Calling Any Chemists- How Do Ammonia Deoxifiers Work?

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TwoTankAmin

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All the ammonia detoxifiers state they convert the toxic NH3 form of ammonia to something non-toxic and which can still be used by the bacteria.
Ā 
My research indicates that the preferred substrate for the typical aquarium and other autotrophic AOB is NH3. However, research into nitrification at acid levels- pH under 5, and as low as about 4.0, does occur. Apparently some (or maybe all) of the strains of autotrophic AOB also have receptors for NH4. So they have the potential to utilize NH4, albeit with much less efficieniency.
Ā 
In any case, these AOB need either ammonia or ammonium to function. Now if a product claims it detoxifies ammonia but leaves it in a form that can be utilized by the AOB, it seems to me it must be converting the ammonia to ammonium (NH4).
Ā 
Prime claims it converts ammonia to a complex imidium salt. Yet trying to Google imidium (in any phrase) will teach us nothing- it is almost not findable. I suspect they may be "hiding" behind language so they don't have to call it ammonium?
Ā 
I do find statements that Prime etc. are converting ammonia to ammonium, but I can not find any solid statements about what exactly is happening to ammonia (NH3) when ammonia detoxifiers are added to a tank. These statements are not from the manufacturers.
Ā 
I can find out that what is involved is complexed hydrosulfite salts. I can find fish related sites that explainĀ "Prime also converts ammonia into a safe, non-toxic form (ammonium) that is readily removed by the tanks nitrifying bacteria." But I can not find anything science based that explains/confirms this.
Ā 
Somewhere in the microbiology, chemistry and sales pitch there must be some underlying facts and truths. So I am asking any chemists on the site who may understand exactly how ammonia detoxifiers work and exactly what they convert NH3 to, especially if it isn't ammonium, I would appreciate an explanation of the process. If I know what ammonia detoxifyers turn the NH3 into, I can then ask a microbiologist if the bacteria can actual utilize it as is also claimed byl the manufacturers..
Ā 
Thanks-
 
I've tried figuring this out myself before.Ā  Seachem does not want to divulge exactly how it works, probably for business reasons.
Ā 
You mentioned imidium salts, which I believe might be a reference to imide functional groups.Ā  It is possible to create imides in multistep mechanisms from ammonia/ammonium via amides and amines.Ā  Subsequent searches on the toxicity of imides on aquarium life, and the receptibility of imides by AOBs proved futile.Ā  There doesn't appear to be a lot of research about this stuff, at least not published research.Ā  Obviously research was done otherwise there would be no ammonia detoxifiers available in our hobby.
Ā 
I have found, in my past searches, an interesting patent describing ammonia detoxification using various amine-based detoxifiers.Ā  In the patent, they did not say exactly what is was.Ā  They also said they did not know how it works (back in 1992), but it's effects are similar to what Prime boasts to do.Ā  The original assignee was actually Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, Incoporated (API).
 
