A. Australe with breathing issues.

[KarlTh]

I'm using the API test kit which was recommended here.
There's a yellow box that measures up to .25 as far as I can gather and does not measure precise numbers. So if I test the water, hold up the test tube to the strip to compare with the yellow box it could be 0 ammonia or it could be .15 ammonia...So I just say safe zone. Unless I'm reading this thing wrong?.

I consider on the high side anything over a neutral PH of 7.

The top yellow is 0. The next one down is 0.25ppm. If it matches the first box, it's zero. If it matches the second, it's between 0.125 and 0.375. If I read you right, you're in the top box which is zero. So we can eliminate ammonia as an issue.

You say that you consider anything over 7 to be "on the high side". But what is your pH? From that all I can infer is that it's between 7 and 14. Well, the fact your fish are alive means it's between 7 and 9, but still...

Is it the same with the nitrite? Test remains blue?

 

[Eupterus]

My PH is 7.4.
I do not have an oxygen test kit.
There are now two australes with breathing issues.

 

[KarlTh]

No-one's asking for an oxygen test kit. Just nitrite and ammonia figures.

 

[mel_20_20]

Ammonia can read 0 and at the same time nitrites can be at unsafe levels, which is anything over 0.

Can you give us the numbers for nitrites and nitrates, though if a planted tank probably high levels of nitrates are not a problem.

Nitrites bind with the heme molecule in the blood, preventing the O2 in the gills from entering the bloodstream and therefore causing the fish to suffocate.

 

[Eupterus]

I thought I already said nitrites were at safe levels and also yes it's a live planted tank.
I went down the list of ammonia causes and since the only one that fit was under-filtering, I doubled the filtration.

 

[Eupterus]

Ok, I've decided as soon as the new heaters come and the give-away betta is moved out, I will start treating them for gill parasites in the sick tank.
The give-away betta is going to my parents house until she finds a home, but I need a heater that reaches the outlet first. This australe has been having breathing problems for what?...most of two weeks now?.