Ammonia in water?

[Choco]

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

Problem is...i need to do water change add the water to a temporary 2G tank i set up housing a few CRS and cherry shrimp....tank is new and there is pretty much no bacterias at all in there. (not even a filter in there, just air pump+airstone for water movement & aeration)
I was hoping to do daily 15-20% water change to keep water clean...but the water issue worries me.
The water still test positive ammonia result after 1-2 days....i just don't know whether the result is ammonium or ammonia...:wall:


I am waiting for a tank i set up a month ago to completely cycled (I thought it would have been cycled by now, but apparently not....) I tested today and got a reading of 0 ammonia, .25 nitrite, and 10-15 nitrate, so I know it is very close to fully cycled. Once nitrite reach zero, I will put all the shrimp in there.

 

[Choco]

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.

The bottle and website say it removes chlorine and chloramines
http://aquariumpharm.com/en_us/productCategory.asp?categoryname=WaterConditioners

"Instantly removes chlorine and chloramines, making tap water safe for fish. Neutralizes heavy metals. Also, replaces the natural slime coating fish need in times of stress, such as handling, shipping or fighting. Contains Aloe Vera, nature's liquid bandage, to prevent the loss of essential electrolytes and protect damaged tissue against disease-causing organisms. Helps heal torn fins and skin wounds. Use when setting up aquarium, changing water, or adding fish."

 

[loaches r cool]

Yes I know it says it removes chloramines but that is deceptive. Read again what I said with emphasis on whats red:

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.

Stress Coat is nothing more than a regular chlorine conditioner and aloe vera. its just sodium thiosulfate, water, and aloe vera. There are much cheaper less watered down sources of sodium thiosulfate, and you dont need the aloe vera anyhow. Any regular chlorine remover will 'remove' chloramines as well, in a strong enough dose, they just leave ammonia behind.

 

[Choco]

Yes I know it says it removes chloramines but that is deceptive. Read again what I said with emphasis on whats red:



Stress Coat is nothing more than a regular chlorine conditioner and aloe vera. its just sodium thiosulfate, water, and aloe vera. There are much cheaper less watered down sources of sodium thiosulfate, and you dont need the aloe vera anyhow. Any regular chlorine remover will 'remove' chloramines as well, in a strong enough dose, they just leave ammonia behind.

ohhhh....i alway thought ammonia in tap water is usually from the chloramine in the water....
I see what you mean now....

I will go buy a bottle of ammno-lock after work and hopes it helps solve the problem...let's hope the shrimp make it thru tonight...:headbang2:

 

[Bobnova]

When the chlorine remover breaks the chloramine it releases ammonia.

 

[Choco]

When the chlorine remover breaks the chloramine it releases ammonia.

After more research...it seems most water conditioners in the market will break down chloramine AND detoxify ammonia (Prime, amquel)

Yet the API stress coat does not...

It kinda annoys me why Aquarium Pharmaceuticals would make a product like this...
it is really misleading that they are advertising that their product will "remove" chloramine...yet it doesn't exactly neutralize it and can still leave harmful chemical in our aquarium :angryfire:
I am sure most beginners wouldn't know or understand all these chloramine -> ammonia reactions. When they bottle says it remove chloramine, they expect chloramine treated water can be safely added to their aquarium after treating with the product

Screw Aquarium Pharmaceutical, I am not buying anymore of their products! :headshake2:

 

[loaches r cool]

After more research...it seems most water conditioners in the market will break down chloramine AND detoxify ammonia (Prime, amquel)

Yet the API stress coat does not...

It kinda annoys me why Aquarium Pharmaceuticals would make a product like this...
it is really misleading that they are advertising that their product will "remove" chloramine...yet it doesn't exactly neutralize it and can still leave harmful chemical in our aquarium :angryfire:
I am sure most beginners wouldn't know or understand all these chloramine -> ammonia reactions. When they bottle says it remove chloramine, they expect chloramine treated water can be safely added to their aquarium after treating with the product

Screw Aquarium Pharmaceutical, I am not buying anymore of their products! :headshake2:

I agree completely. But curious, did you read the label fully on the bottle to make sure it didnt actually give this warning about chloramines? I havent had stress coat since I started using prime so I cant check. But you would think they would after they themselves seem to attack and accuse other companies of saying it removes chloramine but infact it just breaks it down and leaves ammonia... here is a quote from there website:

Regular dechlorinators remove the chlorine part of chloramine but leave the ammonia in the water. Technically speaking, the chloramine is removed, but the water is not safe for fish. Some manufacturers of water conditioners state their product removes chloramine, but fail to tell you that the ammonia is still present in the water. In addition, many regular dechlorinating water conditioners are not strong enough to completely neutralize all of the chloramine. This results in both free ammonia and chloramine in your aquarium. You should use a water conditioner formulated especially for chloramines, such as Ammo-Lock.