NBL- I now have a burr up my butt on this issue. I am just beginning with it all now and am determined to find some answers one way or another. I have taken the first steop and sent an email to one of the non-scientist people I respect on technical issues who has stated that the detoxifiers convert ammonia to ammonium and asked if he can point me to some of the science that led him to this conclusion.
Ā 
I realize that manufacturers love to dance with the phrase "proprietary." But I am not asking how they do it, I am asking if you start with NH3 and you work your wizardry, what is the end product. Since they claim the end product can be utilized by the bacteria, this should be something science can verify. Who holds the patents for ammonia or ammonium or the oxygen, iron or inorganic carbon they bacteria use to convert ammonia to nitrite? Even if one can get a patent on the discovery of a novel bacteria, you cant get a patent on the natural elements they need to function I just listed.
Ā 
Just the little research I have done on this topic and amines, I know some make nasty things we would never have in a tank, some make irreversible changes and so are not involved in this case. And the makers of the products do state the detoxification is only for 24-48 hours mostly. A good chemist or microbiologist should be able to figure it all out on their sleep. I am a rank amateur and I have to dig like crazy to understand what is going on.
Ā 
What makes me most curious is the following statement on the site of Dr. Hovanec in regards to fishless cycling.
Do not add ammonia removers to bind the ammonia ā€“ overdosing with these products will just increase the cycling time.
from http://www.drtimsaquatics.com/resources/fishless-cycling
Ā 
Clearly this is saying two things. First, the detoxifiers are turning the ammonia into something else and that something else can be used by the bacteria. Second, that something else, while usable by the bacteria, must be used less efficiently since it extends cycling time. Cycling time depends on bacterial reproduction rates and those depends on the bacteria having more energy from the ammonia conversion than is need to survive, it must be more than that so it can be used for reproduction.
Ā 
But there is something else implicit in all this. The toxicity issue has nothing to do with the bacteria, it has to do with the fish and other creatures in our tanks. Ammonia detoxfiers are there to turn the ammonia into something safe for the fish while not making it unusable by the bacteria. Ammonia removers do that ("The most important property of zeolites is the removal of ammonia (NH3) and ammonium (NH4+").
Ā 
An interesting consideration is also another thing I discovered in my investigating. SeaChem make 3 products that handle ammonia:
Ā 
-Prime is the one most know.
-Safeā„¢ is the dry version of PrimeĀ® and shares all of itā€™s advantages; however, Safeā„¢ is even more concentrated than PrimeĀ®.
-AmGuardā„¢ is the strongest liquid ammonia binder on the market. It works within minutes to detoxify free ammonia, and it doesnā€™t degrade for nearly forty-eight hours.
Ā 
But here is what they also say about Amguard:
AmGuardā„¢ safely, rapidly and efficiently removes toxic free ammonia. It is safe to use during tank cycling and is ideal for treating unexpected emergency situations. AmGuardā„¢ reacts with free ammonia within minutes and does not alter pH. Ammonia can exist in two forms: free and ionized. It is only the free form that is toxic.
from http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/AmGuard.html
Ā 
So I am thinking this is a back handed way of saying the product converts NH3 to NH4 (temporarily). If you poke around the SeaChem site further you see that AmGuard is what they recommend when high ammonia is the main issue.
Ā 
Q: Is your AmGuard product significantly cheaper to treat water than the Prime product? My understanding is that they pretty much do the same thing.
Ā 
A: The difference in price is negligible between Liquid Amguard and Prime. Amguard can actually bind ammonia for a longer period of time and can control ammonia at higher concentrations. Amguard also removes chlorine and chloramine but Prime has a wider range of benefits.
from http://www.seachem.com/support/FAQs/AmGuard.html
Ā 
I am not picking on SeaChem, they are just one of a number of manufaturers who sell these sort of products, and their ino is easily linkable. I am sure most of them all work in a similar fashion as they make the same sort of claims regarding the ammonia, the toxicity and the ability for it to still be used by the bacteria.
Ā 
 
Don't they also convert NH3 to cyclic amines, not always just to NH4?
Ā 
And are you sure it's not Iminium rather than Imidium?
Ā 
Very interesting reading this is...always fascinated by how these things work!
 
NeonBlueLeon said:
I've tried figuring this out myself before.Ā  Seachem does not want to divulge exactly how it works, probably for business reasons.
Ā 
You mentioned imidium salts, which I believe might be a reference to imide functional groups.Ā  It is possible to create imides in multistep mechanisms from ammonia/ammonium via amides and amines.Ā  Subsequent searches on the toxicity of imides on aquarium life, and the receptibility of imides by AOBs proved futile.Ā  There doesn't appear to be a lot of research about this stuff, at least not published research.Ā  Obviously research was done otherwise there would be no ammonia detoxifiers available in our hobby.
Ā 
I have found, in my past searches, an interesting patent describing ammonia detoxification using various amine-based detoxifiers.Ā  In the patent, they did not say exactly what is was.Ā  They also said they did not know how it works (back in 1992), but it's effects are similar to what Prime boasts to do.Ā  The original assignee was actually Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, Incoporated (API).
Prime claims to not affect the pH of the aquarium, however, isn't the imide group largely acidic? How would they circumvent a pH drop?
 
