Ammonium chloride as a cycle starter

[coralnerd]

At the price of a jug of household ammonia @ Walmart (under a buck) I'd just buy that and be done with it. I'm all about saving money, but it's just a dollar.

I'm all about saving money too. That's why I'm using the NH4Cl. I can get it for free from work.

 

[perpacity]

Also, you could try using Baker's Ammonia (Ammonium Carbonate):
http://shop.bakerscatalogue.com/items/Baker_s_Ammonia.html

 

[Roan Art]

Also, you could try using Baker's Ammonia (Ammonium Carbonate):
http://shop.bakerscatalogue.com/items/Baker_s_Ammonia.html

There's something you don't find in a regular grocery store.

@ $4.50 plus 5$.00 shipping? $10 bucks?

You're better off looking for some bottled ammonia locally. That's nuts.

Roan

 

[perpacity]

It can be had much cheaper on ebay.



Also, please remember that if you have an acrylic aquarium, that direct contact with liquid ammonia hydroxide will cause permanent hazing.

 

[rrkss]

Ammonium Chloride is fine to use with any fishless cycle. It will somewhat break down to NH3 in alkaline water and be perfectly fine for the job it is put in to do. Just keep your tank lights off or you will have green water.

To the person who commented about it being highly toxic. You are incorrect it is not a product of the Bleach + Ammonia reaction. Ammonium chloride is a safe salt to work with (if you don't drink it) but like any ammonium salt, it can irritate your skin should you have prolonged contact with it.

This salt is actually fun to work with. The dissolving process of ammonium chloride is endothermic so the container tends to get very cold when you use it.

 

[trivial104]

Just stumbled across this website where the author advocates using NH4Cl. I thought it was interesting.

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article14.html

Although his source for NH4Cl is quite expensive, it sounds better the longer I struggle to find some pure ammonia. Wal-Mart, CUBs grocery store, Walgreens, local hardware store... all negative Although I suppose I'd also need to get a scale to measure it out then...

 

[nerdyguy83]

I bought a liter of regular ammonia at Wal-mart for .89. Is using ammonia chloride really worth all the trouble just because it is free?

 

[gonecrazy_fl]

i know this disscusion is over for a while but here is a link that worked for me,

http://www.algone.com/fishless_cycling.htm