mcordelia
Fish Herder
Tap is 0 nitrites, and that's the only thing I tested for the other day when I was puzzling over my high nitrites. HOWEVER, I just went on the city's water website, and they say this:
"Ammonia is present in the city’s drinking water at approximately 0.25 parts per million (mg/L). This ammonia is bound with chlorine in the water to form the water supply’s disinfectant, chloramine. While ammonia at these levels has no adverse impact on humans or other mammals, it is harmful to fish or any organism with gills. Therefore, the ammonia must be deactivated before using city water in a pond or aquarium containing fish. It is important to note that simply removing the chlorine from the water will not remove the ammonia. Instead, fish owners may add certain chemicals to the water to deactivate the ammonia. "
So, that explains that. Also explains why the nitrites were so damn high, it's because I have been unknowingly conducting a very slow cycle with very small ammonia inputs
Surprised that the plants didn't pick up more of the ammonia or nitrites/why it rose so high, but there we go. It is interesting though, I'm not able to get a reading on ammonia myself just now after testing water from the tap that I treated with prime.
Also provides credence to my original plan of filling the tanks from the tap water filter (which removes chlorine and chloramines) instead of the tap, though in a properly cycled tank it shouldn't be a major issue if using prime.
"Ammonia is present in the city’s drinking water at approximately 0.25 parts per million (mg/L). This ammonia is bound with chlorine in the water to form the water supply’s disinfectant, chloramine. While ammonia at these levels has no adverse impact on humans or other mammals, it is harmful to fish or any organism with gills. Therefore, the ammonia must be deactivated before using city water in a pond or aquarium containing fish. It is important to note that simply removing the chlorine from the water will not remove the ammonia. Instead, fish owners may add certain chemicals to the water to deactivate the ammonia. "
So, that explains that. Also explains why the nitrites were so damn high, it's because I have been unknowingly conducting a very slow cycle with very small ammonia inputs
Surprised that the plants didn't pick up more of the ammonia or nitrites/why it rose so high, but there we go. It is interesting though, I'm not able to get a reading on ammonia myself just now after testing water from the tap that I treated with prime. Also provides credence to my original plan of filling the tanks from the tap water filter (which removes chlorine and chloramines) instead of the tap, though in a properly cycled tank it shouldn't be a major issue if using prime.
