tap water question..?

Question

i believe there is up to 1 ppm of ammonia in our tap water. I have a male betta in a large bowl (i know i need a tank, but no money right now) but it has no filter. I check water daily to make sure ammonia NEVER rises about 1ppm for him, but i was wondering.. i know you can cycle a big tank with a filter, but can small amounts of the bacteria grow on the walls of the bowl or gravel or plactic plants? maybe enough to lower the ammonia less that 1 ppm? If i only change half the water, and don't scrub the bowl or anything could it possibly grow? I say this because i've been doing this for almost a week, and i noticed that there was finally a drop in ammonia to 0.50 ppm. Is my little plan working or is there another reason for the drop?

i know i could put stuff in there to lower ammonia, but i'm affraid to keep putting it in there all the time...

oh, and everytime i add new water, i make sure to put in water conditioner also. should i maybe invest in some to lower ammonia also?

Answer 1

it sounds like your plan is working. The bacteria has definetly grown and your tank cycle is good. :)

Answer 2

Yes some nitrifying bacteria will grow on the walls, although not much. I might suggest some pea sized gravel or at least marbles that you do not wash in tap water. Also some Zeolite or Ammo Carb in a small nylon bag in the corner of your bowl will also absorb ammonia the can then be disposed of.

Changing half your water or less is better way to change water for the reason you stated and also for less stress.

I would also suggest a Hydro Sponge Filter #1 for your bowl, this is cheap (around $5 on line) and can be connected to an inexpensive air pump and you will then have an effective bio filter.

I recommend reading this article for more information about the aquarium nitrogen cycle:
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Nitrogen_Cycle.html

Answer 3

The reasoon you have high ammonia is because there is so little water and higher ammonia use conditioner and then get a bigger tank. In the filter is where the bacteria grows and it lives there, constantly changing ammonia to nitrate and nitrite. Without a filter you will not get enough of the bebficial bacteria as needed. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

If you really want to get rid of all the ammonia in your tank, there are a few water conditioners that will do that while also removing chlorine. The two best (in my humble opinion) are both made by Seachem. The cheaper of the two is Neutral Regulator. It removes chlorine, chloramine (chlorine mixed with ammonia so it doesn't dissipate after 24 hours), and ammonia, as well as adjusting to the pH to a neutral 7.0. Prime is the more expensive of the two, but is also more effective. For a betta, I'd stick with Neutral Regulator.

Answer 5

With a Betta, you should NOT put a filter in, they get their oxygen from the "top" of the water...anyway...onto your question... tap water is fine to use, they sell products to remove any "bad " things from the water, in both tablet and liquid form... it's relatively cheap and you can get it right at wal-mart, or any pet store or co-op.. it's called "right start", there's also generic versions... takes care of everything, and it's realtively cheap.. I would say that's the way to go, instead of trying to guess... also, you may want to check out betta sites for more information, bettas like smaller bowls, you can learn a lot by just googling them... hope that helps !