Amonia In My Drinking Water!

[guppy fan]

I just moved to Rexburg Idaho two days ago, and I brought my fish. I also just got my first amonia test kit. I tested the water after I got here and the amonia was .25. I thought that maybe I killed some of the good backteria on the way here. I kept it oxyginated and I din't let the temp fall bellow 70 F. I did a 25% water change yesterday, and put some White dimonds in my filter (white rock stuff that says it's good at removing amonia), but after the amonia was at .20. I tested it again today and the amonia read .27! I tested my water straight from the tap and it has about .13 amonia in it!!!! I did a 50% water change any way. Is there anything I can do about that? Are there filtes (for the tap) that take out amonia completely? If there are, how expensive are they? I'm a poor college student. If there aren't, are there any tank chemicals that are really good at taking out that amount of amonia? Will that amount of amonia hurt me? Anny advice would be greatly aprieciated. My tank and inhabitants are posted in my signature. I have a twenty gallon filter and it filters 100 gallons an houre. Poo........ I'm probubly going to have to go to wallmart. It's like a half an hour walk, and it's below freezing, snowy, and icy here. I don't have a car. Oh well, I need the exersize.

 

[kribensis12]

You could try Amquel Plus. It remove's chlorine, chlorimine, Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate. It's about 10 dollar's for a big bottle, adn boy does that stuff go by fast! Great Product though!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[guppy fan]

Do you know if it would reackt with the white diamond stuff? It's this mineral thing that you put inside the fiter.

 

[rdd1952]

I wouldn't use anything to remove it from the tank such as ammonia removing media but would instead use a dechlor like Prime or the Amquel Plus that not only dechlorinates but also de-toxifies ammonia. It can then be broken down by the filter bacteria without harming the fish.

Just out of curiousity, what type test kit do you have that is so accurate that you can tell the differencce between .13, .20, .25 and 27?

 

[Bignose]

I actually think I'd even go a different route and plan on doing smaller more frequent water changes. Like say 5% a day every day. The reason behind this is that if you do small water changes. The .13 ppm from the tap will result in a 0.0065 ppm amount in the tank (5% of 0.13) and the filter bacteria will take care of that amount pretty quick. Even 10% would only result in 0.013 ppm, again an amount the filter bacteria should take care of pretty quick. Just don't do large water changes, small but frequent.

On the other hand, I do think that it is well worth your time to call your water company and make sure that they know that you have detectable amounts of ammonia in your drinking water. It could be ok, but it could also alert them to some problem that they should address. I think that in the short term, it is ok for people to drink small amounts of ammonia, but in the long term, I don't think I'd want that in my water day after day after day.

 

[guppy fan]

I just have one of those strip tests. Sometimes the coloer of the strip doesn't mach exactly with the color of the chart. I just make a guess baised on the difference on the color of the strip versus the colors of the chart. How much water would I be taking out if I only did 5% water chages daily? My tank is only a ten gallon tank. Would I still do 25% water chanes weekly?

 

[celaeno]

unfortunately, strip tests are not too accurate. i'd get some unexpired api liquid test kits or the api master test kit if i were you.

 

[Bignose]

Just to reiterate what celaeno said there, strips are notoriously inaccurate. A liquid test is much more accurate. Basically, your tests there don't have anywhere near the accuracy you reported -- all you can really say is that there was "some" small concentration of ammonia in your water each day.

5% of a ten gallon tank would be 0.05*10 = 0.5 or one half gallon. If you did a half gallon every day, that would roughly the same as doing 25% once a week, so you wouldn't still do the 25%. (The math works out that 7 5% water changes is actually the same as 1 30.1% water change.) It shouldn't be too hard to just take a half gallon out and put in a new half gallon every day.

 

[TigerLotus]

Hi,

I thought Id add my two cents because I I'm am in a similar situation as you. My ammonia reading out of the tap is about 0.50 and nitrates are 5.0. I freaked out about it but have come up with a type of solution. I do 2-3 water changes every 7 days. Depends on the things I feed and such (peas, lettuces..things that can get messy) I change no more the 25% ever, I usually don't even do more than 15%. I use Prime also to detoxify the ammonia and what not. I did buy Amquel plus but decided not to use it because it messes up ammonia readings in tests and Prime does not. So I will suggest you Prime because that is what I know, and use. I try not to overfeed and I feed every other day. I also over filter my water with two HOB which aid in the conversion on the ammonia once its gets in there from the water change. If you have a good amount of bacteria and a well established tank your bacteria should be able to convert it before it can cause much to any harm, but I also do what I do just to make sure.

Good Luck : )

TigerLotus

 

[guppy fan]

O.K. I'll see what kind of tests walmart has. That's the only fish store around here. Maybe I can find something that can mesure half a gallon too. I just want to make sure I'm changing the right amount. Thanks for all of your advice! I'm not so worried now.

 

[Bignose]

guppy fan, a lot of things are around a half gallon. A 1L bottle of soda is about a quarter of a gallon. Obviously half a gallon jug of milk. I'm sure you have a pitcher or a jug or a bucket somewhere in the house that will get you in the neighborhood. It doesn't have to be exactly a half a gallon, something close is good enough.

If your Walmart doesn't have liquid tests, you may want to seriously consider ordering over the internet. If you are younger, you can ask your parents. The liquid tests are in a whole other league, far and above more accurate than the strips. If there is a Petsmart or Petco near your area, both of those stores will definitely have the liquid tests in stock.