Anyone Know Anything About Ammonia Alert

[w_johnson07]

I had a recent Ammonia spike in my 5 gallon and I saw that ammonia alert shows your relative level of ammonia. Does anyone know if this works. I have seen mixed reviews but they were mainly positive. I won’t depend on it but just to get a general idea. Does anyone have any experience with it?

 

[Gypsy13]

It seems to work very well. Just have to remember to change it. The ammmonia alert lasts a year. I also have the Seachem free ammonia test kit so I can still test occasionally to make sure things are ok.

 

[Duardo]

I just bought one thinking it worked... It didnt. I used my testing kit and it said I had 0.5 ppm of ammonia and the alert thing didnt even switch colors.... It hasnt changed at all and I got it 3-4 days ago.

 

[w_johnson07]

I just bought one thinking it worked... It didnt. I used my testing kit and it said I had 0.5 ppm of ammonia and the alert thing didnt even switch colors.... It hasnt changed at all and I got it 3-4 days ago.

I read that the tests show the total ammonia and not the free ammonia which is toxic to fish and I read that that was why it said safe because the free ammonia was low or am I completely wrong on this.

 

[Gypsy13]

I read that the tests show the total ammonia and not the free ammonia which is toxic to fish and I read that that was why it said safe because the free ammonia was low or am I completely wrong on this.

That’s right. The liquid tests for ammonia show the total amount Free ammonia plus ammonium). The Seachem ammonia alert and free ammonia test kit test for free ammonia whis is toxic to fish.

 

[w_johnson07]

That’s right. The liquid tests for ammonia show the total amount Free ammonia plus ammonium). The Seachem ammonia alert and free ammonia test kit test for free ammonia whis is toxic to fish.

So it does work, I plan ordering one today and does the Ph alert work because I was going to the pack with the two of them.

 

[Gypsy13]

So it does work, I plan ordering one today and does the Ph alert work because I was going to the pack with the two of them.

It works for me. I struggle with my ph. If it’s 6.8 I’m happy. But if it starts getting lower, I want to know. The Seachem ph alert has been spot on for me so far.

 

[w_johnson07]

It works for me. I struggle with my ph. If it’s 6.8 I’m happy. But if it starts getting lower, I want to know. The Seachem ph alert has been spot on for me so far.

Okay because I have had a issue where my Alkalinity is almost 0 and I want to make sure my Ph doesn't swing as I am leaving for almost all of June. Also do you know if Prime ever expires because I found a large bottle of it from at least three years ago and it still practically full.

 

[Gypsy13]

Okay because I have had a issue where my Alkalinity is almost 0 and I want to make sure my Ph doesn't swing as I am leaving for almost all of June. Also do you know if Prime ever expires because I found a large bottle of it from at least three years ago and it still practically full.

They say it doesn’t. I found a bottle I’ve had a few years too. Seachem says it’s fine.

 

[w_johnson07]

They say it doesn’t. I found a bottle I’ve had a few years too. Seachem says it’s fine.

Okay I went to my Lfs to get my water tested with it and it had a little bit of ammonia in it and a really basic Ph is that normal from it or does my tap just have really high Ph but I don’t think it does

 

[Gypsy13]

Okay I went to my Lfs to get my water tested with it and it had a little bit of ammonia in it and a really basic Ph is that normal from it or does my tap just have really high Ph but I don’t think it does

Have you tested your tap?

 

[w_johnson07]

Not by itself but I have with Prime in it.
Here are the results (I have to go to LFS to get water tested I plan on getting master test kit next month or two)

That is the tap with Prime

Do you also have anyway of raising alkalinity because I have had an issue where it has been almost 0 for the past 1-3weeks

 

[Dch48]

If that's the conditioned tap water, it looks pretty good.

Have you had the water in the tank tested?

 

[w_johnson07]

Have you had the water in the tank tested?

Yes it has let me go take a picture of it and I also got a reading from the store of .20ppm of ammonia and the food I feed my Betta is sinking .5mm pellets and I cannot remove those easily if he doesn't eat them do you have any ideas on what to do? I really don't want to buy new food as he really enjoys this one. It is the new life thera A small fish formula

 

[Dch48]

I don't think a . 20 reading will harm a Betta unless your pH is 8 or higher

 

[w_johnson07]

I don't think a . 20 reading will harm a Betta unless your pH is 8 or higher

Okay I also was going over my tests and noticed my ammonia was higher and above 0 after I got my betta, where as when I had a Dwarf GouramI and Albino Cory in the tank (I don’t have either any more, DG passed away and gave Cory back) do you know why this would be? Also what do you recommend I do about the food?

Here the water test as of yesterday:

I don't think a . 20 reading will harm a Betta unless your pH is 8 or higher

He also had a little bit of fin rot I think I just got under control all the tips of his fins are now white/pale. Do you think this will make the fin rot worse

Have you had the water in the tank tested?

Does everything look okay?

 

[Dch48]

Not bad except I don't know why the alkalinity is 0. I have no idea what mine is because I've never tested for that. At your pH, only about 2% of the ammonia will be of the toxic variety so it's not bad.

 

[w_johnson07]

How did you figure out only 2% would be toxic (so I can do it in future refernce) Also will this make the fin rot worse?

 

[Dch48]

I found a chart online that rated ammonia toxicity by pH level. It gets more toxic as the pH goes up. At 7.0 or lower, very little of what a test shows will be toxic. At 8.0 and above, nearly all is toxic.

 

[w_johnson07]

Thank you! Where in the chart did you find that I did not see it