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Thread: Musings on state of local municipal tap and total Ammonia

  1. #1
    Registered Member Xirxes's Avatar
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    Default Musings on state of local municipal tap and total Ammonia

    I’m wondering how to consider the term “water quality” in regards to total ammonia vs free ammonia in relation to water changes.

    My tap water, before dechlor, sits at .20 ammonia, and remains testable as probable .20 ammonium after dechlor. Other features are 8.1pH, 4-500ppm hardness.

    Now my aquarium sitting mostly empty in prep for fish will obviously have nearly this same chemistry, but has something approaching .25ppm (<1ppm) nitrate.

    I’m wondering if I should prioritize keeping the source water total ammonia down by going LONGER between water changes, allowing it to maybe reach 10-15ppm before WC in order to keep the new neutralized ammonia from source water out.

    I can change up to 50% of the 240 gallons, but I am not interested in using so very much or even partial RO DI on this system, for sanity’s sake.
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    Registered Member BrendanJ23's Avatar
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    Default Re: Musings on state of local municipal tap and total Ammonia

    I'm a little confused, but I'll answer it as best I can if I am interpreting this correctly.

    To share my experience -

    My tap water also contains ammonia due to chloramines, usually around 0.5ppm. Of course this is still measureable after its been locked up by prime, as the standard ammonia test measures total ammonia (If I'm not mistaken). You can get test kits to measure just free ammonia, and just total ammonia. (Seachem make this).
    Anyway the point I am getting to, is that the biofiltration in my system consumes the ammonia from the tap quickly, before it becomes an issue. I change around 40-50% daily and haven't noticed any issues *touch wood*. I can test my water for ammonia at pretty much any given time and it will register 0.

    I hope that makes sense and is of some help to you, until an expert chimes in

  3. #3
    Registered Member Xirxes's Avatar
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    Default Re: Musings on state of local municipal tap and total Ammonia

    Thank you.

    My current concern is that my aquarium seems to be retaining the .25 total ammonia, even if locked up, for the whole week until next WC on a week, without even a single point of nitrite or nitrate.

    System is not new, has been up for years and is running masses of biomedia, purigen reactor and two different filters.

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    Registered Member BrendanJ23's Avatar
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    Default Re: Musings on state of local municipal tap and total Ammonia

    Have you tried using a different test kit? Or even replacing your current one if it is old?

    have you got some photos of your tank?

  5. #5
    Registered Member Xirxes's Avatar
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    Default Re: Musings on state of local municipal tap and total Ammonia

    Most recent vid
    https://youtu.be/dThowAp8ZPM

    One kit expired 2018, one 2019, but both test absolute zero and same exact total ammonia in Tap as in aquarium, so probably still good.

  6. #6
    Registered Member BrendanJ23's Avatar
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    Default Re: Musings on state of local municipal tap and total Ammonia

    Beautiful tank mate. Aside from that I probably can’t help much further I’m afraid.

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    Don Speers

    Default Re: Musings on state of local municipal tap and total Ammonia

    That's confusing:
    By "both test absolute zero" do you mean that you have recently tested distilled water and both tested 0?
    Also that your ammonia does not drop below 0.25 (if accurate) is puzzling if the tank is cycled. I would try "feeding" your nitrifying bacteria and see how fast a jump in ammonia is metabolized

  8. #8
    Registered Member Xirxes's Avatar
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    Default Re: Musings on state of local municipal tap and total Ammonia

    Yes, both tests, when applied to fresh RO water test zero ammonia, and Both test the same ~.20 from tap, and they happen to test the same amount from my aquarium as well.

    Tested again today 2 days after WC and main display still testing ~.20 ammonia in tank, while testing zero nitrites and 0.20 ppm nitrate or less

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Musings on state of local municipal tap and total Ammonia

    I would get some ammonium chloride and add enough to get your measured ammonia up to 2 ppm and then test to see how fast your bio-filter eats it.

  10. #10
    Registered Member Xirxes's Avatar
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    Default Re: Musings on state of local municipal tap and total Ammonia

    Don’t have that but 2 frozen shrimp just got tossed in until I measure 2ppm

  11. #11
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    Default Re: Musings on state of local municipal tap and total Ammonia

    If your tank is cycled, your ammonia may not get there but your nitrates will certainly spike. Just never heard of a group of ammonia fixing bacteria that decide to go on vacation once the concentration reaches 0.20. Either you are fully cycled and the biggest change will be a bump in nitrates or you will bump ammonia then nitrites then nitrate. We'll see. Once you get an answer and remove the shrimp, I would do a couple of 75+% water changes. Dead shrimp will promote growth of potentially pathogenic bacteria as well as feeding your biofilter. I use Fritz PRO - Ammonium Chloride - 500gm, about 12.00 on amazon, treats 10,000 gallons (to 4 ppm). Recommendations I have read once tank cycled suggest either redosing when Ammonia hits 0 on daily test or just feeding the biofilter every 3 days to maintain viability till fish introduced.

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