Ammonia levels after adding plants

[Byron]

I am not sure what our city puts in water, but testing right from the cap I do get ammonia levels. So it isnt the splitting that is causing the ammonia to show.

We may be getting ourselves confused here. You mentioned not wanting a conditioner that creates ammonia, which I assume is the chloramine issue that I understand breaks apart chlorine/ammonia. Colin has explained this.

The ammonia in the tap water could be ammonia. It is possible for tap water to contain ammonia, or nitrite, or nitrate. A conditioner that detoxifies ammonia would convert the ammonia into ammonium, and by the time this becomes ineffective the plants and bacteria would have taken up the ammonium so the problem is solved.

Am I missing something?

 

[KeithF11138]

The last couple of posts were about how to get the tap water clean for fish. I understand the chloramine being split into chlorine and ammonia. Just wanted to be clear that I tested water right out of the tap, in fresh tap water that has been treated with API Stress Guard and both show ammonia.

So I can just add that water to tank and have the ammonia jump slightly and have bio filter clear it up.
Or I can use a conditioner that temporary removes the ammonia and it jumps a couple days later and have bio filter clear it up.
Or I can use something that absorbs the ammonia before I put it in tank, but this involves cycling the water in some sort of container for a period of time for the absorption to occur before use.

 

[Byron]

The last couple of posts were about how to get the tap water clean for fish. I understand the chloramine being split into chlorine and ammonia. Just wanted to be clear that I tested water right out of the tap, in fresh tap water that has been treated with API Stress Guard and both show ammonia.

So I can just add that water to tank and have the ammonia jump slightly and have bio filter clear it up.
Or I can use a conditioner that temporary removes the ammonia and it jumps a couple days later and have bio filter clear it up.
Or I can use something that absorbs the ammonia before I put it in tank, but this involves cycling the water in some sort of container for a period of time for the absorption to occur before use.

Correct. Option 1 depends upon the level of ammonia in the source water. It might overwhelm the fish if high.

I would track down exactly what they add to your municipal water.

Is it API StressCoat, or Seachem's StressGuard you are using? The first I have assumed...this neutralizes chlorine and chloramine and heavy metals; it does not deal with ammonia. So if ammonia is in the source water as it seems to be, it will be in the water treated with this product. [And many believe the aloe vera in SC is harmful to fish gills, there is scientific evidence it may be so I wouldn't use it.]

 

[Essjay]

I use the API Freshwater Master Test Kit which looks like it shouldnt get false positives for Ammonia based on ammonium

The API ammonia test is the salicylate test. This tests positive for both ammonia and ammonium. The reading in the API test is ammonia and ammonium combined.