Ammonia in tap water...

[Danny Boy]

Despite having fully cycled my tank before adding fish, and having almost perfect results throughout the cycle, I'm concerned that I now can't get my ammonia levels down.

Everything else is steady, pH 8, nitrite 0, nitrate 10 and temp 25.

BUT, the ammonia is steady at 0.25ppm. I've been doing small water changes to get it down...but no joy.

So today I tested my tap water, and I get a 0.25ppm reading. Can this be right? I wouldn't have thought ammonia would be something to be found in tap water...

If this is right, it looks like the reason I can't get it down, the water I'm adding is infact adding to the ammonia reading!

 

[mux11]

I just filled my tank on saturday. I too tested my raw tap water and found it to be about 0.35 ish. Im in Iowa.
beyond that I cant be of much help.
cheers

 

[blitztidus]

your tap water might have ammonia in it. so i would test it and if it is take it easy on the changing. that might make it go down.

 

[UBigBobby]

Get this stuff called Ammo Lock. Its a dechlorinator tha also gets rid of ammonia for water changes. Get a little bottle to use as your dechlorinator and it should also get rid of the ammonia in the tap water before you add it to the tank. They sell it at most pet shops, I know PetCo and PetsMart have it.

 

[webcat5]

I did a fishless cycle on my tank and had to add ammonia. It could be that your tank is not fully cycled yet and you do not have enough beneficial bactieria to convert the ammonia yet. The fish that you put in will produce ammonia when they pee. Don't rush it. It took quite a while after every other test turned out good the ammonia was still not settled. Tanks will go trough a "mini" cycle after you add fish.