Process of removing Ammonia

[Angeltold]

Hi there! Im not exactly a beginner, but I just figured out this ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and PH stuff, and starting to understand it.
So! The reason I’m in this thread is because my tank is showing traces of ammonia. This last test was a 0.25, which is lower than last time by at least .1.
I had ordered a bunch of products, two ammonia products. One is ammo lock. The other is aqua essential.
Since i was already adding a bunch of products, I think i split the two doses in half.
The reason for my post is, i was wondering how long does it take for the cleaning chemicals to remove all of the ammonia?
I just added them with fresh water only 5 hours ago.
Should I add more product? Do I have to preform a water change before adding more product?
I don't want to overdose the little guys.
Thank you for your responses! ^~^

 

[joeyr188]

Hi there! Im not exactly a beginner, but I just figured out this ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and PH stuff, and starting to understand it.
So! The reason I’m in this thread is because my tank is showing traces of ammonia. This last test was a 0.25, which is lower than last time by at least .1.
I had ordered a bunch of products, two ammonia products. One is ammo lock. The other is aqua essential.
Since i was already adding a bunch of products, I think i split the two doses in half.
The reason for my post is, i was wondering how long does it take for the cleaning chemicals to remove all of the ammonia?
I just added them with fresh water only 5 hours ago.
Should I add more product? Do I have to preform a water change before adding more product?
I don't want to overdose the little guys.
Thank you for your responses! ^~^

I would be carful with ammo lock i see a lot of people talking about how it killed there fish in smaller tanks

 

[Angeltold]

I would be carful with ammo lock i see a lot of people talking about how it killed there fish in smaller tanks

Okie Doke! I just tested and theres no nirites, and only 8 ppm Nitrate. Where there was much more before.
My API water testing notes here state:
‘A daily water change may be required over several days. Be sure to use a water conditioner, such as API stress coat water conditioner, when adding tap water back into the aquarium.’
I would believe that in a five gallon bucket full of water, if you do the metrix correctly, is 2.5ML, add the stress coat accordingly as well, and use the treated water to add to the tank.
There ammo lock bottle says “add every 2 days until ammonia is not detected (which could be why peoples fish are dying).”if after 7 days, ammonia is still present, perform a partial water change, service your filter, reduce feeding.”
The instructions on the bottle are misleading.
I’ll try a daily water change with treated water to keep the ratio of water to medicine instead.
Thanks! I’m getting some awesome filter media in the mail this weekend. Super excited.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Don't use Stress Coat, it contains aloe vera = bad for fish...get some Seachem Prime, or API Tap Water conditioner, instead

You don't need "ammo lock", or any other ammonia "remover"

Are there fish in the tank? What size tank, and what fish?

 

[sharkweek178]

The best way to remove ammonia is fast growing floating plants. Anacharis, salvinia minima, Amazon frogbit, water wisteria, water sprite, red root floaters, water lettuce. None of the drawbacks of chemicals. And they also provide other benefits that you don't get from chemicals like oxygenating the water and providing cover and shade for the fish.
(Duckweed can also work but it has a big drawback of being extremely difficult to remove from a tank once it's added.)

 

[Byron]

First, never use chemicals/additives to solve a "problem," because these substances do affect fish and many have safer ways to deal with them.

Second, what is the tank size, and what fish do you have (species and numbers)? Are you cycling? How long has this tank been running?

Third, as you are in the USA, does your water authority add chloramine to the tap water, or just chlorine?

 

[Angeltold]

Hi ! My tank is a 20 gallon. It has 5 corys, 3 frogs, one betta, 2 assassin snails. I plan to add some shrimp. Ive had my tank for a few months. I just ordered some biomedia for it that I’m excited to try.
Im not sure about the water. I know its alot cleaner than other states that I’ve been to,
I also have a 2.5 Betta tank, but i completely cleaned it so that one just has a small trace of ammonia.
I’m keeping part of the old filter to help created a safe biological environment.
Plants sound great and all but this ph product im using says not to use with plants. i have some java moss in another 2.5 gallon with a nerite snail, and my friend should be giving me some Shrimp soon.
Thanks you guys!

