My water company uses chloramine to treat the water. Adding a simple water conditioner (Topfin water conditioner) apparently only breaks the chloramine apart and neutralized the chlorine part of chloramine, leaving ammonia behind. I test pure tap water with an API master kit and get an ammonia level of 1.0 PPM. After adding water conditioner I still get a reading of 1.0 PPM. ~~ I have tried using topfin's ammonia reducer which claims to neutralize chlorine, chloramine, and ammonia. Using this I get a reading of approximately 0.5 PPM. It's kinda hard to tell because the colors for 0.25 and 0.5 are so close. I am new to this stuff, but I am not fond of using many chemicals in my tank. Does anyone out there have to deal with this problem? If so, what are you doing to kill the ammonia? Any suggestions from anyone else on what I can try to get the ammonia level down?
Chloramine help
- Thread starter CoreyMac
- Start date
If your tap water conditioner doesn't say it also neutralizes ammonia, then yes, it is breaking up chloramine to form chlorine and ammonia. If it says it treats ammonia, it adds a hydrogen ion to toxin ammonia (NH3) to form the less toxic NH4+, ammonium. Ammonium is much less toxic than NH3. Both exist in equilibrium, with their relative quantities varying by pH and temperature.
Most ammonia tests cannot distinguish ammonia from ammonium, and give you a total ammonia reading. I'm almost certain the API tests fall in this category. The type of test that only read total ammonia are Nessler-type tests. Salicylate-based tests ONLY read toxic ammonia (NH3). Seachem makes that kind of ammonia test.
I don't know if Topfin conditioner says it detoxifies ammonia, but if it doesn't, definitely get yourself something like Prime or Amquel+ which will render the extra ammonia basically harmless.
Most ammonia tests cannot distinguish ammonia from ammonium, and give you a total ammonia reading. I'm almost certain the API tests fall in this category. The type of test that only read total ammonia are Nessler-type tests. Salicylate-based tests ONLY read toxic ammonia (NH3). Seachem makes that kind of ammonia test.
I don't know if Topfin conditioner says it detoxifies ammonia, but if it doesn't, definitely get yourself something like Prime or Amquel+ which will render the extra ammonia basically harmless.
Well, I do small waterchanges. Usually about 15-20%. 1PPM amonia, at 20% water changes, leaves .2PPM in your tank. In a healthy cycled tank, the bacteria should be able to clear it out in a short time.CoreyMac said:
I would say that my tank has fully cycled. I do regular water changes, anywhere from 15% to 25%. The topfin ammonia reducer says that it detoxifies ammonia. As for those test kits that you mentioned, I will look into them. Perhaps that is why I continue to get a high ammonia reading even though I have treated the water. Thanks so much for your help!
you're welcome! I also have a Seachem Ammonia Alert stick-on thing on my tanks. It changes colors in response to toxic ammonia. So I use it in addition to my regular test kit (that only reads total ammonia). It lasts about a year and costs less than $10 
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=4387&N=2004+113074
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=4387&N=2004+113074
Last edited:
It's reusable. Like if it reads toxic ammonia at some point and turns green/blue, once you remove the ammonia (hopefully with a water change) it will turn back to yellow after about 15 minutes.
It's good for about a year, they say. It doesn't need reagants to be added, like some other stick-on monitors I've seen at the store. It's just a little yellow dot that you're not supposed to touch, because it must be some kind of reactive substance.
I like them a lot! I've only had them read ammonia once, on all my tanks. That's when I used too many root tabs and they started leaching ammonia in to my water. The sticky turned dark blue and alerted me long before I would have thought to do a water test. It didn't even occur to me that root tabs contained ammonia :duh: But the sticky saved my butt and my fish!
It's good for about a year, they say. It doesn't need reagants to be added, like some other stick-on monitors I've seen at the store. It's just a little yellow dot that you're not supposed to touch, because it must be some kind of reactive substance.
I like them a lot! I've only had them read ammonia once, on all my tanks. That's when I used too many root tabs and they started leaching ammonia in to my water. The sticky turned dark blue and alerted me long before I would have thought to do a water test. It didn't even occur to me that root tabs contained ammonia :duh: But the sticky saved my butt and my fish!
As another poster said, you need to be using Prime. While it may look more expensive on the shelf, it is far more concentrated than that PetSmart-brand stuff you are using now. It will take care of Chlorine, Chloramine, Ammonia, and Nitrite.
While the API Master test kit is good, unfortunately it only measures Total Ammonia. You need a different kit if you want to measure non-neutralized ammonia only. (The SeaChem test kit is one such kit.)
If you want to save some money, you can order Prime, along with most of your other Fish supplies, like food, parts, filter pads, test kits, decorations, etc., from www.bigalsonline.com
SirWired
While the API Master test kit is good, unfortunately it only measures Total Ammonia. You need a different kit if you want to measure non-neutralized ammonia only. (The SeaChem test kit is one such kit.)
If you want to save some money, you can order Prime, along with most of your other Fish supplies, like food, parts, filter pads, test kits, decorations, etc., from www.bigalsonline.com
SirWired
