ammonia, nitrates and test kits

[lee_d_m]

Hi,

My FOWLR tank has been up and running for 3 weeks now. Since adding the rock, my ammonia levels have been about .3, my nitrite is always 0 and nitrates are at about 20.

I added 5 turbo's the other day and they seem fine, I have some feather dusters on my rocks and small bristle worms and other things alive.

Btw, I;m using a Hagen test kit and my LR was cured before I bought it

My concern is, that my test kits are not accurate as my ammonia level has never moved, never seen nitrites and nitrates are constant 20. My minimal amount of livestock seem healthy.

I'm looking to add a couple of shrimps at the week-end but don't want to in case the ammonia (or lack of) in the water kills them

Any ideas ?

Thanks

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Are you using tap water?

Does the fresh salt water show ammonia?

[lee_d_m]

Thanks for the reply,

I'm using RO/DI water from my LFS, I haven't tested the water from the LFS yet, but will do when I get home tonight and I'll post the results in here.

Thanks

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

If it tests positive, then that could be the source of the 0.3 ppm ammonia.

It might also be a kit error.

It has always read 0.3 ppm? Never higher?

[lee_d_m]

Yes, I did my first test, 3 days after putting my LR in the tank and tested every 3 to 4 days since. I've seen virtually no fluctuation in any water parameters apart from SG and temperature.

It will be 3 weeks this week-end since the LR has gone in, I had a diatom outbreak last week-end (brown hairy algae everywhere) and so got some turbo's to clean up the mess which they are doing quite well.

Do you think it is likely I do have ammonia in the tank seeing as the life is going well, I even had what looked like a dead coral on one piece of LR and that is starting to flower now, an orange polyp I think.

Thanks

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I don't know. Perhaps the ammonia kit just didn't work. What brand is it? It would be unusual for ammonia to be 0.3 ppm and steady for weeks.

[lee_d_m]

Thats what I thought too, the test kit is made by Hagen, and was recommended to me by my LFS. I will test my RO water tonight and let you know what it reads, I'm guessing if it reads .3 as well, then its either the water or my test kit thats fault

whats the chances of R/O water having any traces of Ammonia ???

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

RO only water can have a lot of ammonia if the water company uses chloramine for disinfection, but a properly working RO/DI shouldn't have ammonia.

[lee_d_m]

Thanks Randy, will test my water tonight and post results

Thanks again

[gtrestoration]

Maintaining an RO/DI can become costly. Depending on the quality of the input water the DI cartridge came be depleted fairly rapidly. At $26 for a replacement on a home-size unit, this normally last me about 1-2 months. My input water TDS can read upwards of 700ppm at times.

My point is that I would at least check some of the parameters of the RO/DI water you are using, maybe at least TDS, though that won't tell the complete story. The LFS may have very good "intensions", but not pay much "attention" to the product. For me, this is reason enough to have my own RO/DI.

Steve U

[lee_d_m]

So, tested the water from my LFS and tested my tank water, both are exactly the same colour, although I would say the water is a shade lighter today than yesterday, but my tank is 1 degree cooler today, whether that makes a difference, I don't know. According to the test chart, there is between .1 and .4 traces of Ammonia in the water. The LFS water was very clear though in the test tube where as my tank water was cloudy, don't know if that makes a difference. Gonna by a Salifert test kit tomorrow methinks.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

That sounds like a good plan. :)