Ammonia toxicity

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Anna94

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Mar 27, 2016
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Is 0.25 ammonia really that bad? My tank always reads 0.25, even though I do 50% weekly water changes and my tank has been cycled for a year.
 
Is 0.25 ammonia really that bad? My tank always reads 0.25, even though I do 50% weekly water changes and my tank has been cycled for a year.
Do you have any plants decomposing? Also, maybe the 50% water change may do it. I only do 25% to 35% weekly with a vacuum. When you take out too much water your keeping youre tank very clean, and maybe the beneficial bacteria is having a hard time sticking. Just some thoughts.

Did you test your source water?
 
I was never getting anything less than a .25 ammonia reading during cycling and even a few weeks after adding fish when I was sure the cycle had completed. Turns out that SeaChem Prime will give you false-positive ammonia readings: I started testing my water -before- water changes / top-offs (when adding Prime) and I now consistently read .00 for ammonia.

Of course, I can't find the friggin' post now, but SeaChem has responded to inquiries in the matter verifying it. Your internet-fu might be more effective than mine at the moment.
 
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Prime doesn't give false positive readings, but it will detect detoxified ammonia.

I may have worded it incorrectly, but that's what I was referring to. API liquid tests and most strip tests will register the detoxified ammonia (ammonium) as a positive ammonia reading.
 
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