What's The Highest Ammonia You Ever Saw?

[mp0033price]

I was wondering what is the highest ammonia reading some of you have ever gotten? And if there is any medicines or anything that would make tank water show high levels of ammonia that may be false readings or just not harmful to fish for some reason?

 

[mattlee]

 

[mike_980]

its a good question but nah i doubt anything will give a false reading as the test kits test for ammonia and no other chemical i'd have thought, Generally even a tiny amount of ammonia is highly toxic though so even if a reading od o.50 ppm is given then something clearly isnt right... i think most people manage to keep their at 0 unless still cycling or did you mean during cycling?

 

[Mikaila31]

during a fishless cycle. 5+ppm, I stalled my only ever attempt at fishless cycling by letting ammonia get too high.

Fish in water would have to be 3ppm. They lived through the spike, but as expected for not much longer after that.

 

[mp0033price]

Well, I bought some new fish and as I was testing mine at the time, I decided to test the water in the bag of new fish bought. I figured it would be much better stats than mine. Anyway, the ammonia was 8+... I was shocked! The fish are doing good now and the LFS fish in that tank looked awesome and no dead fish anywhere! Is it where they were in the bag maybe? There were 6 about 1 inchers and had them in it 30-45 minutes.

 

[mike_980]

6 is too many for one bag, when im selling fish i never put more than 2 fish in the bag unless they are neon tetras or something. It will have been that high because they where in the bag with no filter, they release ammonia through their gills and through their waste so it builds up very quickly!

 

[mp0033price]

Oh, I didn't know that it could get that high that fast! I'll try to have them seperate fish from now on then. That blew my mind. I even retested because I couldn't believe it was right, but got the same reading.

 

[Twinklecaz]

Hi

Actually some plant ferts (TPN+ for example) will give false Ammonia readings. Something in it can make the test show some is there when it isn't

 

[mike_980]

i think TPN+ uses ammonium nitrate so it wouldnt be a false reading it would just be adding ammonia to the water but im not 100% on that

 

[mattlee]

the highest ammonia i ever saw was in boots right on the top shelf, it must have been 6-7 feet high...........

 

[mp0033price]

the highest ammonia i ever saw was in boots right on the top shelf, it must have been 6-7 feet high...........

 

[ellena]

Not fish, but still relevant-a teacher where I work had 2 full grown (about 10") axolotls in an 18" tank with no filter and rarely changed the water. When I started looking into fishkeeping I realised this wasn't right and got them a 2ft tank and a sponge filter. I tested the water before I swapped them over and it was 8ppm or maybe more (that's as high as the kit went) Their feathery gills were all gone Now one of them has grown them back, but not the other. They are still alive now and seem to be doing well. No doubt it will shorten their lives though.

 

[PaBucsFan]

Well over 8ppm as my scale only goes up that high. All the fish survived. I know that does not sound good and I am shocked they are still alive and swimming. I had switched substrates and did not think about the lost bacteria from that switch. Ammonia shot straight up and I ended up doing an emergency water changes to lower it.