What's a normal level for amonia in tap water?

[Jak]

Im reading something like a 2ppm... is that bad? The Ph is about 8.

 

[Jak]

Lol so it didnt realy crash and the picture did upload...

 

[sealife]

I have close to 0ppm ammonia in my tap water.

 

[LadyApril83]

Mines 4ppm

 

[Jak]

Oh I spose it varies. Does anyone know the EPA limit? Ive since disgarded my environmental engineering textbook haha

 

[molliwopp]

Mines 4ppm

Ammonia in your tap water is 4ppm? Thats terrible. That would cycle a tank all by itself. So are you using ro water?

 

[molliwopp]

Im reading something like a 2ppm... is that bad? The Ph is about 8.

Yes its still very bad, Anything over 0.5 is harmful to fish and i wouldnt use it.. 1-2ppm deadly and 4ppm is just ridiculous.

 

[LadyApril83]

Yes its still very bad, Anything over 0.5 is harmful to fish and i wouldnt use it. 4ppm is just ridiculous.

Its all I got at the moment and the amquel is working


Tap
So it to me looks more like 4 than 2 so maybe three...

 

[Jak]

Yup I killed two bottles of prime already...

And the answer to the epa regulations is. Its complicated. Its temperature and pH related so its variable.

 

[molliwopp]

Ouch, your fish must [moderator edit] when they see a water change coming.

 

[LadyApril83]

So far we are doing okay besides an ich outbreak from the store fish...usually I buy from the local stores who use local breeders/farms/distribution centers so I'm hoping them being used to this water helps but I try to minimize water changes just for that reason.

 

[molliwopp]

Yup I killed two bottles of prime already...

And the answer to the epa regulations is. Its complicated. Its temperature and pH related so its variable.

Yes its variable, but its not in your favor. Ammonia is far more toxic in alkaline water.. so with a ph of 8 im affraid that means yours.

 

[Jak]

Yes its variable, but not in your favor. Ammonia is far more toxic in alkaline water.. so with a ph of 8 im affraid that means yours.

Beautiful. I might send the city of Richmond a letter haha I can't imagine it's healthy to drink either.

 

[Jenniferinfl]

Question for you, is that before or after adding something to treat the chlorine? The reason I ask is because some municipalities use chloramines instead of chlorine to treat water. When you treat the water to remove the chlorine, the ammonia in chloramine is split from the chlorine and shows up in the water on an ammonia test. If that is BEFORE treating with something like Amquel, then I'm curious what the results are after. You will still have an ammonia result after using Amquel though it has been converted to ammonium. I'm just curious if it's really even higher.

 

[LadyApril83]

Question for you, is that before or after adding something to treat the chlorine? The reason I ask is because some municipalities use chloramines instead of chlorine to treat water. When you treat the water to remove the chlorine, the ammonia in chloramine is split from the chlorine and shows up in the water on an ammonia test. If that is BEFORE treating with something like Amquel, then I'm curious what the results are after. You will still have an ammonia result after using Amquel though it has been converted to ammonium. I'm just curious if it's really even higher.

Well here is my aquarium water I havent tested just amquel treated wter as I treat the the tank as I am changing the water
I use amquel plus actually and I put stress coat too. I put 20ml of amquel and 20 of stress coat...

 

[Mebbid]

That's a really bad ammonia reading straight off of tap water. The best bet is to do more frequent smaller water changes when doing them

 

[LadyApril83]

That's a really bad ammonia reading straight off of tap water. The best bet is to do more frequent smaller water changes when doing them

I know. I've posted this before and do keep up on testing and water changes. And just had an ich outbreak from the store and that's healed and treatment is done today. The fish look very happy one died before treatment and one died within the first few hrs no one has since even the shrimp and loaches are happy.