 

[Byron]

Hi ! My tank is a 20 gallon. It has 5 corys, 3 frogs, one betta, 2 assassin snails. I plan to add some shrimp. Ive had my tank for a few months. I just ordered some biomedia for it that I’m excited to try.
Im not sure about the water. I know its alot cleaner than other states that I’ve been to,
I also have a 2.5 Betta tank, but i completely cleaned it so that one just has a small trace of ammonia.
I’m keeping part of the old filter to help created a safe biological environment.
Plants sound great and all but this ph product im using says not to use with plants. i have some java moss in another 2.5 gallon with a nerite snail, and my friend should be giving me some Shrimp soon.
Thanks you guys!

What pH product?

You need to find out about the source water, if it has chloramine or chlorine added, so check the website of your water authority or call them. This is public information. Chloramine could be the ammonia issue here, but we need to know.

 

[Angeltold]

What pH product?

You need to find out about the source water, if it has chloramine or chlorine added, so check the website of your water authority or call them. This is public information. Chloramine could be the ammonia issue here, but we need to know.

Proper PH 7.0 sorry for the late reply, i was at work. I came home to a milky tank and was paranoid because i know me and my roommate had a slight argument regarding my fish, and a breaker being flipped, so my first reaction was that she poisoned them. And i did a ton of research on the foggy water, and though maybe it could be the API quick start, because I just cleaned my little Betta tank. It had nothing but a slight trace of ammonia. But now it is foggy slightly too.
I had an old filter soaking in treated water that ive been cutting up and placing in my filters trying to create a new biomedia. Maybe changing my filter caused it. But ive never had cloudy water before. Yesterday i checked the water when i posted this, because i noticed my corys acting strange out of no where. I was goin to do a water change today, but thats when the breaker flipped and i didnt get to. So anyway, i went to work and just came home two hours to a cloudy tank. So i filled up a 5 gallon bucket and swapped some out and the levels lowered. But they were high! Im talking red.
Anyway, i realize where the ammonia is coming from. I looked at the ingredients in Utah’s water, and i couldn’t find anything on it, is it The same thing as chlorine? There is bold information everywhere about Provos water having Chlorine in it, and that chlorine is high in ammonia. So that is where the ammonia is coming from. So….. i don’t want to keep adding ammonia to my tank though. Do i need to start buying water. I don’t make a lot and i don’t even drive. They have water filters for drinking but those only come by the gallon.
Thanks for any info.

 

[Byron]

Proper PH 7.0 sorry for the late reply, i was at work. I came home to a milky tank and was paranoid because i know me and my roommate had a slight argument regarding my fish, and a breaker being flipped, so my first reaction was that she poisoned them. And i did a ton of research on the foggy water, and though maybe it could be the API quick start, because I just cleaned my little Betta tank. It had nothing but a slight trace of ammonia. But now it is foggy slightly too.
I had an old filter soaking in treated water that ive been cutting up and placing in my filters trying to create a new biomedia. Maybe changing my filter caused it. But ive never had cloudy water before. Yesterday i checked the water when i posted this, because i noticed my corys acting strange out of no where. I was goin to do a water change today, but thats when the breaker flipped and i didnt get to. So anyway, i went to work and just came home two hours to a cloudy tank. So i filled up a 5 gallon bucket and swapped some out and the levels lowered. But they were high! Im talking red.
Anyway, i realize where the ammonia is coming from. I looked at the ingredients in Utah’s water, and i couldn’t find anything on it, is it The same thing as chlorine? There is bold information everywhere about Provos water having Chlorine in it, and that chlorine is high in ammonia. So that is where the ammonia is coming from. So….. i don’t want to keep adding ammonia to my tank though. Do i need to start buying water. I don’t make a lot and i don’t even drive. They have water filters for drinking but those only come by the gallon.
Thanks for any info.

