Ammonia reading in my tap water help!!

prince26

prince26

Member
Hello, I've been cycling my tank for about 3, months. Just recently I tested my tap water for the hell of it, and what do you know, I get a .25 reading of ammonia. So I went out and bought a RO filter, getting it hooked up tomorrow. So what percentage of a water chance should I do? And after I water chance and let's say everything is 0 no2,no3,ammonia. What do I do then?
~is it safe to put fish in?
~Do I have to start another cycle again?
~Do I ghost feed again??
Thanks in advance. I'm really stumped now.
I'm running a
~cascade filter
~Fiji live rock and Fiji sand.
~aqua sun t5 light source.
~protein skimmer( that I have off)
~2 heaters
~ 2 thermostat
~idk if this helps but I have a good chunk of spot algae and red algae on the glass and good chunk of hair algae growing also.
Please help thanks
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Prince26 http:///t/393349/ammonia-reading-in-my-tap-water-help#post_3498531
Hello, I've been cycling my tank for about 3, months. Just recently I tested my tap water for the hell of it, and what do you know, I get a .25 reading of ammonia. So I went out and bought a RO filter, getting it hooked up tomorrow. So what percentage of a water chance should I do? And after I water chance and let's say everything is 0 no2,no3,ammonia. What do I do then?
~is it safe to put fish in?
~Do I have to start another cycle again?
~Do I ghost feed again??
Thanks in advance. I'm really stumped now.
I'm running a
~cascade filter
~Fiji live rock and Fiji sand.
~aqua sun t5 light source.
~protein skimmer( that I have off)
~2 heaters
~ 2 thermostat
~idk if this helps but I have a good chunk of spot algae and red algae on the glass and good chunk of hair algae growing also.
Please help thanks
Hello,
First, you should have NOT been using your tap water to begin with for your fish tank. That's why you already have hair algae...which feeds on phosphates and nitrates. So you have VERY poor water quality. Either the city water is polluted, or you have problems in your pipes. Second, are you sure that your tests are accurate? If you have ammonia in your city drinking water you need to alert someone. ...I have heard of chlorine but not ammonia, the two mix and make a poison that can kill people to inhale it, let alone drink it.
I have well water, which is poor quality as well, and we use our RO unit to fill the water dispenser we purchased at Home Depot for $165.00. The unit has hot, cold and room temperature water dispensed at the touch of a button, and a Little refrigerator on the bottom. We just fill a 3g jug (it holds up to a 5g jug) that sits right on top like any office water cooler. So that way we have RO water for the fish, and with the cooler, water for us to drink as well.
As for a water change...do a good 50% since there is nothing in the tank. There is no need to restart the cycle, most of the good bacteria is attached to the rock and sand and not in the water column itself. Then do a weekly water change of about 1% and top off with the RO. That should get the water quality up to snuff and eliminate the hair algae.
 
prince26

prince26

Member
Yea reading are accurate, here's the thing. I didn't start getting no kind of algae at all until I started ghost feeding a little over a month ago. I have a tap water conditionar that makes the water safe but still get the ammonia readings. .25. PH 8.0. Thanks.
 
pezenfuego

pezenfuego

Active Member
Yea reading are accurate, here's the thing. I didn't start getting no kind of algae at all until I started ghost feeding a little over a month ago. I have a tap water conditionar that makes the water safe but still get the ammonia readings. .25. PH 8.0. Thanks.
Stupid question: did you test freshwater with a saltwater test kit? Good job on the RO. I would do close to a 100% water change.
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
At low levels an established bio filter should be able to handle it. I would also treat your water with a good quality water conditioner, like Prime.
 
prince26

prince26

Member

Stupid question: did you test freshwater with a saltwater test kit? Good job on the RO. I would do close to a 100% water change..
Lol I used a API saltwater test kit.
 
prince26

prince26

Member
 there is an  api test kit is for both saltwater/ freshwater, there are two ammonia test color charts, one for freshwater aquariums, and one for saltwater is that the kit you have
.
Yes API test kit for saltwater.
 
pezenfuego

pezenfuego

Active Member
I honestly have no idea how this would react, but it seems that we should not dismiss the very real possibility that your test was inaccurate due to being used improperly. I would strongly recommend that you get it tested with a freshwater kit or mix some saltwater with it and test that. As flower said, your water should not have ammonia in it. If it does, you need to alert someone and get it professionally tested. You don't want to be drinking that.
 
prince26

prince26

Member

Ammonia may be present in drinking-water
as a result of disinfection with chloramines.
.
So buying the RO filter is the only way to get around this huh??
 
prince26

prince26

Member
I honestly have no idea how this would react, but it seems that we should not dismiss the very real possibility that your test was inaccurate due to being used improperly. I would strongly recommend that you get it tested with a freshwater kit or mix some saltwater with it and test that. As flower said, your water should not have ammonia in it. If it does, you need to alert someone and get it professionally tested. You don't want to be drinking that..
I have had my water tested before I even set the tank up,all he said was high choline that's it. So I got something to make the tap water safe. I has a freshwater tank 20+ fish and 2 shrimp only lost one fish.
 
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