Ammonia in water?

[Choco]

I have been doing a lot of water testing these 2 days and found the tap water alway contain .25-.50 ppm of ammonia...
I have tried many different way to get rid of it...
I used 2 water conditioner that say it removes chlorine and chloramine
I left the water sit itself for 24 hours (both with or without using water conditioner)
But I will still get a reading of .25-.50 ppm

However, if I do the test on water from an established tank (that was also filled up with the same tap water + conditioner), I get 0ppm ammonia.

Any idea on why is this happening? Am I just getting a false reading or missing something here?

I am in the process of setting up a nano shrimp tank and I am afraid of using the tap water.

 

[Draal5]

What type of test are you using liquid or the test strips?

Test strips are completely unreliable

 

[grannylvsfish]

also some say not to mix water conditioners. not sure but I have seen the posts on not doing it. I also agree test strips not good!

 

[davexstumpe]

What type of conditioner are you using? Make sure you use one that detoxifies ammonia, nitrite, and gets rid of chloramines/chlorine.

This way as long as you add conditioner you're adding an ammonia detoxifier as well, so theres no problems.

 

[Bobnova]

Any water conditioner that can properly deal with chloramine will bind the ammonia into ammonium. Ammonium isn't toxic at low levels (low being pretty much anything you're likely to run into in an aquarium), but it shows up on water tests as ammonia.

 

[Choco]

I did not mix the water conditioner, I used 2 different water conditioner on 2 different cup of water for testing and got the same result

They are the API Stress coat http://www.bigalsonline.ca/StoreCat...def-CAD-18157##0##a&query=stress+coat&offset=
and Zoo Med Reptisafe http://www.bigalsonline.ca/BigAlsCA/ctl3664/cp18104/si1318106/cl0/zoo

Both of them advertise they remove chlorine and chloramine...remove ammonia, detoxify...etc

I didn't use the test strip, i used the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater Master Test Kit
http://www.bigalsonline.ca/StoreCat...y=freshwater+master+test&queryType=0&offset=0

 

[Star_Rider]

the conditioners that detoxify chloramines actually breaks the ammonia /chlorine bond attaches an extra hydrogen to NH3 (ammonia) converting it to NH4 (ammonium)

most tests we use test total ammonia(NH3+NH4) that is why you may get a positive ammonia reading .
NH4 is a less Toxic ..

 

[Choco]

Any water conditioner that can properly deal with chloramine will bind the ammonia into ammonium. Ammonium isn't toxic at low levels (low being pretty much anything you're likely to run into in an aquarium), but it shows up on water tests as ammonia.

Soo......i shouldn't worry too much about the test showing ammonia?

I've never heard of Ammonium, so is the level i am seeing consider safe? (.25-.50 ppm)

 

[Star_Rider]

Soo......i shouldn't worry too much about the test showing ammonia?

I've never heard of Ammonium, so is the level i am seeing consider safe? (.25-.50 ppm)

'retest the tank water 24 hrs after doing a water change..ammonia and ammonium will be consumed by the bacteria.

 

[loaches r cool]

They are the API Stress coat http://www.bigalsonline.ca/StoreCat...def-CAD-18157##0##a&query=stress+coat&offset=
and Zoo Med Reptisafe http://www.bigalsonline.ca/BigAlsCA/ctl3664/cp18104/si1318106/cl0/zoo

Both of them advertise they remove chlorine and chloramine...remove ammonia, detoxify...etc

I dont know anything about the reptile one, but last I read API stress coat does not remove ammonia. If you happen to have chloramines the conditioner will leave the ammonia in the new water, and they reccomend the use of API Ammo-Lock in conjuction with Stress Coat if you have chloramines.