Ammonia- What's the True Story? - Aquaponic Gardening2024-03-29T05:17:35Zhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/forum/topics/ammonia-what-s-the-true-story?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A567268&feed=yes&xn_auth=noVlad Jovanovic said:
I actu…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2014-10-28:4778851:Comment:5844372014-10-28T22:43:07.238ZJeff Shttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/JeffSullivan
<p><br></br> <br></br> <cite>Vlad Jovanovic said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/ammonia-what-s-the-true-story?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A584428&xg_source=msg_com_forum#4778851Comment584428"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>I actually use that aquarium and bed to recycle water now. I took out the fish and when I do a water change I just swap it between tanks. It must be cycled real well. Only takes 3-4 days to dissolve ammonia as high as…</p>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p><br/> <br/> <cite>Vlad Jovanovic said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/ammonia-what-s-the-true-story?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A584428&xg_source=msg_com_forum#4778851Comment584428"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>I actually use that aquarium and bed to recycle water now. I took out the fish and when I do a water change I just swap it between tanks. It must be cycled real well. Only takes 3-4 days to dissolve ammonia as high as 3. I've given up on the digital tester. Wouldn't hold calibration and wasn't reliable. Strips weren't reliable either.</p>
<p>Just use API kit now. Sorry it took so darn long Jeff, but I just now saw your question...Potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3) would be a good buffer.<br/> <br/> <cite>Jeff S said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/ammonia-what-s-the-true-story?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A584427&xg_source=msg_com_forum#4778851Comment567299"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>I'm using a digital tester for PH. I have a 1cu.ft. grow bed and an aquarium filter (rated 50 gallons) that I replaced the carbon pads with poly fiber and still have the bio screens in. What is a good buffer?</p>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote> Sorry it took so darn long Je…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2014-10-28:4778851:Comment:5844282014-10-28T17:39:15.325ZVlad Jovanovichttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/VladJovanovic
<p>Sorry it took so darn long Jeff, but I just now saw your question...Potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3) would be a good buffer.<br></br> <br></br> <cite>Jeff S said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/ammonia-what-s-the-true-story?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A584427&xg_source=msg_com_forum#4778851Comment567299"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>I'm using a digital tester for PH. I have a 1cu.ft. grow bed and an aquarium filter (rated 50 gallons)…</p>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p>Sorry it took so darn long Jeff, but I just now saw your question...Potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3) would be a good buffer.<br/> <br/> <cite>Jeff S said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/ammonia-what-s-the-true-story?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A584427&xg_source=msg_com_forum#4778851Comment567299"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>I'm using a digital tester for PH. I have a 1cu.ft. grow bed and an aquarium filter (rated 50 gallons) that I replaced the carbon pads with poly fiber and still have the bio screens in. What is a good buffer?</p>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote> I bought some Amquel when I f…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2014-10-28:4778851:Comment:5844272014-10-28T17:25:23.038ZJeff Shttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/JeffSullivan
<p>I bought some Amquel when I fist started and never used it because of the same concerns you have. I recently heard about a product called Prime. It comes recommended by the host of the forum. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjRPRrp3J_k">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjRPRrp3J_k</a></p>
<p>I bought some Amquel when I fist started and never used it because of the same concerns you have. I recently heard about a product called Prime. It comes recommended by the host of the forum. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjRPRrp3J_k">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjRPRrp3J_k</a></p> I am getting ready to fill my…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2014-10-28:4778851:Comment:5843432014-10-28T12:47:17.513ZMikeHhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/Mike82
I am getting ready to fill my tanks and start my cycling process, our water has chloromine in it. Has Anyone used "amquel".? Is it safe for fish that we would eat later on? It says it lowers nitrite & Nitrate levels, wouldn't this be counter productive or do you think it would level out.?
I am getting ready to fill my tanks and start my cycling process, our water has chloromine in it. Has Anyone used "amquel".? Is it safe for fish that we would eat later on? It says it lowers nitrite & Nitrate levels, wouldn't this be counter productive or do you think it would level out.? Quick correction. Appears the…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2014-06-23:4778851:Comment:5684702014-06-23T15:22:04.170ZCharles Sublettehttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/CharlesSublette
<p>Quick correction. Appears the website went offline for the calculator that I referenced. Fortunately, a friend introduced me to the <a href="http://archive.org/web/" target="_blank">Internet Archive Wayback Machine</a>.</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20081020184354/http://www.cnykoi.com/calculators/calcnh3c.asp" target="_blank">Here is the ammonia calculator.</a></p>
<p>Quick correction. Appears the website went offline for the calculator that I referenced. Fortunately, a friend introduced me to the <a href="http://archive.org/web/" target="_blank">Internet Archive Wayback Machine</a>.</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20081020184354/http://www.cnykoi.com/calculators/calcnh3c.asp" target="_blank">Here is the ammonia calculator.</a></p> For that small of a tank and…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2014-06-12:4778851:Comment:5673172014-06-12T14:24:06.884ZCharles Sublettehttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/CharlesSublette
<p>For that small of a tank and that many fish, you need to be doing bigger, daily <em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">slow</span></em> water changes of around 80% or higher. You also need to construct a better bio-filter. I would also, for a little buffer, look into adding a very small amount of dolimitic lime or a small amount of a calcium carbonate, complex formulation (not the powder), such as Aragonite sand (with granules 1.5mm~2.0mm or slightly larger). You can also use…</p>
