Strange Ammonia Reading In Newly Set Up Planted Tank

[eaglesaquarium]

I am not a chemist, but I do know a fair bit of chemistry.
 
I would suggest that that doesn't happen, and here's my reasoning.  If fertilizers that are being discussed use potassium-nitrate or other similar compounds as their nitrogen source, then the only conclusion must be no.  These ionic compound break apart into potassium ions and nitrate ions in the presence of water (dissolve).  So, these free floating nitrate ions would have to 'degrade' into ammonia (or ammonium), which is not a part of the regular nitrogen cycle. 
 
 
Now, it is possible that the fertilizers being used could contain ammonium nitrate (NH4-NO3), which would have very high levels of nitrogen and be responsible for BOTH readings.  Again the compound would dissolve in water into ammonium and nitrate - and the result is that both would be detectable on a test kit.  Ammonium nitrate is a very common agricultural fertilizer (and highly explosive - so be careful), but I don't know how common it is in the aquascaping hobby.

 

[snazy]

Ok, so here is one fertilizer that says it contains ammonium:
 
http/aquajardin.petersenuploads.co.uk/product/15970/tropica_plant_growth_specialised_fertiliser_300ml

 

[aaronc]

Hi All
 
Thanks for the replies
 
Sorry for the slow reply to some of your questions.
 
The subsrate is the Tropica Plant Nutrition Substrate (http/www.aquaessentials.co.uk/tropica-plant-growth-substrate-25l-p-6292.html), capped with sand and gravel.
 
I am dosing with - NPK via EI dosing method.
 
Now, I think it is just plants breaking down. 

The reason I think this is that I have a bucket of leftover sand in from when I set it up which had a few inches of water in it, and some dead leaves.  This also has an ammonia reading.
 
This bucket does not have the tropica substrate in it.
 
To rule out the sand, or something amongst the sand, I have placed some sand in another container with somer water and will test if for ammonia tonight.
 
Aaron

 

[SO19Firearms]

You're not gonna get Ammonium Nitrate salts in the UK unless you buy over 1000Kg and have it delivered to a farm, it's possible to get it in solution but then you're unlikely to get smaller retailers selling it because of tyre kickers.
Ammonium sulphate is pretty easy to get hold of, but again you're unlikely to get that on sale from an EI retailer as it's a bit specialised. One final source would be from Calcium Nitrate which the better EI guys will stock, but you're unlikely to get cross contamination as they look completly different in practise if nothing else.
I tend to have most of the above for M.O.P.U, but this case sounds like a mix of plant matter and test kits being useless.

 

[ian]

What he said ^^^especially the last bit.


Test kit are bad mmmmkay.

 

[snazy]

They are good enough to show you if there's ammonia or not, especially at higher levels, maybe not good to show you the exact amount.
Nitrate test are another story altogether.
And if you buy from ebay, you may end up with slightly different stuff than what you ordered.

 

[ian]

In a planted tank they might give you false positives though...some brands of ferts contain ammonium that register on cheap test kits.

Planted tank keepers should stay away from test kits.

 

[aaronc]

We now have a nitrite reading of 0.5 so something is going on in there

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Seems to me like you are cycling...  Not sure where the source of ammonia is coming from, it might be the ferts, and your adding more than your plants need, so the ammonium is building up, and now converting to nitrite as the bacteria are starting to deal with it.