days before there's any impact. Except, of course, in delicate fish like Discus which are sensitive to as little as 20 ppm.


Thank you, i heard that somewhere before which puzzled me because the symptoms most closely matched with nitrate poisoning but i couldnt see how it was possible with my readings, which of course i can never know the ppm of that first tank but i highly doubt it was above 20ppm. It just seems to be a mystery.


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## YogisMom (Jul 7, 2020)

T0mmy said:


> Thank you very much, however I'd just now gone back to check on him and he's unfortunately passed  <3


Ohh I’m so sorry to hear this. How heartbreaking. I’m so so sorry.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Unfortunately, so many things which can kill fish have the same symptoms. I'd be willing to be it's not Nitrates. Even 1.0 ppm Ammonia shouldn't unless it's that level long-term.

Have you considered Neon Tetra Disease? It is not limited to Neons. Do you share equipment between tanks?

Fish TB is another possibility TB in Fish, Mycobacterium Tuberculosis; Bettas & more It is quite rare, though.


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## Seqathe (Apr 17, 2021)

T0mmy said:


> Thank you very much, however I'd just now gone back to check on him and he's unfortunately passed  <


I'm so sorry to hear that your little friend didn't make it. I can tell you tried very hard 💕


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## T0mmy (Oct 24, 2020)

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> Unfortunately, so many things which can kill fish have the same symptoms. I'd be willing to be it's not Nitrates. Even 1.0 ppm Ammonia shouldn't unless it's that level long-term.
> 
> Have you considered Neon Tetra Disease? It is not limited to Neons. Do you share equipment between tanks?
> 
> Fish TB is another possibility TB in Fish, Mycobacterium Tuberculosis; Bettas & more It is quite rare, though.


I didnt even realise neon tetra disease was a thing. I do share equipment but have no neons. I would hope it wasn't fish TB though


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Neon Tetra Disease isn't Neon-specific. I believe it is named such because it was first discovered in Neons. Fish TB is extremely rare. As noted in the article every once in a while it becomes the "Disease of the Moment" and is diagnosed everywhere. Neon Tetra Disease is far more common.

Just throwing this out there for you to consider and nothing to do with your thread: I've been doing some research because so many people report soaking pellets. From what I've been able to find is if soaked in plain water most of the nutrition is leached out. Soaking in fish vitamins is recommended.


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