<p>For that small of a tank and that many fish, you need to be doing bigger, daily <em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">slow</span></em> water changes of around 80% or higher. You also need to construct a better bio-filter. I would also, for a little buffer, look into adding a very small amount of dolimitic lime or a small amount of a calcium carbonate, complex formulation (not the powder), such as Aragonite sand (with granules 1.5mm~2.0mm or slightly larger). You can also use potassium bicarbonate, but use very little of it and space your dosages 24 hours apart from each other; otherwise, you could shock your fish by increasing the pH too fast in addition to increasing the ammonia's toxicity.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Even though at a pH around 6 the TAN (total ammonia nitrogen) is ammonium (NH4+), which is <em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">less toxic</span></em> for fish, I am guessing that your pH is bouncing back up, whether you notice or not, either due to the water changes or occurrences of algae or changes in the plant's nutrient intake. When the pH bounces back up, then a significant amount of the ammonium converts into ammonia (NH3), which is toxic to fish. Here is a calculator that I have used... <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.cnykoi.com/calculators/calcnh3c.asp" target="_blank">CNYKOI - Ammonia Calculator</a>.</p>
<p></p>
<p>TAN slowly changes the body chemistry of the fish's blood. So, right now, you have not yet made any fish sick nor lost any fish. There is a major difference between long term fish damage and the LC50, that is the mortality rate, of fish versus ammonia.</p>
<p></p>
<p>You are playing a game of russian roulette by allowing the TAN to remain so high.</p> I'm using a digital tester fo…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2014-06-12:4778851:Comment:5672992014-06-12T13:50:10.008ZJeff Shttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/JeffSullivan
<p>I'm using a digital tester for PH. I have a 1cu.ft. grow bed and an aquarium filter (rated 50 gallons) that I replaced the carbon pads with poly fiber and still have the bio screens in. What is a good buffer?</p>
<p>I'm using a digital tester for PH. I have a 1cu.ft. grow bed and an aquarium filter (rated 50 gallons) that I replaced the carbon pads with poly fiber and still have the bio screens in. What is a good buffer?</p> If you have an API test kit a…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2014-06-12:4778851:Comment:5674212014-06-12T13:38:31.315ZVlad Jovanovichttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/VladJovanovic
<p>If you have an API test kit and it reads pH 6 you have no way of knowing what the actual pH is since the kit only reads down to the value 6 (you could be at pH5.5 and it would still read 6. So be careful there...again, If it reads pH6, you really have no way of knowing what your actual pH is.....</p>
<p>You haven't mentioned what your bio-filtration capacity is for those 45 3" fish <img src="http://www.bkserv.net/images/Smile.gif"></img></p>
<p>Try adding a bicarbonate buffer and see if after the course of a few weeks it can 'keep up' a…</p>
<p>If you have an API test kit and it reads pH 6 you have no way of knowing what the actual pH is since the kit only reads down to the value 6 (you could be at pH5.5 and it would still read 6. So be careful there...again, If it reads pH6, you really have no way of knowing what your actual pH is.....</p>
<p>You haven't mentioned what your bio-filtration capacity is for those 45 3" fish <img src="http://www.bkserv.net/images/Smile.gif"/></p>
<p>Try adding a bicarbonate buffer and see if after the course of a few weeks it can 'keep up' a bit better with all that nitrification going on.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p> Great chart Vlad. Based on it…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2014-06-12:4778851:Comment:5674102014-06-12T02:37:08.961ZJeff Shttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/JeffSullivan
<p>Great chart Vlad. Based on it I need to start feeding my fish more LOL. Water temps are 80-82, PH is 6 and I struggle to keep ammonia down between 1&2, usually higher. I have 24- 3" Tilapia in a 45 gallon tank (which I plan to move soon) and 7- 6-8" goldfish in another, both with similar #s. I do plan to lower the temps (especially with the gold fish) just have been procrastinating. I've added a potassium hydroxide/hydrated lime solution to raise PH but it goes up a little and drops a…</p>
<p>Great chart Vlad. Based on it I need to start feeding my fish more LOL. Water temps are 80-82, PH is 6 and I struggle to keep ammonia down between 1&2, usually higher. I have 24- 3" Tilapia in a 45 gallon tank (which I plan to move soon) and 7- 6-8" goldfish in another, both with similar #s. I do plan to lower the temps (especially with the gold fish) just have been procrastinating. I've added a potassium hydroxide/hydrated lime solution to raise PH but it goes up a little and drops a lot. I've been monitoring the carbonate, bi-carbonate, hydroxide discussion and it had my head spinning. </p>
<p>I have a need for some fish water in my garden so I will probably do another big water change.</p>
<p> </p> There are some charts and han…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2014-06-12:4778851:Comment:5675092014-06-12T01:06:54.475ZVlad Jovanovichttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/VladJovanovic
<p>There are some charts and handy calculations in the discussion linked below, to help you determine when ammonia becomes toxic. It is the un-ionized ammonia that is the problem...</p>
<p>pH (and to lesser extent temperature) will determine the amount of un-ionized (toxic) ammonia in a given body of water.…</p>
<p></p>
<p>There are some charts and handy calculations in the discussion linked below, to help you determine when ammonia becomes toxic. It is the un-ionized ammonia that is the problem...</p>
<p>pH (and to lesser extent temperature) will determine the amount of un-ionized (toxic) ammonia in a given body of water.</p>
<p><a rel="nofollow" href="http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/group/aquaponicsforbeginners/forum/topics/what-s-the-cure-for-clouded-water?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A412139&groupId=4778851%3AGroup%3A28135" target="_blank">http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/group/aquaponicsforbeginner...</a></p>
<p></p>
<p>Hope that helps solve the YouTube (generally not the best source of reliable information) mystery <img src="http://www.bkserv.net/images/Smile.gif"/></p>
<p>(By the way if anyone does happen to read that link...mg/L [milligrams per liter]is the same thing (value) as ppm [parts per million]...)</p>
<p></p>