fm- if they are converting it to whatever cyclic amines are, can you point me to any evidence that these can be used by the ammonia oxidizing bacteria?
Ā 
The crux of this whole issue is I have two conflicting pieces of information with a third one thrown in.
Ā 
1. The bacteria use ammonia for energy. (Depending on which AOB, they can extract this from ammonium or urea to supply this as well as from their preferred NH3). This comes from readily available research and literature.
2. Ammonia detoxifiers convert NH3 which harms fish, into something else. This comes from all the maker of such products. Common sense tells us it must work somehow.
3. This something else must still be able to feed the bacteria to some extent as it only slows the process of the nitrification cycle it doesn't not stop it. This comes from a respected microbiologist who is expert in the cycle in aquariums.
Ā 
I suppose I could ask that microbiologist. I have gotten answers from him in the past.
 
There is a lot of literature out there that shows nitrifying bacteria can use a whole variety of molecules as an energy source.Ā  They are equipped with enzymes to use various amino acids and other organic intermediates.
Ā 
Obviously, an ammonia detoxifier either binds ammonia, or chemically alters it.Ā  In either case, the ammonia becomes physically larger.Ā  The reason that this makes the nitrification cycle slower is the nitrifying bacteria now must unbind the ammonia, or process the entire complex that has formed.Ā  Now there are one or more extra steps to consume its energy source.Ā  And, the steps involved may make the chemical process less energetically favored, thus slowing the process down.Ā  Nitrification is already a low energy yielding process, which is why cycling a tank takes so long.Ā  So little energy is created by changing NH3 into NO2- that there is little energy for cell multiplication.
Ā 
It isn't difficult to think about the concepts of ammonia detoxifiers and how they work abstractly.Ā  Knowing precisely how they work will take actual analysis in a lab.Ā  I could probably find out what this "something else" is that detoxifiers turn ammonia into if I shoved a sample of it into an IR spectrometer and/or an NMR spectrometer.Ā  Hell, I'd love to put a sample of just Prime into an NMR spectrometer.Ā  However, my bosses probably wouldn't appreciate me using these expensive instruments for a non-work related hobby.
 
