Odd ammonia problem

[RuaDragon]

I have a 100 litre tank that's been running for a couple of months now. I used to have two rams, but have since lost both to an ammonia problem. After the first one died I worked to get the ammonia down, but it was very hard, so somone suggested that I test my tapwater.

There is ammonia in my tapwater. The test reads about 0.25-0.50 ppm, and I've tested it many times over several weeks. When my last ram died my tank was reading 0ppm ammonia and 6.6-6.8 pH, and he was showing signs of ammonia overdose, and I couldn't change the water because the test tells me there is ammonia in my tapwater.

Help?

 

[Jaysee]

welcome to the forum

The filter ought to be able to process the ammonia from the tap. additionally, the toxic effects are neutralized by a good water conditioner.

If you are having trouble with ammonia then your filtration system is not up to the challenge.

 

[RuaDragon]

Thanks! So ammonia in the tap water is normal then?

 

[Jaysee]

Well, it's not normal, but it's not abnormal. It varies by region, so what's normal is different.

Ammonia is produced from water changes, because chloramine breaks down into chlorine and ammonia. The filter takes care of this too.

 

[pirahnah3]

A good water conditioner is key when your water has some forms of nitrogen and or chlorines.

Prime or the Kordon series are quite reputable however there are many products out there that will do the job. Just ensure that you read about the one you want to chose before you purchase as some have benefits that you may not need or want for your particular tank.