Question about removing ammonia from tap water

[dshealy]

I am preparing to do a partial water change and put API quick start and API Stress coat + in my bucket of water. I tested the ammonia with API master kit after 12 + hours and the ammonia is testing at 1.0 ppm. I was curious so I tested the tap Water without treatment and the ammonia levels were exactly the same. What do I need to do to the water to make it safe for my aquarium? I have a 10 gallon with 6 glo fish tetra, water temp is 75, ph 7.6, ammonia between.0.25 and 0.50ppm, Nitrite .50ppm, Nitrate 5.0ppm.

[Aiken Drum]

The ammonia you are seeing in your tap water is likely chloramine. Some water companies use chloramine treatment rather than chlorine. Chloramine is essentially ammonia and chlorine bonded together and your test will pick up the ammonia part of the chloramine. Most water conditioners break the chemical bond so you get ammonia and chlorine in your tank. Your water conditioner then removes the chlorine side, leaving ammonia behind. In a cycled tank, the nitrogen cycle will quickly deal with the ammonia. Is your tank cycled?

If you arent cycled, a solution to the issue is to use a water conditioner that also detoxifies ammonia for a small period. Unfortunately stresscoat doesnt do this, so use seachem prime as your water conditioner.

[dshealy]

I don't think it is fully cycled. I set the aquarium up 3 weeks ago. I used the quick start and stress coat + and let it sit empty for a week. The guy at the pet store checked the water and said it was OK to put 6 glo tetras in. I know now that wasn't the right thing to do. I have been checking the water regularly and did 2 10% water changes last week because of foam on top of water and the ammonia being at 0.25ppm. I didn't know the fish wouldn't eat much the first few days and more than likely fed them to much. Right now I am feeding them once a day instead of twice. I vacuumed half the gravel when I did a partial water change to get some of the food out without getting rid of all of the good bacteria and plan to vacuum the other half with the next partial water change. Should I just add Prime to the new water or add it to both the aquarium and the new water? Thank you for the advice. I am trying really hard to make sure we have no casualties. I bought them for my 9 yr old granddaughter that lives with me.

[Aiken Drum]

Good that you understand about the nitrigen cycle.

To cycle a tank with fish, your target should be to keep ammonia + nitrite combined below 0.5ppm. If you are bringing ammonia into the tank with your new water, that might be difficult. If that's the case, dose prime daily. It should detoxify small amounts of ammonia for a day or 2. If you are able to keep ammonia and nitrite in your tank below that 0.5ppm combined target, then prime isnt really needed daily, just when you do water changes. Still dose enough to cover the whole tank though.

Fish are generally only fed daily. As much as they eat in 3 minutes. If you are doing 2 feedings, then each feeding should be as much as they eat in 1 to 2 minutes. While you are cycling you only want to feed lightly. Either every 2 days as much as they eat in 3 minutes, or if you want to stick to daily, then once daily as much as they eat in 1 to 2 minutes.

[dshealy]

Thank you! This was very helpful.