Old Tank Syndrome

[CaitxSith]

Since i'ma going to add my betta to my main tank, i want to know how to fight old tank syndrome, just in case my nitrates go crazy and skyrocket up to 60 ppm >_>.

i'm talking about a betta that's been treated with not so much water changes (well, i didn't know!)...

and i don't want dead neons or neons with no eyes the next morning!

 

[is300zx]

I'm not sure what your trying to ask but I'll try to take a stab at it anyway.

If you're trying to add the betta that was accustomed to bad water condition, then the best way to do it is to slowly drip acclimate it. This way the betta won't go into shock and die.

The best way to fight OTS is to do regular water changes to keep your water parameters in check.

 

[liv2padl]

50 percent water changes per week concurrent with gravel vacuuming will keep your water quality top notch.

 

[CaitxSith]

drip?

i just do my regular way:
bag in bucket
fill bucket with tank water (maybe 1/10 full)
place bag
wait 15 mins
open bag
pour 1/2 cup of water
every 5 mins add 1/2 cup of water
after 5 or when bag full, get rid of 1/2 of bag water
repeat 5 min, 1/2 cup water
net fish
add in tank


or should i still do drip?
i do water changes, just that it's 20%+gravel vac every week...

 

[is300zx]

It really depends on how different the waters are. The big killer when acclimating fish is big differences in PH. So what you should do is check the PH of where the betta is coming from and then check the PH of the tank it's going in. If there's a big difference, I would drip acclimate since slower change is always better than large fast changes.

 

[CaitxSith]

what's drip acclimate? I only know my way

 

[is300zx]

You can use airline tubing to syphon water from your main tank down to the bucket where your fish is. You then tie a knot on the end so that the water coming out of the tubing is reduce to a drip.

Another variation which is good for smaller fish is on the pic posted below. The good thing about this method is that since the bucket is in contact with the tank water the temp in the bucket will match the temp in the tank.

The fish is ready to go in the main tank when the PH in the bucket test out to be the same as the one in the tank.