This has a lot of confusion in it. If only chlorine is added, not chloramine, the ammonia is not coming from the latter. Have you tesyted the tap water on its own for ammonia? Also for nitrite and nitrate, just to be certain of all three in (or not in) the source water.

Second, do not ever us pH adjusting substances. Anything dissolved in the water that is able to diffuse across the cell membranes will enter the fish's bloodstream. Fish "drink" by continually taking in water via osmosis. Chemicals do not belong inside the fish. And in any event, the pH is tied to the GH and KH and these three interact so changing just the pH, or attempting to, usually does not work in addition to the serious detriment to the fish. And a fluctuating pH is stressful on fish, and can kill them.

Back to the ammonia, 0.25 is not uncommon, we have had others with this, but I do see plants in the photo in post 1 so I would not mess around over this. Get clean water in the tank, add nothing but the conditioner (and do not overdose).

Cloudiness can be several things, usually not a risk to fish depending upon the source. Run a large glass pitcher of fresh tap water, using both hot and cold if you normally do this for filling the tank, and set it in front of a window and see how cloudy/clear it is.

 

[Angeltold]

This has a lot of confusion in it. If only chlorine is added, not chloramine, the ammonia is not coming from the latter. Have you tesyted the tap water on its own for ammonia? Also for nitrite and nitrate, just to be certain of all three in (or not in) the source water.

Second, do not ever us pH adjusting substances. Anything dissolved in the water that is able to diffuse across the cell membranes will enter the fish's bloodstream. Fish "drink" by continually taking in water via osmosis. Chemicals do not belong inside the fish. And in any event, the pH is tied to the GH and KH and these three interact so changing just the pH, or attempting to, usually does not work in addition to the serious detriment to the fish. And a fluctuating pH is stressful on fish, and can kill them.

Back to the ammonia, 0.25 is not uncommon, we have had others with this, but I do see plants in the photo in post 1 so I would not mess around over this. Get clean water in the tank, add nothing but the conditioner (and do not overdose).

Cloudiness can be several things, usually not a risk to fish depending upon the source. Run a large glass pitcher of fresh tap water, using both hot and cold if you normally do this for filling the tank, and set it in front of a window and see how cloudy/clear it is.

Youre amazing! Thank you! I tried to get plants but the community pet store owner insisted i replace my light first, so i was turned away from the plants. I looked at the filter stuff, asked his opinion as well, and he insisted that i be patient.
So I am back here now, testing my water.
Nitrates is at 40 ppm
Ammonia is 0.5
Nitrites 0
PH 7.9

Now I’m going to test some tap water
Ammonia .4

(( edited in :: “Alright now i filled up a 5 gallon bucket, and i have an API water conditioner, it says only a drop a gallon. I was going to put 5 drops in it. I was only wondering if this was enough? Its a small amount, so i thought it could be alone a good option?” ))

Alright so that doesn’t sound so bad!
Thank you for helping.

 

[Byron]

Get some substantial floating plants, they are frequently called "ammonia sinks" for very good reason. Once they are growing, they should easily deal with the ammonia here.

 

[Angeltold]

Get some substantial floating plants, they are frequently called "ammonia sinks" for very good reason. Once they are growing, they should easily deal with the ammonia here.

Ok. The pet store by me didn't have any. I’m going to call further ones and see if they have a light, too.

 

[Byron]

Ok. The pet store by me didn't have any. I’m going to call further ones and see if they have a light, too.

Run the light question past members here, as not every aquarium light works. You can end up with problem algae and dying plants if the intensity or spectrum are not what plants need. I know next to nothing about LED, which is what you will likely be looking at these days, but other members do.

 

[sharkweek178]

Ok. The pet store by me didn't have any. I’m going to call further ones and see if they have a light, too.

Etsy is a good place to get aquarium plants. Just make sure you disinfect them before adding them to your tank no matter where you get them from.