Ammonia.

[Richi106]

Hey (sorry for the long story)
I started a thread a few months ago about nitrate, mines was always at 40-80ppm. Which with 20% water changed twice a week I have got down to 20ppm.
While doing this I was also doing ammonia test and sometimes my results showed 0.25ppm. I had no idea how this happened as I did not over feed and was doing twice weekly maintenance.
Then I tested my tap water it has 2.0.ppm ammonia
I then added 2l of my tap water to a jug and added prime and water conditioner for 24hr and tested again and it waste same 2.0 ppm.
I don't under stand why adding this to my tank is ok??
Please help.

Thanks

 

[Cactuspixie]

Hey (sorry for the long story)
I started a thread a few months ago about nitrate, mines was always at 40-80ppm. Which with 20% water changed twice a week I have got down to 20ppm.
While doing this I was also doing ammonia test and sometimes my results showed 0.25ppm. I had no idea how this happened as I did not over feed and was doing twice weekly maintenance.
Then I tested my tap water it has 2.0.ppm ammonia
I then added 2l of my tap water to a jug and added prime and water conditioner for 24hr and tested again and it waste same 2.0 ppm.
I don't under stand why adding this to my tank is ok??
Please help.

Thanks

Hi, what a pain having ammonia in your tap water! Prime (which is water conditioner, so not sure what the other product is you're using) will detoxify ammonia for up to 48hours, BUT because it is still present, albeit in a nontoxic form, your tests will still continue to show the same ammonia reading.

 

[Richi106]

Hey.
I know it's a nytmare.!!
Is there anyway to treat the water so that there is deffinetly o ammonia, if I test it on Friday there is 0 ammonia them I do a 20% water change on Saturday them do a test on Sunday there is 0.25
ammonia. Surely this cannot be good for the fish.??
Cheers

 

[Fresh2o]

In 2012 my tap had 1.0 ammonia and 10-20 nitrates. This year it has been 0 ammonia and 5 nitrates. I kept up water changes when the ammonia was high, although I only did about 25-30% at a time. The filter handled the ammonia within 24 hours. Only when I did large WCs did I noticed trace nitrites later in the day or the next day. Fish were fine; low bio load. Did not know about Prime at the time.

 

[Cactuspixie]

Hey.
I know it's a nytmare.!!
Is there anyway to treat the water so that there is deffinetly o ammonia, if I test it on Friday there is 0 ammonia them I do a 20% water change on Saturday them do a test on Sunday there is 0.25
ammonia. Surely this cannot be good for the fish.??
Cheers

The only way I know of to get rid of ammonia from your tap water is by installing a purifier.
I'm not sure I understand the situation though- how are you getting a zero reading for ammonia if there is ammonia in your tap water?
Also when you are changing out the water, are you siphoning it out of the substrate?
And no, no amount of ammonia is good for fish, but if you are conditioning the water with a stronger dose of prime it will be safe for the fish.

 

[Zimmanski]

A fully cycled filter can convert that small amount of ammonia in 24 hrs or less. My tap has close to .5ppm ammonia and it doesn't cause any issues. Prime will detoxify it for longer than it takes to convert it. The only time high levels of tap water ammonia causes an issue is if you're trying to do a fish in cycle.

 

[Richi106]

The only way I know of to get rid of ammonia from your tap water is by installing a purifier.
I'm not sure I understand the situation though- how are you getting a zero reading for ammonia if there is ammonia in your tap water?
Also when you are changing out the water, are you siphoning it out of the substrate?
And no, no amount of ammonia is good for fish, but if you are conditioning the water with a stronger dose of prime it will be safe for the fish.

If I test the tank water on Friday it has 0 ammonia then do a water change on Saturday then retest on Sunday there is 0.25 ammonia in the tank. Obviously because I'm putting in the ammonia from the tap water into the tank during water change.

when I do my water change on Wednesday I just take water out. But on Saturday I will clean the gravel, filter, and everything else.

 

[Cactuspixie]

If I test the tank water on Friday it has 0 ammonia then do a water change on Saturday then retest on Sunday there is 0.25 ammonia in the tank. Obviously because I'm putting in the ammonia from the tap water into the tank during water change.

when I do my water change on Wednesday I just take water out. But on Saturday I will clean the gravel, filter, and everything else.

Perhaps you could try splitting it up- so your BB is not being disturbed all at once. Like clean out the gravel for one pwc and at the next pwc rinse the filter.
I've just stuffed my own tank up somehow, so its probably best you don't take my advice anyway!

 

[Richi106]

Yeah that makes sense al give that a try.
What happened to your tank??

Ave only had an aquarium for a year so I've still so much to learn lol

 

[Cactuspixie]

What happened to your tank??

I had a nitrite spike overnight. Lost over $70 worth of fish :-(

I don't know how or why. I've had the same routine going with that tank for well over a year.

Everyone in this hobby is still learning- no two tanks are the same: there are so many variables!
Things that experts espoused 30 years ago have been denounced and new methods and products are developed and promoted as THE WAY to go. they'll probably be ridiculed in another 30 years time...

What I like about forums such as AA, is that you get all different advice based on what a particular person did in a particular circumstance that gave a particular outcome. We can learn from each others successes AND failures. In the end though, there is still a degree of trial and error.

 

[Richi106]

That's a nytmare!
I paid $20 blue ram and $35 for a pleco and they both died within 3 weeks.
I am hopefully getting better as time goes on.

Yeah this forum has helped heaps!!

Thanks again!!