Dosage question (Water Conditioners)

[Pratzie]

Originally Posted by Aiken Drum

My point is though that as your water is treated with chloramine your ammonia spike will never go away. Every time you do a water change, forever (or at least as long as your water company continues to use chloramine), you will get an ammonia spike because your water contains ammonia.

Should that ammonia level be detectable? I tested my the water from the jug today and it didn’t show any ammonia at all. It was treated last night after the water changes with API Tap Water Conditioner.

[Aiken Drum]

Are you sure your water is treated with chloramine and not chlorine?

Normally water treated with chloramine tests in the region 0.25 to 1.0ppm. I suppose if there is very little chloramine then it might be so low it wouldn't register, also wouldn't be much use as a water treatment.

[Aiken Drum]

If your water is treated with chloramine then you should be able to get the concentration from your water company in ppm. About 1/4 of the chloramine will come out as ammonia, so if you have 4ppm chloramine then you should see about 1ppm ammonia if you test for ammonia. Here in the UK where chloramine is used, dosage is about 1.5ppm, so that would still come out as detectable ammonia and i understand our treatment levels are quite low compared to other places.

[Pratzie]

Originally Posted by Aiken Drum

If your water is treated with chloramine then you should be able to get the concentration from your water company in ppm. About 1/4 of the chloramine will come out as ammonia, so if you have 4ppm chloramine then you should see about 1ppm ammonia if you test for ammonia. Here in the UK where chloramine is used, dosage is about 1.5ppm, so that would still come out as detectable ammonia and i understand our treatment levels are quite low compared to other places.

Yup, I used to be an avid home brewer and ruined several batches by not treating it accordingly prior to fermentation. Chloramines in beer will provide a bandaid tin flavor. It’s sought after in Scotch, yet is a flaw in beer; but I digress. Most recent test was 2019 and confirmed Chloramines in the water.

[ColdKoi]

Exactly. Though the spike will become lesser as the tank is matured/seasoned, you are still adding ammonia during a water change and it’s going to take a little time for the BB to filter it out