I have cycled tanks before, but now I'm trying fishless cycling my tank is all ready for me to put the ammonia in it......BUT I'm not sure if Surfactants are ok for using in my tank, does anyone know ? I would apreciate any helpful advice.Also I bought two types of Ammonia, they both don't bubble when you shake them,and only one has ingredients and it says:(Ammonium Hydroxide and surfactant) they are also both "Clear Ammonia" and they both say that it is non detergent, Can I use it?

I would really appreciate some help so I could get started Thanks!

Surfactants, the part of soap that helps oils and water mix, are always described as bad for fishless cycling ammonia I believe. (I always seem to forget the definitive answer to this detail, so I possibly could be wrong, but I checked a few of my fishless cycling links and several said it was bad.)

I was in the same boat as you. My ammonia just said "clear ammonia" and had no ingredients label. It behaved like water, making bubbles that went away right after shaking. It had no dyes or fragrances so I used it and it worked just fine.

Funny, I was reading something the other day and saw that "Ammonium Hydroxide" is just what you always have when ammonia is mixed with water (pure ammonia being a gas.) Its also called aqueous ammonia.

Oh, and another thing, be sure and do your testing to find out how many drops or what measured amount really gives you the 4-5ppm or whatever level you are seeking during your fishless. You can't assume a given bottle has a given percentage and the many UKers on here more often have 9.5%, whereas many USA clear ammonia bottles have a lower percent than that.

Hope that helps for now,
~~waterdrop~~

Ok so do you think I should use the one with out the label?.......Maybe I'll just try it and see how things turn out. I'm still open for suggestions if anyone else wants to add any thing too. Thank you waterdrop for helpful advice.

There are so many different surfactants, fragrances, and odors added into the various household ammonia brands that no one knows which are fish safe and which are not. Thus the recommendation is that you use straight ammonia.

I personally wouldnt risk it at all as it could mean a 100% water change, and a total clean up of all filter media.

This post has been edited by Geordie: Jul 5 2008, 10:23 PM

What would you recomend then? I want to do whats best but I've looked everywhere!!!! I could hardly find the ammonias I have now. any sugguestions?

Discount grocery stores or hardware stores try and get no-name brand stuff there are some branded names like Top Crest or Whirl Clear Ammonia have reported OK to use.
If it doesn't list the ingredients or say Clear Ammonia / Pure Ammonia / 100% Ammonia / Pure Ammonium Hydroxide.. then leave it.Ammonia with surfactants will foam if you shake the bottle alot whereas the stuff you want will not.

You did say you bought 2 types of ammonia and one had surfactants on ingrediants and the other did have any ingrediants at all? id probably use the 2nd one if i was out of options of finding anything else.