Ammonia problem in Quarantine

[gunner105]

Im setting up a cycle-less quarantine and i have everything i need. I got a 10 gallon tank, a HOB filter ,a heater and a power head. After putting the water in the aquarium and waiting overnight for heat to rise and salt to settle. i checked the ammonia in the morning and it was at 0.2 i dont quite understand how it raised SO much overnight with no living thing inside the tank is that possible or is my API test kit giving me a false positive? I did a 100% wc and i tested the fresh rodi water in my container and it read 0ppm for ammonia i mixed the salt in the fresh rodi water in my tank and i let it settle over night, once again this morning it registers 0.2 amonia i dont know what it could be i took out the floss out of the HOB filter so i have no idea what it could be. any ideas?

 

[A.Astore]

Yeah there is no reason to have ammonia in that setup when there are no fish present. Is this the first time you are setting it up or have there been fish in it before (I am assuming it is new by the way you worded it but I thought I would ask just in case). I know a lot of people say API gives false positives so it is very possible that is what is going on. I set mine up exactly like you said for TTM without cycling (granted I don't put anything in the HOB just use it for flow) and never have issues with ammonia. Did you rinse everything well before filling?

 

[gunner105]

yea its a brand new tank everything is brand new in it and yes i gave it a scrub before set up. maybe i should just do another 100% wc just to be safe and if it still reads that i have ammonia should i just ignore it? maybe get another test kit?

 

[pfan151]

yea its a brand new tank everything is brand new in it and yes i gave it a scrub before set up. maybe i should just do another 100% wc just to be safe and if it still reads that i have ammonia should i just ignore it? maybe get another test kit?

Best bet is to get a test kit that is better quality.

 

[A.Astore]

I have used API with no issues so while some complain they read .25 no matter what, I have never had that happen. I don't use them for everything, but have for ammonia. If you live by a LFS you could stop by with some water from the tank and see what they find on their test (just a heads up, some will use API). The only other thing I could blame it on would be the salt but I don't know that I have read anyone complain of ammonia building due to salt alone.

 

[gunner105]

that is why im confused the fresh rodi water reads 0 ammonia but once its in the tank mixed and heated the test kit reads it as .25 should if try a different salt im using IO

 

[gunner105]

Best bet is to get a test kit that is better quality.

what testing kit would u recommend

 

[scuzy]

check if you have chloromine in you water i heard that messes up with newly mixed salt and causing ammonia. Maybe i am wrong. I thought i read a post here with someone having the same issues.

 

[deleau]

When I run my QTs for TTM, I have a Seachem ammonia Alert badge that I leave in next to a glass thermometer for a "rough/quick glance" at ammonia levels.

My primary test kit that I use for ammonia is Salifert.

I also have an API ammonia kit, and I'll test both just to compare, and they've always been close enough to the same reading. Perhaps you got a bad kit, but I would suggest Salifert and see what that reads.

 

[gunner105]

check if you have chloromine in you water i heard that messes up with newly mixed salt and causing ammonia. Maybe i am wrong. I thought i read a post here with someone having the same issues.

yea i figured my town had chloromines and thats why i got the brs 6 stage universal ro/di filter to deal with those. i used the test strips that came with it and it shows no chlorine or chloromines

 

[CarrieB]

There is another thread about ammonia being acquired in saltwater. One person blamed it on a nearby catbox and another person found out they had a problem with a sewer line.

 

[CarrieB]

Here's the thread on ammonia in saltwater.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2560582