*****How to test for ammonia when you use Prime*****

[Ardan]

Testing for Ammonia when you have Chloramines or use Prime

How do you test for ammonia when there are chloramines present or you use products such as prime? Prime and similar products will give false readings for ammonia with most test kits.
One kit which will give accurate ammonia test results and read the "free ammonia" (NH3, the dangerous ammonia) is the Seachem ammonia test kit. (NH4 ammonia is non toxic to the fish)
I have used this while using an amine based product.(ammonia derivative that helps stabalize the main ingredient, in my case it was copper while using Cupramine)
This kit was easy to use, the color chart was easy to read to get fairly precise results, and it took only 15 minutes to obtain a result.

Here is where I purchased this product. I am sure it is also available elsewhere.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...82&pcatid=4382
Here is an explanation of the product on the Seachem website
http://www.seachem.com/products/prod...MTAmmonia.html

Here is the instructions to use this product (in pdf format)
http://www.seachem.com/support/Instr...40-Ammonia.pdf

The discs for measuring "free ammonia" are rechargeable in the container that is included in the kit.

You can also test "total ammonia" which will include NH3, NH4, and any amines in the water.

hth
Ardan

[Elite Aquaria]

Thanks for the info...I will need to pick up one of those later this week.

[Ardan]

You are welcome Dan

Ardan

[discusjoe27]

I know it's 2 years old but red sea test kits come with a nh3/nh4 test kit.
just want to share.

[ssevasta]

I know it's an old posting but the above link is dead.

[Ardan]

I repaired the post

Ardan

[mcishaque]

Testing for Ammonia when you have Chloramines or use Prime

How do you test for ammonia when there are chloramines present or you use products such as prime? Prime and similar products will give false readings for ammonia with most test kits.
One kit which will give accurate ammonia test results and read the "free ammonia" (NH3, the dangerous ammonia) is the Seachem ammonia test kit. (NH4 ammonia is non toxic to the fish)
I have used this while using an amine based product.(ammonia derivative that helps stabalize the main ingredient, in my case it was copper while using Cupramine)
This kit was easy to use, the color chart was easy to read to get fairly precise results, and it took only 15 minutes to obtain a result.

Here is where I purchased this product. I am sure it is also available elsewhere.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...82&pcatid=4382
Here is an explanation of the product on the Seachem website
http://www.seachem.com/products/prod...MTAmmonia.html

Here is the instructions to use this product (in pdf format)
http://www.seachem.com/support/Instr...40-Ammonia.pdf

The discs for measuring "free ammonia" are rechargeable in the container that is included in the kit.

You can also test "total ammonia" which will include NH3, NH4, and any amines in the water.

hth
Ardan

The product hyperlink provided above (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...82&pcatid=4382) takes you to the Nitriet/Nitrate Multi Test Kit - I do believe that is the INCORRECT test for what's being discussed.

The CORRECT product is: http://www.bigalsonline.com/edealinv...541&scId=18541

[Jhhnn]

This is the current Seachem page for their ammonia test kit when using Prime-

http://www.seachem.com/Products/prod...T_Ammonia.html

[brianyam]

Speaking of false reading. I joke you not. I started a new seafood mix I make myself with a good helping of Spirulina and kelp powder in there. When I did a casual test of my water with an API test kit, I noticed my ammonia was really high. I freaked out, did huge water changes ( I usually do WC 1-2 a week) every day. Nothing worked. I put purigen and ammo chips in the filters. Still nothing. My tank was fully cycled. Fish looked great, eating, colour looked good. But my ammonia kept coming up high. So I figured the only thing that changed was putting this seafood mix in there, so I checked tap water with some spirulina and kelp powder...and you know...the test turned out "high" in ammonia. So it was a week of freaking out for nothing....

[luvadiscus]

Can you explain this to me? So if I use prime then I cannot rely on my API test kit weekly for my ammonia testing?

[JERRYKEVIN]

LUVADISCUS--correct-You need the seachem test kit

[DerekFF]

I'm always a little entertained by conversations about ammonia. Why are people so concerned? We all do so many water changes that it really is a null point. What happens if we suspect there is ammonia or a build up of nitrates or anything bad? A water change (and ammonia is rarely the case) in larger show tanks where we don't do water changes as often maybe we have larger bio filters which pretty much take care of any ammonia created right away. I don't even own a test kit anymore for fresh or salt water and have been successful in both fresh and marine reef aquariums with the KISS method. I use my eyes to determine when something is wrong, and when there is, water change!!! Would an ammonia test tell me to do anything different? No because that's the solution to the problem, a water change. The only time I test for ammonia is on a new tank that is cycling and at that point I just have my lfs test the water, and still at that I don't even bother testing it for a few weeks. (Less if I use dr Tim's) I feed the living daylights out of my tanks and have never had an ammonia issue....ever. If you do......it's because you aren't doing water changes in an under filtered tank.


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[shawnhu]

I'm always a little entertained by conversations about ammonia. Why are people so concerned? We all do so many water changes that it really is a null point. What happens if we suspect there is ammonia or a build up of nitrates or anything bad? A water change (and ammonia is rarely the case) in larger show tanks where we don't do water changes as often maybe we have larger bio filters which pretty much take care of any ammonia created right away. I don't even own a test kit anymore for fresh or salt water and have been successful in both fresh and marine reef aquariums with the KISS method. I use my eyes to determine when something is wrong, and when there is, water change!!! Would an ammonia test tell me to do anything different? No because that's the solution to the problem, a water change. The only time I test for ammonia is on a new tank that is cycling and at that point I just have my lfs test the water, and still at that I don't even bother testing it for a few weeks. (Less if I use dr Tim's) I feed the living daylights out of my tanks and have never had an ammonia issue....ever. If you do......it's because you aren't doing water changes in an under filtered tank.


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Why do you assume everyone on this forum does massive water changes?

[DerekFF]

Why do you assume everyone on this forum does massive water changes?

I didn't. As I stated if we don't do large water changes then we often have larger bio filtration systems to make sure that there isn't an ammonia problem.


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[shawnhu]

.... We all do so many water changes that it really is a null point. ....

Derek, you are aware that there are more ways than water changes and bio filtration that removes ammonia, right?