Newly Mixed SW contains ammonia reading??

[etphi]

I just bought a new bucket of IO and after mixing my saltwater for 24+ hr, I tested to make sure it was okay to use. I've tested it at least five times with the same readings for all. I keep getting .25 ppm. I've tested my RO that I use for mixing it's 0 ppm. Any thoughts on what causes this? Is it the salt mix? I haven't used any of the new salt mix in my tank.

 

[DFW]

I don't know, but use Prime in all of your water. It will bind up the ammonia. It works instantly.

David

 

[bimmerzs]

It's more than likely the source water...lot's of issues around the metroplex with this. I would test the water out of your ro/di.

Cheers,

 

[etphi]

@bimmerzs wrote:

I did test my RODI, it came out 0 ppm as well.

 

[etphi]

@DFW wrote:

How does it work? Do you do it to all of your salt water?

 

[bimmerzs]

@etphi wrote:

I did test my RODI, it came out 0 ppm as well."]

Hmmm strange.....There is really low chance of it being the salt mix itself, I would use the prime as recommended. You are not rinsing the test tube with water from the faucet before testing are you???

Cheers,

 

[Wes]

Container maybe?

 

[etphi]

I don't mix the container with tap water. I've been using this container for a while now. I've used it for all my previous saltmix, along with the same pump. I'm pretty stumped.

 

[Guest]

There are a variety of sources of ammonia in reef aquaria. Minor sources include: 1) tap water (especially if it contains chloramine and is not treated with a deionizing resin) and 2) impurities in salt mixes and other additives. It has previously been shown that the total NH4-N ranged from 0.55 to 11.9 micromole/kg (0.008 to 0.17 ppm total NH4-N) in an analysis of eight brands of artificial seawater mixes. At the higher end of the scale, those levels will be detected with an ammonia test kit and can present potential toxicity concerns if fish are kept at those levels (see below). These levels of ammonia may be introduced from impurities in calcium chloride and magnesium chloride, where ammonia is a well known impurity resulting from some of the commercial manufacturing processes used (such as the Solvay process, which involves ammonia).

Calcium and magnesium additives can also be a significant source of ammonia, especially for aquarists who are trying to use inexpensive sources of bulk calcium or magnesium chloride. I discussed testing calcium chloride for ammonia in a previous article.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-02/rhf/index.php#6


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[etphi]

@kuyatwo wrote:

Well the thing is the ammonia reading is coming from my salt mix. I don't have any detection of ammonia in my reef system. I haven't done a water change with the new salt yet.

 

[DFW]

@etphi wrote:

How does it work? Do you do it to all of your salt water?"]

Prime is very concentrated, so you use very little. I have always added Prime to all my top off water, and salt water changes, even if it is RO/DI water. I use a 1 ml, or 5ml syringe to add Prime. 1ml for every 10 gallons is all that you need. If for some reason the water treatment plant adds excessive ammonia to the water, or if the salt mix has a trace of ammonia, I am covered, and Prime is cheap, and is supposed to add a protective slime coat to your fish. Since your water goes though RO/DI filtration, that takes out some ammonia, you can probably use half a dose of Prime. A full dose removes about 1 mg/l ammonia, 4 mg/l chloramine, and 5 mg/l chlorine.

David

 

[etphi]

Thanks for all the help guys! I went to my LFS and tested my saltmix there and it was 0 ppm ammonia. Turns out I got a bad test kit. I bought prime anyways and I'm going to start adding it to all my waterchanges.

 

[bimmerzs]

Glad you got it figured out...pretty crazy how it would test zero ammonia on everything but the newly mixed water tho'.

Cheers,

 

[etphi]

Yeah it was pretty crazy. I bought a new test kit and it read zero ammonia. I'm still going to use Prime for every saltmix to be on the safe side. Thanks again for all the help

 

[Servo]

The title of the thread is now misleading and offers unfair criticism about IO to someone who doesn't read all of the posts. IMO, it should be changed. The information in the thread is fantastic, and the facts about false positives are always overlooked in this hobby. Very few understand the difference between sensitivity and specificity of a test, and this clearly demonstrates this.

 

[etphi]

I agree with Ryan, is it okay if the MOD changes the title. I don't want it to impact Instant Ocean.

 

[bimmerzs]

We do have posts like this all over the site, the OP was not trying to discredit with his post and posted what he thought was the case. The responsibility is on each one of us to properly research anything that you see written somewhere. We do not go around editing post's just because...it will be changed more so because the OP requested so. We all need to be more carefull when we post stuff here. [smilie=smile.gif]

Cheers,

 

[hooterhead]

@bimmerzs wrote:

[smilie=clapping.gif] [smilie=clapping.gif] [smilie=clapping.gif] [smilie=clapping.gif] Bravo!