Need tapwater advice: it's an ammonia bomb!

[Mako]

My city uses that wonderful stuff, chloramine, to my delight as I watch my fish twitch and flit at the surface. I just moved to this particular place, and didn't know they added ammonia to the water to make chloramine. I did add some ammo-lock to detox the ammonia (was .25 [acronym:362e50d9d8="milligrams or magnesium, depending on context"]mg[/acronym:362e50d9d8]/l), so my fish are breathing easier.

My question is this: I use a Python to clean and refill my tank. How do I break the chloramine bond AND remove the ammonia at the same time? I could just dump the proper products in the tank water prior to refilling, but I don't want the fish or plants to come in contact with the ammonia, b/c it can be pretty stout in our water (last time I tested, I broke the bond with the chlorine remover, and the ammonia tested at over 2.0 [acronym:362e50d9d8="milligrams or magnesium, depending on context"]mg[/acronym:362e50d9d8]/l in a test run). How can I do this without prepping the water in a tub first?

[Madame_X]

Wow, I've never heard of ammonia present in tapwater. I would think that would be terribly toxic to humans and other animals, not just fish.

Are you testing your tapwater for ammonia after adding a dechlorinator? I know some of them can give you a false reading in the ammonia department.

If you're sure there is ammonia in your tapwater, I don't think there is any safe way to use it in your tank. Maybe you should think about an [acronym:26562c3d33="Reverse osmosis"]RO[/acronym:26562c3d33] unit?

[krap101]

hmmm. i dont know if you can.. maybe you can put the conditioner in after you suck the water out and before you put more water in. you could keep like a 20-50 gallon tub by the fish tank (depends on how big the tank is). every now and then top it up and treat it in there. throw a heater in there and you can just bucket the water into the tank.

and theres products that remove chloramine. i use aquasafe but my water doesnt have chlorine, ammonia, or chloramine.

[TankGirl]

Many (most) water systems utilize chloramine - just get a dechlor that detoxifies chloramine as well - no worries.

I use this with my Python and add the dechlor/dechloramine as I fill - the fish literally swim through the current of the tap water being added and I have had no problems for years. I realize my tap water may be different than yours, but wanted to submit my experience.

[Mr Burns]

Originally Posted by TankGirl

Many (most) water systems utilize chloramine - just get a dechlor that detoxifies chloramine as well - no worries.

I use this with my Python and add the dechlor/dechloramine as I fill - the fish literally swim through the current of the tap water being added and I have had no problems for years. I realize my tap water may be different than yours, but wanted to submit my experience.

ditto. i use amquel and have never had any problems even though sometimes i get a chlorine smell/taste from the tap. are you sure there is ammonia in the tap water? that seems aweful strange. i'd raise **** with the water works if there was...

[papastew]

Never had any problems with amquel.

[Mako]

You'd be amazed to know how many cities add ammonia to the water. It's not a concentration high enough to harm humans, supposedly. The reason is that, it has been discovered that straight chlorine in the water (the old standby used for decades) tends to produce trihalomethanes (whatever the heck that is, but it's fun to say!) which causes cancer. I'd rather drink the ammonia water than something that causes cancer. Adding ammonia, which instantly produces **chloramine**, is supposed to eliminate trihalomethanes.

I've been using Prime (SeaChem), which is much more concentrated than Amquel, but I don't particularly like the "slime-coat stimulator" aspect b/c the fish really don't seem to appreciate it. I'll switch to Amquel when the Prime is used up.

Thanks all!!!