Ammonia in my tap water!!!!!!!!!

[Stormylee]

I have a 29 gallon tank with with 2 baby gsps. Nitrites .75 ammonia .25. I just got the second 2 weeks ago and have had my tank for 5 weeks. I have fought two bottles of 30 gallon biospira and one for a 90 gallon tank. I had begun to think it was because I just used it wrong but it never cycled my tank. Today my ammonia was back up to .1 and nitrates at 1. I did a 40% water change to bring nitrites and ammonia down. Checked after nitrites down to .5 but ammonia went up to .30! I did a couple water tests on my tap and water I had setting out to be used for the next water change and then on some bottled water. the water setting out and the tap water both tested at 1. Not .1 but 1! The bottled at 0. Which I can only assume is why the biospira hasn't worked. Has anyone one else had this problem and would boiling it help or do I need to buy distilled (which is what I think will need to happen). I am so glad we've always drank bottled or my kids might be sick. I think I should buy more biospira and do like 20 gallons change with distilled. Does that sound fine? Also I do plan on buying a larger tank to separate my GSPs I have just been spending so much time and money trying to keep the water at a safe level. My sg is 1.005. Any help/advice is welcomed thanks.

[samaki]

I don't know for sure, but it sounds like your water is being treated with chloramine (a combination of chlorine and ammonia). Like chlorine, it is added as a disinfectant. Unlike chlorine, it does not break down as quickly, which is a good thing when preventing bacteria growth in tap water. However, the usual idea of letting the water sit before adding doesn't work and regular chlorine removers will work for the chlorine but will still leave dangerous levels of ammonia. According to the internet, there are some dechlorinators that also remove ammonia (turn it into safe ammonium). Adding that to your water is probably the best choice. Also, although chloramine is dangerous for fish, the levels added to drinking water are not dangerous to people.

[Nick]

I don't see why you would need to get more biospira, more ammonia around only means the bacteria have more food, it only doesn't seem to be working because after each water change, so much ammonia is added it takes the bacteria a while to build up enough biomass to process it, then when it's gone in a little while, the extra bacteria starve and die off, and this repeats at each water change. Distilled water would work fine, but getting delivery of bottled spring water might be cheaper long run.

[Nick]

I thought almost all conditioners that dealt with chlorine also removed chloramines, and would ammonia turn up on a test kit fresh from the tap from chloramines? I didn't suspect them because he got the same reading from the standing water and fresh from the tap, and didnt' think it would read on a test kit... interesting, Prime is what I use for conditioning, takes out chlorine, chloramines, and nitrite.

[jake_vdb]

Prime is what I use for conditioning, takes out chlorine, chloramines, and nitrite.

Actually the beauty of Prime is not that it removes nitrite, but that it detoxifies ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. According to SeaChem anyway, but I believe them. It seems to have done it's job during the few times I've had emergencies.

"Prime™ converts ammonia into a safe, non-toxic form that is readily removed by the tank’s biofilter. Prime™ may be used during tank cycling to alleviate ammonia/nitrite toxicity. Prime™ detoxifies nitrite and nitrate, allowing the biofilter to more efficiently remove them."

http://www.seachem.com/products/product ... Prime.html

[jake_vdb]

Also, although chloramine is dangerous for fish, the levels added to drinking water are not dangerous to people.

Our tapwater is treated with chloramine, and I have never seen ammonia in our tap water (test it all the time). Not saying that isn't the case, but I still wouldn't drink it.

http://www.ewg.org/tapwater/contaminant ... mcode=1003

[Nick]

I've read the spin on prime and it definately works as they say, never had a minicycle from using it (as can happen with ammolock) and when I have had a nitrite/ammonia spike and dosed the tank, in no time the fish are breathing much easier. I have no idea if it's actually easier for the biofilter to process, but it definately works fast and doesn't crash the tank. Thanks for confirming that chloramines are unlikely to be the source here and it's free ammonia, which seems very strange.

[Stormylee]

I figured out that boiling it takes out the ammonia. I also have a filter on my fridge that does it. I had just never bothered to test the tap water. I took a sample from my kids school and it also read 1. Our water is treated with chloramines but I think 1 is an excessive amount.

[samaki]

I don't know for sure, but it might be the case that chloramines won't show up as ammonia. However, there are some chlorine removers that aren't chlorine/ammonia/chloramine/etc. removers. I've heard that the chemical in those can bond to the chlorine, releasing free ammonia into the water. I haven't used Prime, but it sounds like a good choice for treating the water.

And I think you're right that Prime converts ammonia to ammonium, which is just a salt ion.

[Stormylee]

Thanks everyone. I'll be going to the Petland this week-end and will pick up more Bi-spira and try some Prime for my water this time and be patient. I have been boiling my water and letting it sit for a day. And from my last paycheck this school year I'll be buying one last larger tank to beautify my living room, to be cycled beforehand. Thank you to the puffer forum for the education.

[OraLacerta]

Your Petland carries Bio-Spira?? I should check with mine, I didn't even bother checking.

The Prime should help you out tremendously, best of luck!

[Stormylee]

Yes it does. I looked at the Marineland.com web page and on the store locater link you punch in your zip and city and it gives stores with phone # and addresses as well as the distance from you. I called first to make sure but it gave me several options.