I'm such an idiot vent :(

Kim

I feel so bad!!!

So, I have 2 new bettas in 3 gallon containers floating in my 29 gallon as QT and until their tank cycles (almost done now). Well, I've been doing 50% water changes every 2 days, testing the water often, and using my turkey baster to suction out poops daily. Sounds ok, right? Well, tomorrow is water change day, and don't ask me why, but tonight I felt that something was just off. They both looked fine (although Edelweiss still has SB issues) and I don't think anyone but me would have been so paranoid as to check the water. So, giving in to my own obsession I checked it. Ammonia was at 1 ppm!! Yikes, I almost had a heart attack ! I've NEVER had ammonia in tanks that have fish in them, EVER! I feel like such a bad fishy parent . My poor little fishies, especially Edelweiss who has issues as it is. So I did an 80% water change on one tank, and then ran out of aged water (my pH changes drastically so I can't use it right out of the tap. So I quickly filled it up, but I still have to wait several hours for it to airate (I speed up the process with an airstone) before I can use it. The waiting is driving me crazy . I don't think my parents will be too happy about me doing a water change at 10:00 on Friday night as it is, but hopefully the water will be warm enough still so I won't have to heat it up. I just feel so bad that they were exposed to ammonia like that.

CYCLED TANKS ARE THE ONLY WAY TO GO FOR ME!!!! I've always been weary of uncycled tanks, and these are actually the first ones I've had even though they're only temporary. I'm not doing this again!!

Ok, some of you may think I'm overreacting, but I just needed to vent. I feel so bad for my little bettas .

Oh, and while all this is going on, I forgot the pizza dough in the oven (where it was only supposed to warm) and the outer layer started to cook. Luckily I caught it before it was ruined, and before my mom found out! I suck at life today .

Fishcricker

I have issues with pH jump when doing water changes also. Tap is 7.0 and it jumps to 7.6 after gassing off. I have learned through practice and more practice that when adding water back in, I do it very slowly and I don't have any problems such a pH rise in the tank.. I use a python.

dramaqueen

Don't be too hard on yourself. Things happen sometimes. I did a water change on one of my fish the other day and before I realized what I was doing, I added water to Jaden's tank that was NOT dechlorinated! I thought to myself, you idiot! and I ran for the water conditioner. There was already conditioned water in there so he wasn't exposed to much chlorine and only for 2-3 minutes but I felt bad. As for the pizza dough, it sounds like everything turned out ok. I think you're a great fishy parent. :)

Kim

The pizza dough died. It never even rose....oops.

My fish seem much better today and ammonia is back at 0. Poor little things. I think they've probably forgotten about the whole incident by now, but I still feel bad.

Oh, and I would LOVE a python because it would make things so much easier but my water rises from like 6.2 to 7.6 0_0 It's crazy.

Thanks for the comments guys, at least it made me feel a little better.

dramaqueen

Sorry about your pizza dough! lol