To "spot feed" bloodworms to your knife fish, get a length of half or 3/4" thinwall clear acryllic tubing (longer than your tank is deep) and place some thawed bloodworms in the end of it. Hold the other end in your fist with thumb ready to place over the opening. Insert moderately fast into water and place thumb over opening when worms move a few inches up the tube. Place worm end of tube diagonally against gravel (not burried) near your knife fish and let only him feed on the worms sliding down the tube. Anyone else tries to steal them from the opening, either push into gravel a tiny bit, or let a little more air out and suck the worms up the tube a bit, then repeat. You need not feed all the fish the bw. Reserve it for your pickiest eaters til tank clears up.
As to ammonia issue, The Prime will bind it and render it in a safe form for your fish. It still will read as present in your water, but you have no way of knowing the 3 forms present without some very expensive test equipment or harder to find, ion specific test kits.
Don't play with high ammonia levels...
Your fish are cold blooded. Their metabolism is tied directly to the water temps. You want to decrease the ammonia the fastest ways possible???
1. Water changes!
2. Feed sparingly, every other day!!
Boy causing problems with this? Go to walmart and buy the smallest metal cash box w/ key that they have. Take out the plastic bill tray and lock your frozens blister packs in there and of course... stick it back in the freezer. Before you put the food in it though... Duct tape the entire outside of that box (couple good wraps around the handle too)... Doesn't have to be pretty, you can wrap round and round til a good 3 or 5 layers thick then cut the lid seal back open with a sharp knife. Don't need you freezing wet fingers to the bare metal!
2. Find the lowest acceptable temperature that is within the range of all your recommended for your fish. Set temp a degree or two above this, to slow all occupants food requirements down a bit (also saves you $$ in the long term if you keep it there, and you're fish will stay just as healthy, if not a bit more so).
3. Other than that... if you must... lock all your fish food up but include your boy in the feedings regimen. (Otherwise he'll probably find something else to throw in there).
Other than that... looks better! And you can cut back on the water changes once your ammonia stops climbing. Not before... if your ammonia gets too high, it can even start killing your plants and then they will start adding to the ammonia problem... you don't need to run to the lfs about this...you already said what the dying moss ball was doing. Trust what you factually know, and ask when you don't or even if your not quite sure...
Right now, you're doing everything we could possibly hope to expect from a beginnr in the hobby.
Admitted you're new... check!
Admitted there's problem (in detail)... check!
Asked for help... check!
Follow instructions... check!
Gives follow ups... check!
Asks for second opinions and clarifications... check!
Research on your own... BIG CHECK!!!
Truely concerned for the wellfare of your charges... CHECK! CHECK!CHECK!
You're absolutely on the right path!!! For you, it will keep getting easier, even as you climb the ladder to intermediate and advanced levels of more difficult fish to keep.
I speak for me, but I think many members will concur...
You are most welcome in MFK!
BTW, make absolutely certain you are shaking the nitrate test solution bottle vigorously for a full minute before use.
Which one? Does it really matter if you don't worry about which one and just put them both in your fist and SHAKE!?
Some people try and remember things that really don't need to be remembered. Just remember to shake em really good for a full minute, or your reading will be far less accurate.
and as much as you like them, stop feeding the blood worms to the fish for now. Even well established fully cycled tanks sometimes can't handle good feedings with bloodworms. Its the liquid organics aspect.... just like soda is the next closest thing to liquid candy, the blood in bloodworms is the next closest thing to liquid ammonia.
