Removing Ammonia From Tap Water

Question: Does anyone else run just API Ammo-Chips or Nitra-Zorb or both on a filter to pre-treat water? Does that sound like it should work???

The tap water is now at 2.00 ppm of ammonia. *sigh*
Tonight I purchased and installed a water purifier filter system under my kitchen sink (recommended in a few other threads that have been closed) and it did nothing for the ammonia.
I feel okay about doing it anyway because purer water is better and it's so hard with heavy metals the filter can only help this nasty water.
Anyway... since that did nothing for the ammonia problem however...
and it's just not practical for me to lug RO water for water changes for the three tanks, I've got to do something, and I've priced RO units and that's not an option.

I know what ammo-lock, ammo-chips and the like are bad because of how they interfere with the biofilter but I'm not trying to maintain a cycled filter and there would be no livestock. I have to literally make a water treatment plant setup (again) so I don't want to use a cycled filter because I end up with nitrAte that way, which I have a hard time getting down in my tanks b/c of this problem and the very small water changes I can do with PRIME. I want to literally just suck the ammonia out of the tap water. Any thoughts or experience with this?

 

I think it'll be fine as long as the biofilter is working properly and removing the ammonia. Since Prime detoxifies it for up to 48 hours, a properly working biofilter should convert the ammonia in that time.

I have heard of using something like ammochips to prefilter the water but it sounds like a lot of unneeded work IMO.

 

Good morning,

Good information from JetaJockey above.

Stuff your filters full of bio media. Too, adding porous ornaments such as terracotta pots, anything terracotta will add additional housing for beneficial bacteria.

I have large fish that are large waste producers so along with frequent water changes I do keep a media bag of White Diamond Ammonia Neutralizing Crystals. (link below) in my filter as a precaution. I can't say for certain that it works because I do my water changes every 5 days without fail. I have peace of mind though!

I change it out once a month for fresh. Rinse it before putting it in my filter.

I do not suggest this for tanks that are cycling.

Ken

 

Thank you both. The whole idea of putting water with 2ppm of ammonia in my tank just FREAKS ME OUT COMPLETELY. I did a big 80% change in the 20 gallon QT (it's empty) last night and in 12 hours it's testing .5ppm which blew my mind in a good way. I have that filter packed with 2 cartridges, and filter floss so I think you're right, jamming them full of bio-media (which I'd rather spend the money on than ammonia removing products) and using the PRIME should help the fish when I do a bigger water change.

 

Good morning,

I'm glad that you received good results in your test!

I think you and your fish will be fine.

Ken

 

Agreed with Ken. There are many people who deal with chloramines (ammonia) in tap water and in a good working system, all is fine.

 

When I tested last night I still had .5 ammonia but for the first time since I cycled the tank back in May, I had a positive nitrIte reading. .25
I immediately dosed the whole tank with PRIME again and pulled the AC30 off the betta tank and put it on the 20g. (She will be fine for 1 day of not having a filter alone in her 10g)

This morning readings were .25 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 5 nitrate.The only thing I can think happened is the first stage colony grew faster than the second stage, which gave me the nitrIte reading. Does that sound plausible?

I bought the biomax for the Aquaclear 110 and cut the bags open and put more biomax media in all three of my filters (and I'm running carbon on them now too) so they are literally full of media. Floss, sponges, cartridges, carbon (which I'll be changing monthly) and lots and lots of BIOMAX.

 

Sounds like you are headed in the right direction.

And, yes it is true, the stage two bacteria that processes nitrites are slower to colonize, but possibly because no nitrites exist until the ammonia is being processed. Just think of the normal cycling process.