Do they have to know?
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NBL- there is a difference between the nitrifying bacteria in general, which would include all strains, most of which are not the aquatic ones. Some can process nitrogen differently when challenged or as their normal mode. The problem is most of them are not in tanks and therefore their capacities are not immediately relevant.
Ā 
I have read a lot of the literature and when it comes to the specifics of the tank and other aquatic nitrifiers, there are not a lot of alternatives. Here is what I can see:
Ā 
1. The nitrosomonas marina like strain is most likely the one in fw tanks. However, others may be present in small numbers or may be the only ones if the ideal strain was not.
Ā Surveys of cloned rRNA genes from the enrichments revealed four major strains of AOB which were phylogenetically related to theNitrosomonas marinaĀ cluster, theĀ NitrosospiraĀ cluster, or theĀ Nitrosomonas europaea-Nitrosococcus mobilisĀ cluster of the subdivision of the classĀ Proteobacteria. Ammonia concentration in the reactors determined which AOB strain dominated in an enrichment...........
Ā 
Enrichments of the AOB strains were added to newly established aquaria to determine their ability to accelerate the establishment of ammonia oxidation. Enrichments containing theĀ Nitrosomonas marina-like AOB strain were most efficient at accelerating ammonia oxidation in newly established aquaria. Furthermore, if theNitrosomonas marina-like AOB strain was present in the original enrichment, even one with other AOB, only theĀ Nitrosomonas marina-like AOB strain was present in aquaria after nitrification was established.Ā Nitrosomonas marina-like AOB were 2% or less of the cells detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis in aquaria in which nitrification was well established.
fromĀ http://www.drtimsaquatics.com/wp-content/files/scientificpapers/hovanecAEM_Dec01.pdf
Ā 
2, Dr, Hovanec states this in his fishless cycling instructions:
Do not add ammonia removers to bind the ammonia ā€“ overdosing with these products will just increase the cycling time.
from http://www.drtimsaquatics.com/resources/fishless-cycling
Ā 
3.. NH3 is the preferred substrate for the aerobic autorophic bacteria. It is the one they can use with the greatest efficiency w/o a non-natural aid being added. However, they can also process NH4. I can show you a very interesting paper dealing with nitrification at pH levels as low as 4.0. The strain of the AOB are similar but not identical to those intanks but the NOB are the same ones. The point of the study was to investigate several hypotheses as to why this was possible:
1. A special strain of acid tolerant bacteria was at work; or,
2. The was some sort of mechanism which got the acid pH high enough near the bacteria to convert ammonium (NH4) back into some amount of ammonia (NH3) they could then take in; or,
3. There was a way for the bacteria could to use urea instead of ammonia (NH3).
Ā 
Here is basically what they discovered:
Ā Conclusions.There is no evidence for either the conducive microenvironment hypothesis or the common existence of specific groups of acid-tolerant nitrifying bacteria. Instead, physiological adaptations to low pH could be shown for various AOB and NOB. Under acidic conditions, subgroups of nitrifiers, such as Nitrosospira spp., N. oligotropha, and Nitrospira spp., seem to profit from their strong substrate affinity. The adaptation process is slow and possibly linked to the expression of additional cellular functions, e.g., ammonium transporters.
from full study here http://aem.asm.org/content/72/6/4283.full (This is one of the more lay person friendly ones I have read. There isn't a barage of completely unintelligible stuff.)
Ā 
The key thing I took from this is that to process something besides NH3, the bacteria must gave transporters that will do so. The bacteria were not using urea, but they did locate 11 such transporters in the AOB showing they were able to process NH4. The specific strains involved were ones that can survive and reproduce on ammonia levels even lower than those the strains that dominate in our tanks do. The additional energy used to process NH4 instead of NH3 was not a huge deal since they need such a small amount to get by. For me the implication is that to process some more divergent form of ammonia, the bacteria must have a way to transport it inside before they can do anything with it.
