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Ammonia


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#1 malbone

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Posted 27 March 2016 - 04:46 PM

A few years ago I was loosing Pygmy Perch between one and two weeks - I had my bore water tested and it was high in Ammonia - none of my other fish were affected but I went back to aged tap water for all of them and no issues since - my question is would standing and bubbling the bore water, or treat it with water conditioner help to get rid of the ammonia??????????? thanks mal



#2 malawiman85

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Posted 27 March 2016 - 08:50 PM

No. Ammonia wont dissipate the way chlorine does through airation/exposure.
Treating with an ammonia neutralizing conditioner wont get rid of the ammonia it just binds it up temporarily so that it cant harm fish. Once the chemical addative from the conditioner wears off you will go back to having ammonia. Best thing to do would be to have a dirty big seeded sponge filter bubbling away for a week. Main concern with bore water is what else in the water is a problem that you arent testing for. Typical test kit is really only any good for tap water and tracking the nitrogen cycle.
I guess the problem with my sponge filter theory is your new water is gonna have nitrates in it and makes changing water pointless.

#3 bigjohnnofish

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Posted 28 March 2016 - 12:07 AM

um i think your wrong there with ammonia - my tap water comes with 1ppm of ammonia straight out of the tap... in a reservoir  i have an airstone bubbling away like mad and from 6pm at night till 12 midday following day - i retest for ammonia and i get a reading of zero...... so to me the ammonia has gone ? pretty sure it has been aired off the water along with a certain percentage of chlorine also.... still get some residual chlorine that will take longer to air off.... 

 

yes using a water conditioner will neutralise ammonia and as above will slowly be released back into your tank/pond to be used up by your bacteria as it is released.... all this does is regulate slow release of ammonia for your bacteria - rather than bang here's a truck load of ammonia all at once and your bacteria wont be able to keep up and your fish will suffer...

 

have you tested the amount of ammonia in your bore water ??? how many parts per million are we talking about... also what sort of ph and kh is in your bore water ?



#4 Delapool

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Posted 28 March 2016 - 07:59 AM

I guess following along here. I didn't think ammonia could off-gas or I'm missing something on how ammonia and ammonium exist in a tank. Would be interested in any further information for sure. Always keen to learn something new. Also if the bore was used for drinking water I would have it tested. We used to find at this time of year the bore water level got low and seemed higher in salts. Craig

Edited by Delapool, 28 March 2016 - 08:01 AM.


#5 malbone

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Posted 28 March 2016 - 08:41 AM

I never test water because I change about 25% water weekly and the only time I ever have trouble is if I introduce something new and increase the food - if you have been heavy handed you don't need a test kit as it bites you on the bum so I will do 50% changes for a mounth or so - stop all food and reintroduce it again slowly.  I do how ever have one test kit for ammonia and I don't know how it should be read but here we go - it's quite dark but do you compare the test sample holding above the differant colours eg on a white back ground or on them - the reading is about 10pp holding it on the colours and about 5ppm when holding it on the white back ground.................thanks



#6 Delapool

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Posted 28 March 2016 - 08:52 AM

Er, that's pretty high ammonia (or total ammonia/ammonium). What test kit is it (and a silly question but is it still in date, have you tested another water source which should be 0 to check the test is working and followed the instructions exactly)? For reading test kit results there should hopefully be something in the instructions. Craig

Edited by Delapool, 28 March 2016 - 08:54 AM.


#7 malbone

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Posted 28 March 2016 - 10:28 AM

the test kit is about 6mths old and this is the first time i've used it - tap water is a darker yellow than the one shown on the test card - it is not green at all so maybe between .0 and .1 so I guess about .05 - nothing in the instructions about what back ground colour you should hold it against........... 



#8 malawiman85

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Posted 28 March 2016 - 08:20 PM

Ammonia is super soluable in water cant imagine it leaving the water as simply as that Johnno... would need to see some facts to believe it. Otherwise we would all run sumps airating the crap out of our water in the sump to get rid of the ammonia before it becomes nitrite, nitrate and forcing us to water change.
Further:
Chlorine + ammonia = ?
chloromine.
Theoretically that doesnt gas off like chlorine.

Do aquarium test kits test and evaluate NH3 and NH4? Anyone know?
Im no expert... just crap I thought I knew.

#9 Delapool

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Posted 28 March 2016 - 10:33 PM

the test kit is about 6mths old and this is the first time i've used it - tap water is a darker yellow than the one shown on the test card - it is not green at all so maybe between .0 and .1 so I guess about .05 - nothing in the instructions about what back ground colour you should hold it against........... 


I hold mine against a white background or next to the colour legend. I find the colour varies depending on light angle but amongst the family we tend to agree (almost).

Still 5 or 10ppm is very high either way that I have seen. Sounds like the test is working though. Yikes!.

I'm assuming the test kit is a salicylate one due to the colour change. I always thought these read total ammonia (ammonia plus ammonium) but the wording is hard to figure out.


http://www.apifishca...00_Insert-1.pdf

This salicylate-based ammonia test kit reads the total ammonia level in parts per million (ppm) which are equivalent to milligrams per liter (mg/L) from 0 - 8.0 ppm (mg/L).


http://answers.seney...mmonia_Test_Kit

New Salicylate based tests, with two sets of reagents measure NH3. If your ammonia test kit registers in shades of yellow to green to blue, its salicylate.

http://www.seachem.com/prime.php

(see FAQ).

Edited by Delapool, 28 March 2016 - 10:34 PM.


#10 malbone

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Posted 29 March 2016 - 04:39 PM

one thing is perfectly clear so far and that's to drop any thoughts of ever using my bore water for anything other than the garden................






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