Please explain ammonia removers.

[happychem]

star_rider, ammonia binders associate with ammonia to bind it into a form harmless to fish. Ammo chips, the type that go in the filter, adsorb ammonia removing it from the water entirely. The functional difference is that ammonia binders added to the water are very useful for emergencies (as OG described), shipping fish, and ammonia spikes during a fishy cycle, since the bound ammonia is still available to the bacteria. However, it seems logical that if the bond is sufficiently strong to keep the ammonia out of solution, it would be energetically less favourable to a nitrifier than free ammonia. So my unresearched hypothesis is that ammonia binders slow cycling.

The problem with ammo-chips, zeolite, and ammonia adsorbants in general is that they create an artificial low ammonia situation, which hinders nitrifier growth by removing their food. So what happens when these are exhausted? Well, ammonia spikes and the nitrifer colonies need to grow to meet the "new" ammonia source. Not much of a problem for ammonia nitrifiers really, they're pretty quick, but nitrite nitrifiers are much slower, partly because they're dependent on ammonia nitrifiers for food.

 

[TKOS]

As Happychem knows, our tapwater here has almost no hardness to it, the buffering is very low. Yet my pH never swings or changes as long as I do weekly water changes. Even a 2gallon water chaneg in a 20 gallon tank is enough to keep it stable (I do larger changes but I found that amount to be the minimum). And at the moment I don't even use dechlorinator as I age my water (chlorine only here).

Free is always the cheapest way to go.

 

[mikesoverhere]

oops yea

thats what I meant :duh: I'm just saying use ammonia chips u can keep using them a million times over just recharge them. I'm doing a research on ammo chips this stuff has a negative charge which attracks harmfull gases and bactiria, air and water, this is zeolite. zeolite is also good for air quality in your home, it takes odour out of indoor air. this stuff can do alot more than just remove ammonia.The thing that amazes me is this stuff is a cancer cure in it's early stages.I'm going off the topic here this medication comes in a small bottle u take doses and it has been sd people have recovered in hospitals hmmmmm maybe some 1 slipped it in their drink.

DRUG COMPANIES DON"TWANT ANY 1 TO KNOW! Pricks! $$$$$
I'm not absolutly sure but I can believe it.

 

[mathchris]

I'm still working on the crushed coral solution. My pH is still too low.

Has Anyonee used Eco-complete African Cichlid Substrate?

I realize my fish is not an African lake fish but in the correct amount, could it be better than just crushed coral? Doesn't crushed coral effect the pH but not the KH. My KH is low too.

 

[happychem]

Crushed coral is CaCO3 and, to a lesser extent, MgCO3. It dissolves into HCO3 (bicarbonate) and CO3 (carbonate) which raise both pH and KH. The ultimate increase in pH is a physical property of the base being added (in this case, carbonate), the rate at which it reaches that pH is a function of surface area - i.e. how much you have in your tank. So no, adding just a little bit will not affect the end-product pH, just the rate at which it achieves it. Also, I believe that the african cichlid substrate is carbonate based, but don't quote me on it.

 

[mathchris]

The crushed coral works great. I slowly added a little everyday into a mesh bag in the sump. PH is back to normal. I had to buy much more crushed coral than will ever need (unless I get a saltwater tank). Thanks for all the help.