Ā 
I suppose there might be a way to fool the bacteria into thinking something that looks like ammonia but really isn't can be used and the bacteria takes it inside. But I really have no clue re that.
Ā 
It gets more puzzling if we look at a few statements from the SeaChem site:
Ā 
1. Prime works by removing chlorine from the water and then binds with ammonia until it can be consumed by your biological filtration (chloramine minus chlorine = ammonia). The bond is not reversible and ammonia is still available for your bacteria to consume. Prime will not halt your cycling process.
Ā 
2. A salicylate based kit can be used, but with caution. Under the conditions of a salicylate kit the ammonia-Prime complex will be broken down eventually giving a false reading of ammonia (same as with other products like PrimeĀ®), so the key with a salicylate kit is to take the reading right away. However, the best solution ;-) is to use our MultiTest: Ammoniaā„¢ kit... it uses a gas exchange sensor system which is not affected by the presence of PrimeĀ® or other similar products. It also has the added advantage that it can detect the more dangerous free ammonia and distinguish it from total ammonia (which is both the free and ionized forms of ammonia (the ionized form is not toxic)).
1 and 2 both from http://www.seachem.com/support/FAQs/Prime.html
Ā 
What interests me is they are pretty careful never to use the term ammonium. The closest they seem to get is ionized vs unionized. They are basically saying that NH3 is very bad and that NH4 is not toxic. Now this is a real hum dinger of a thing to say if you think about it in regards to how often we read "get that .25 ppm of ammonia out of a tank fast."
Ā 
At a pH of 7.4 and a temperature of 78F (25.6C) and total ammonia reading on an API kit of 1.0 here are the facts: .015 ppm is NH3 and .985 ppm is NH4. That means 1.5 % is NH3. And then you put this together with the huge pile of research that says no fish are at risk at under .02 ppm of NH3. And those which are most sensitive are the salmonids and these are not in aquariums. So we have science telling us there is not enough ammonia (NH3) in this example to harm any fish and we have SeaChem telling us ammonium (NH4) is non toxic.
Ā 
But I also wonder how the test right after adding Prime would show total ammonia at 0 but if tested a day later it would read more than 0, but be a false reading. There must be 0 for both NH3 and NH4 for there to be a 0 reading on the right away test. If there is 0 total ammonia right after one adds Prime and the next day there is a "false" reading, exactly what is the ammonia test, which is supposed to detect only NH3 and NH4, showing a reading for if not these things?
Ā 
And ow I am going to throw the old curve ball, SeaChem makes a product called AMGuard. here is what they say about it:
Ā 
Ā 
AmGuard
Product Description
AmGuardā„¢ safely, rapidly and efficiently removes toxic free ammonia. It is safe to use during tank cycling and is ideal for treating unexpected emergency situations. AmGuardā„¢ reacts with free ammonia within minutes and does not alter pH. Ammonia can exist in two forms: free and ionized. It is only the free form that is toxic. Traditional ammonia test kits convert all ammonia to free ammonia by raising pH to 12ā€“14; at this pH no ammonia removing product can function, and thus a false positive reading will result. Use Ammonia Alertā„¢ or MultiTestā„¢: Free & Total Ammonia to directly monitor levels of free ammonia. AmGuardā„¢ also removes chlorine and chloramines.
from http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/AmGuard.html
Ā 
Ā 
The difference in price is negligible between Liquid Amguard and Prime. Amguard can actually bind ammonia for a longer period of time and can control ammonia at higher concentrations. Amguard also removes chlorine and chloramine but Prime has a wider range of benefits.
from http://www.seachem.com/support/FAQs/AmGuard.html
Ā 
And this is why I am so curious about how ammonia detoxifiers work. There seems to be some mystery abut it there really is no need for I think.
Ā 
I have begun the chain of contacts of people smarter than I by a long shot and if I learn anything good, I will report it.
 
