In this situation I see several ways that ammonia could have appeared, but I should start at the beginning. I was mixing salt for the latest water change when I began to smell something fishy, quite literally- it was the smell of ammonia. I tested the water and it turned out it there was ammonia. Now I start to think, so I sniff all of the jugs (5 of 'em) 4 smell of ammonia, 1 does not. The loner had not been filled with water that day.
Now the remaining 4 break down into three categories. 1 had been sitting around the house for three weeks. 3 had been sitting out for three weeks ( now I know what you're thinking here) 1 had its cap on 2 didn't, but they were on there side so a minuscule amount of gunk got in. If it was only the two I left out, there would be no mystery whatsoever, but the other two also smell. Now these four have 3 things in common, I hosed them off before I went to fill them, all were filled with my LFS's DI/RO water, and they all were sitting in my dads care for 2 days after they were taken out of the rain. So the question is... where does does it come from?
Now the remaining 4 break down into three categories. 1 had been sitting around the house for three weeks. 3 had been sitting out for three weeks ( now I know what you're thinking here) 1 had its cap on 2 didn't, but they were on there side so a minuscule amount of gunk got in. If it was only the two I left out, there would be no mystery whatsoever, but the other two also smell. Now these four have 3 things in common, I hosed them off before I went to fill them, all were filled with my LFS's DI/RO water, and they all were sitting in my dads care for 2 days after they were taken out of the rain. So the question is... where does does it come from?