The water from my tap has ammonia, what do I do?

So I had no idea, I was wondering why my new tank had ammonia already and my LFS informed me that our water has at least 1.0 ppm of ammonia about half the time.
She told me to use Ammo Chips. I told her I would research it and see if this is a good idea.

How do I cycle my tank if I use Ammo chips? I had used the medium from the ten gallon in my new filter and tank hoping that would speed my cycle(as well as plants but had an ammonia spike yesterday, which I now believe was just the water I put in on Sunday.

I have one of those Aqueon water changers so the water goes straight from the tap to the tank. I then add Prime and a PH lowering chemical.

 

There are others here who have ammonia in the tap. Not necessarily a need for Ammo chips. No need to do anything different when cycling. Once your tank is cycled, you can double dose Prime when you do water changes to render that ammonia non-toxic, and your beneficial bacteria should be able to process that ammonia to nitrates pretty quickly.

I'd stop using a pH lowering chemical. It's not necessary and can do more harm than good (a fluctuating pH is harmful; a stable, slightly high one is fine).

 

Our PH is 8.0 or higher its darker then the darkest color on the test card. Ive been using it for years without any problem.I use just enough to bring down to 7.0
Its same parameters as the petstores water.

Also I'm not sure if my tank is cycled. It should have been already using media from the established 10 gallon.

My ammonia is 1.0 but that is what it is out of the tap. my nitrites are 0 and my nitrates are around 5-10.
Which is exactly like my 10 gallon right now too.Maybe that's why my poor betta isn't doing so good.

 

Our PH is 8.0 or higher its darker then the darkest color on the test card. Ive been using it for years without any problem.I use just enough to bring down to 7.0
Its same parameters as the petstores water.

Also I'm not sure if my tank is cycled. It should have been already using media from the established 10 gallon.

My ammonia is 1.0 but that is what it is out of the tap. my nitrites are 0 and my nitrates are around 5-10.
Which is exactly like my 10 gallon right now too.Maybe that's why my poor betta isn't doing so good.

Even at 8.0, your pH is fine! No need to adjust it. And btw, the very last reading on the high range pH card is 8.8. Are you using the API Freshwater Master Test Kit?

It doesn't seem like your 10 gallon is cycled either if you're still getting an ammonia reading. A cycled tank will have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and >0 nitrates.

 

The ammonia must to be from the tap. The ten has to be cycled its been running forever. Although I did change a few things, like add gravel and a new filter since I put the old one in the 29.
The tap is inconsistent, one time its at 1.0 and the next its just a trace.I don't know its just freaking me out. I'm really worried about my little pleco.

Also I bought the test kits separately.So I have one for everything (it was more expensive that way but its all they had at the lfs.

 

Make sure to dose prime for the full volume of the tank before you start filling up with the water changer. If your tank is cycled that ammonia reading should be gone within 24 hours after a water change.

 

If you moved the 10 gallon filter to the 29g, that would have caused the 10 gallon to hit a cycle bump.

Even if the tap has ammonia, the bacteria should be able to process it once cycled.

 

Make sure to dose prime for the full volume of the tank before you start filling up with the water changer. If your tank is cycled that ammonia reading should be gone within 24 hours after a water change.

This last time I did add prime after I filled the tank from a 25 percent change. I will dose before from now on. I just bought this water changer hose so Ive only used it twice.
I retested yesterday and the ammonia level had gone down without a water change.I also ordered some sponge filters and corner filters to add to both tanks so I will have a backup bacteria load.
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