Ammonia from tap

L

Linariel

AC Members
Apr 3, 2007
166
0
16
Michigan
I recently found out that my tap water has .25 ppm of ammonia.. I just tested my 46 gallon tank (running for about three months) and the levels still appear to be .25. I last did a water change about a week ago, approximately 20%, and I added Prime to the replacement water.

My questions are:

Shouldn't my tank have converted this ammonia to nitrates? Why is it still reading in my tank?

Is there anything I can do to get rid of the ammonia in my tap water, or should I just add Prime before adding it to the tank? It will make the ammonia harmless, right?

I just tested with my API liquid kit and my results are-
Ammonia- .25 (I think...the water doesn't look pure yellow, but closer to the .25 reading on the chart)
Nitrites- definitely 0
Nitrates- a bit more than 5.

Thanks in advance.
 
Prime takes the ammonia and detoxifies it. It is still available for your bacteria and reads on your test kit, but okay for your fish. However, higher readings than what your tap is means water change time.
 
So it will still read .25 even though the bacteria is utilizing it? Or does that mean they haven't used it yet, and my tank isn't totally cycled?

Thanks jm, but I forgot to mention I have well water.
 
your well water may have something dying off in it.

are there septic systems nearby?

your test probably tests for total ammonia(ammonia and ammonium)

ammonium is not as harmful as ammonia..
 
ewww.....no, I don't think there are any septic systems, as far as I know the whole street has sewer hook ups. Is this stuff like, safe to drink? o.o

I just can't figure out why it's still in the tank water if my tank is cycled.
 
Ammonia in low amounts is not all that uncommon in municple water supplies. If you are getting this from your well a few questions: How deep, is it lined, capped/sealed, and what is your substrate? Lastly, did you recently get any large rain storm?

In the case of the latter, it is good to know if your well water flucuates with large rain storms. A lot of the southwest experiences this phenomena with shallow wells.

As to your question about the ammonia levels -- If you tank is cycled and your well is reading at 0.25ppm Ammonia, then your tank should never register over this. PRIME will nuetralize the Ammonia into it's non-toxic form, but it will still read. In a cycled tnak, the bacteria will feed off of this form as well, and your levels will fall. In a non-cycled tank and/or a partially cycled tank, your Ammonia will most likely rise shortly after each water change (WC), as the bacteria cannot "cycle" this spike in ammonia into nitrItes at the rates needed.

I hope I made sense ! ;)

P.S. LOVE the Avatar!
 
ct-death said:
Ammonia in low amounts is not all that uncommon in municple water supplies. If you are getting this from your well a few questions: How deep, is it lined, capped/sealed, and what is your substrate? Lastly, did you recently get any large rain storm?

In the case of the latter, it is good to know if your well water flucuates with large rain storms. A lot of the southwest experiences this phenomena with shallow wells.

As to your question about the ammonia levels -- If you tank is cycled and your well is reading at 0.25ppm Ammonia, then your tank should never register over this. PRIME will nuetralize the Ammonia into it's non-toxic form, but it will still read. In a cycled tnak, the bacteria will feed off of this form as well, and your levels will fall. In a non-cycled tank and/or a partially cycled tank, your Ammonia will most likely rise shortly after each water change (WC), as the bacteria cannot "cycle" this spike in ammonia into nitrItes at the rates needed.

I hope I made sense ! ;)

P.S. LOVE the Avatar!
Click to expand...

I've got paperwork for the well somewhere, as I just had the pump replaced. It doesn't say the substrate though, or whether it's lined.

No, no large rainstorms.

I just changed the water and tested, and the ammonia was still at .25 a couple hours later...so it seems that it is not being converted properly?

Thanks for the info, and I gotta change my avatar, I think someone else has the same one!
 
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