Source Of Ammonia?

[Ehudd]

Well i have been having some high ammonia lately, beyond a usual cycle. I didnt get it, but now, opening my calcium supp bottle, i may have figured out.
It stinks, so badly, i opened it and its stunk out my room, and i know supps smell, but not like this, its such a potent smell. Could this be the reason?

needless to say, i will not be using it ne more

 

[rabbut]

Some supplements do contain Ammonia. If they are dosed according the the guidelines (don't overshoot the maximum daily dose IOW) they are safe enough

Are you tracking Mg and Alk also? I presume since you have past experience that you aren't dosing and testing just Calcium, as you will know already that that is setting you up for a Calcium crash Since you will be tracking and adding them up as needed, I'll make a few supplement surgestions...

Calcium Chloride Balling salts (30 level spoons to two liters of water gives a supplement that will raise 80l by 25ppm if you add 100ml) for Calcium
Sodium Bi-Carbonate (30 spoons to two litres of water makes a supplement that rises 80l by 1dKH when 150ml is added) for Alkalinity
Magnesium Chloride, Magnesium Sulphate and Non-Chloride salts of balling (45 spoons Mg - Chloride, 2.4 spoons Mg - Sulphate and 0.4 spoons of salts for balling per two litres will raise 80l by about 50ppm when you add 250ml)

All the best
Rabbut

 

[ben1987]

theres no need to be dosing anything yet. You'll do a water change at the end of the cycle which will replensih lost elements. So long as your using decent quality salt then you wont need to til theres corals there

 

[rabbut]

theres no need to be dosing anything yet. You'll do a water change at the end of the cycle which will replensih lost elements. So long as your using decent quality salt then you wont need to til theres corals there

Fair point

 

[SkiFletch]

What's the smell like? Strong isn't really descriptive

 

[Ehudd]

im dosing my kh and calcium.
im a huge coraline algea fan, just wanted to kick start it. I think i need to sit back, and stop trying to play God. Or im gonna stuff my tank.

The supp is around 2 years old maybe a bit younger. It smell like poison, it actually hurts the nose.

 

[SkiFletch]

Poison? Like Chlorine gas perhaps?

 

[Ehudd]

Poison? Like Chlorine gas perhaps?

put it this way, its never smelt like this b4

 

[Anguilla82]

Poison? Like Chlorine gas perhaps?

put it this way, its never smelt like this b4

then quite simply i wouldn't use it!
its just not worth the risk!

 

[rabbut]

Tracking Alk and Ca, ut not Mg. That's potentially an up-coming issue since Coraline has been documented to metabolise Mg, and MG holds Alk up...

All the best
Rabbut