Hmm, an extremely interesting read.

I cannot add anything at all in helping you in your quest to find out more about how Prime works exactly,

What I can say however, is that since I have just very recently started using Prime, I'm now beginning to wonder if am better going back to my previous de-chlorintor (Nutrafin Aqua Plus) as I know it works as have used it for months now BUT does it work in the same manner as Prime?

I await eagerly for updates about this :)
 
Ch4rlie- this discussion is just about Prime, its about any ammonia detoxifier. You can go to the Kordon site and see similar claims by them for Amquel Plus.
Ā 
But I have an ulterior motive in all of this which has to do with the toxicity of ammonia to fish. Look at it like this:
Ā 
You are cycling a tank with fish and you detect ammonia at 1 ppm on your API test kit. So you decide to use an ammonia detoxifier to protect your fish but which should allow the bacteria to keep using the detoxified ammonia so the cycle will progress. Now exactly into what is that detoxified ammonia turned?
Ā 
What little I do know about ammonia and how it affects fish and about the chemistry of the test kits is just enough to have problems with the information as they tell it. I could care less about how theor product works. I want to know what it turn the into to make it non toxic. if its NH4 its simple, NH4 is to large to enter into the system of fish through the gills as NH3 can. This would make perfect sense as all they would be doing is adding an H to NH3 to make it NH4. And I do know that the bacteria should be able to process NH4 if there is no NH3. What I have not seen or read is that there are other things the nitrifiers can use (at least in an aerobic environment). Some of the nitrifiers (not those expected to be in tanks) can use urea as a nitrogen source. So I am very eager to learn if there is some other substrate they can use besides ammonia either unionized or ionized.
Ā 
The thing that has me confused here relates to the two different issues- what do they do to NH3 to make it non toxic to the fish. Is this process also altering the structure of NH4? If the answer is that both NH3 and NH4 become something else, how can the bacteria use it?Ā  The answer to this has some interesting implications.
Ā 
iF products like Amquel Plus or Prime etc. can detoxify ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, would not a small dosing pump be all that is needed to handle nitrogenous wastes instead of a bio-filter full of bacteria? At the very least they should make it a snap to cycle with fish. Most of the folks who offer bottled bacteria, regardless of whether or not is is any good, all say you can add the product and the fish together. Heck, SeaChem's Stability contains no live bacteria at all.They seem to be saying we don't even need the authotrophic nitrifiers to cycle your tank, I wish i could find just one scientific study to support this. I don't even need to know what bacteria SeaChem has "created" to do this, I just want to know that there are actually aquariums out there which handle the nitrogen complex year after year with heterotrophic bacteria. And the other micro-organism recently mentioned in terms of nitrification, the archaea, do not form spores, so they are not in Stability either.
 
You got me puzzled too. Did you try to read any of their patents?
Ā 
In water you have a chemical equilibrium: NH4+Ā  + OH- <> NH3 + H2O. As was correctly stated, distribution will depend on the pH. How do you remove it without changing the pH?
Ā 
EDIT: pH most likely does change, but not much as this is not the main contributor. Hence they claim it does not change?
Ā 
Try this search there are 7 patents
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https://www.google.com/search?q=%22liquid+ammonia+binding+solution%22&btnG=Suche&tbm=pts&hl=de&sei=cdhWUvv9EsG44ASX5oGYCA&gbv=2#gbv=2&hl=de&q=%22ammonia+binding%22+aquarium&tbm=pts
 
I have done patent searches and gotten good info in the past. You can find the API one for their product, the SeaChem one, if it even exists, is well hidden. A patent can be the sole asset of whole owned subsidiary and thus the parent company effectively has a patent yet it will be hard to locate.
Ā 
Also, in reading patents for bottled bacterial it became plain that a patent can be obtained with a bare minimum of science attached or with copious amounts. Consider the Fritz-Zyme filing vs the filing for Dr Tim's One and Only. I have seen both. One bowled me over with its extent and detail while the other bowled me over with how little it really said.
Ā 
But here is where I am heading with all of this. Most test kits in the hobby measure total ammonia- both NH3 and NH4. With this in mind, detoxifiers claim to make the ammonia fish safe and they also say NH3 is Toxic and NH4 is not.
Ā 
1. You test a tank and get 1 ppm reading with an API kit.
2. Knowing your pH and temp you calculate how much of that 1 ppm is NH3 and NH4.
3. You add an ammonia detoxifier sufficient to "bind" the ammonia to make the tank safe for fish.
4. Do ammonia detoxifiers have a way to make total ammonia not harmful to fish? If one says yes, then
Ā 
My next question is simple, into what is the NH3 and the NH4 turned? There are a few possibilities:
Ā 
1. Are both NH3 and NH4 turned into something else? If so, how can the bacteria use them? Or,
2. Is just NH3 turned into something else and the NH4 remains the same? Difficult to believe if you can add a detox and right away test 0 total ammonia as SeaChem states. Or,
3. Is NH3 just turned into more NH4 which is not turned into anything else? Does this mean the detoxifier causes total ammonia to read 0 when in fact the NH4 is still there? Or,
Ā 
Doesn't this all really get much more complicated when these products also claim to detoxify nitrite and nitrate too? If I add acid to my tank water to lower the pH, even as that drops and the KH drops to allow it, the TDS rises. I am changing things not eliminating things. Chemical equations balance I believe is the term for it?
Ā 
When Dr Hovanec states that ammonia detoxifiers slow down a cycle, there must be a reason.
 
