Prime will detoxify the ammonia, but will not remove it. It will still show ammonia levels when testing.
Just a shot, have you tested you tap water after treating with "ultimate"?
Help needed to remove 0.25 of ammonia in discus tank
- Thread starter angel68
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Prime will detoxify the ammonia, but will not remove it. It will still show ammonia levels when testing.
Just a shot, have you tested you tap water after treating with "ultimate"?
I was just trying to eliminate all the possiblities, should make sure your bottle of "Ultimate is not comtaminated and causing the ammonia levels.
I am assuming when you are cleaning your filters that you are rinsing the sponge in old tank water and taking care to rinse the Ehfisubstrat in the eheim only in old tank water to preserve the Beneficial bacteria.
Yes. Water conditioners that remove chloramine are actually breaking the chlorine/ammonia bond which releases free ammonia to then be detoxified by the water conditioner. I'm not positive, but I don't think ammonia test kits can read ammonia levels while the ammonia is is still bound to the chlorine (chloramine).
The 'false' ammonia reading that is being referred to, is the detoxified ammonia.(ammonium/NH4) after this bond is broken and neutralized.
Toxic ammonia(NH3) is also changed into nontoxic ammonium(NH4) in water with an acidic pH. Ammonia is not nearly as toxic when the pH is well below 7.
Hi,
What you are saying is very interesting. So, are you implying that I might be getting a false reading? My PH gets to 7 at most. So I know it's not such a big deal, but it's been like that for almost 2 weeks now....:wall::wall: Should I use a different conditioner? What would you do if you were me??????
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FYI, the ammonia tests most reagent test, test for it TOTAL ammonia.
this is both NH3 and NH4 (ammonia and ammonium)
so yes unless your test is specifically for ammonia(NH3) you will get a reading of total ammonia including NH4.
prime breaks the chlorine /ammonia bond ...gets rid of the chlorine and bonds Hydrogen to the NH3 (ammonia) this creates NH4 (ammonium) which is less toxic than NH3.
the reading should go to ) shortly( a few hours) if the cycle is not affected and the bacteria are present to eliminate the ammonia..
if you are still getting a reading of .25 or higher after a few hours than you need to do water changes to compensate..the bacteria that consume ammonia will consume ammonium.
this is both NH3 and NH4 (ammonia and ammonium)
so yes unless your test is specifically for ammonia(NH3) you will get a reading of total ammonia including NH4.
prime breaks the chlorine /ammonia bond ...gets rid of the chlorine and bonds Hydrogen to the NH3 (ammonia) this creates NH4 (ammonium) which is less toxic than NH3.
the reading should go to ) shortly( a few hours) if the cycle is not affected and the bacteria are present to eliminate the ammonia..
if you are still getting a reading of .25 or higher after a few hours than you need to do water changes to compensate..the bacteria that consume ammonia will consume ammonium.