In water you always got the equilibrium between NH3 and NH4+ and the ratio of those two species depends on pH. If u remove only NH3 it will be regenerated from NH4+ until the ratio is the same again (same is true for removal of NH4+). Hence, it is possible to target only one of the two species, but you will always remove both.
 
Sorry hobby, that wont work. The detoxifiers start to dissipate and stop working in about 24 hours. Super strength ones may last 48 hours before they break apart and ammonia is unaffected. So lets say you have 2 ppm of total ammonia in a tank with a pH of 6.0 and a temp. of 80f. The amount of NH3 is .0013 ppm. if you remove incirmnts of .0013 ppm it takes 1,538 reductions to achieve 0 total ammonia. Somehow I think the detoxifiers are already dissipated long before this. Here is what SeaChem states re Prime:
Ā 
Prime dissipates from your system within 24 hours.
Ā 
But more importantly, in a really nasty situation where one has relly high pH and temperatures, the % of NH3 might reach 10% of the total. In the more normal situations this % is more like 1%. So it would appear that for your explanation to be valid it would need to be NH4 and not NH3 it hits. But that means the NH3 would be harming fish still. So this can not be how it works.
Ā 
Nor do the detoxifiers work by changing the pH of the water.
Ā 
Here is one explanation I have seen for how Prime works:
Ā 
How Prime Converts toxic ammonia (NH3) to non toxic ammonium (NH4):
The process that takes place between Prime and toxic ammonia is not a straight conversion from NH3 to NH4.
Prime contains a binding agent that works to temporarily convert toxic ammonia (NH3) into a non toxic imidium salt using complexed hydrosulfite salts to chemically convert the ions in ammonia into a non toxic imidium salt.
It is noteworthy that this is a temporary conversion and Prime will only bind the ammonia in this form for up to 48 hours before the ions are free to re-associate into toxic NH3.
from http://www.aquarium-pond-answers.com/2007/04/aquarium-water-conditioners.html
Ā 
The above states up to 48 hours, but this is twice what SeaChem states. they do make a product called AmGuard which they state at working for up to 48 hours is much longer than any other ammonia detoxifier on the market. They suggest using the AmGuard when higher ammonia levels are the problem as opposed to those associated with breaking down ammonia from breaking down chloramines.
Ā 
The next thing is all of this is that the preferred substrate of the AOB is NH3. When forced to, some can use NH4 or even urea, but not as efficiently. It also appears that a different strain of AOB is a work in acid pHs in terms of what strain is normally in most FW tanks.Ā  Nitrosomonas marina-like bacteria dominate in fresh water aquariums but in acid water environs an even more ammonia sensitive strain of nitrosomonas is apparently at work.Ā  However, the same nitrospira is at work on he nitrite ay acid pHs. What the research discovered was that the AOB which can work in acid waters have have some specific cell receptors for transporting NH4 inside the cell in addition to the ones for NH3. Without such receptors AOB could not function in acid water as they could not get any ammonia.
Ā 
A 16S rRNA approach (clone libraries and fluorescence in situ hybridizations) did not reveal uncommon nitrifying (potentially acid-tolerant) strains. Instead, we found a strongly acidic microenvironment, evidence for a clear adaptation to the low pH in situ, and the presence of nitrifying populations related to subgroups with low Kms for ammonia (Nitrosopira spp., Nitrosomonas oligotropha, and Nitrospira spp.). Acid-consuming (chalk dissolution) and acid-producing (ammonia oxidation) processes are equilibrated on a low-pH steady state that is controlled by mass transfer limitation through the biofilm. Strong affinity to ammonia and possibly the expression of additional functions, e.g., ammonium transporters, are adaptations that allow nitrifiers to cope with acidic conditions in biofilms and other habitats.
from http://aem.asm.org/content/72/6/4283.full
 

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