really really need help

[marc200]

Ok so my tank is still cycling and I wanted to do a water change,
so I brought home 25L of R/O water from LFS
then added salt and left the water to sit with an air stone in for 24 hours
was going to add the water to my tank but I tested it for ammonia first and I got a reading of 0.4
went to LFS and got them to test there R/O water for me and it was 0
so I tried a different test kit got the same reading 0.4
I bought new test vials just in case old ones were contaminated
barrel was bought from local camping shop and is a food safe container
using TMC pro reef salt which is sealed


so I ask, where is the god dam ammonia coming from what am I doing wrong? aaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!
feel like pulling my hair out

LFS said that if I leave the air stone in there bubbling away for 48 hours ammonia will naturally disappear is this true

can anyone help as I am very close to packing it all up and gong back to fresh water

thanks everyone

marc

 

[bertoni]

Some salt products come with ammonia as a trace contaminant. 0.4 ppm sounds a bit high, but maybe not unreasonable. If the water is left to sit for a while with aeration, bacteria might consume the ammonia, but I don't think that much would evaporate rapidly.

 

[WaterKeeper]

It is in the salt.

Almost all mixes tested had some residual ammonia present after mixing. It is present as an impurity in the mix. The LFS is basically correct that the level drops on standing with aeration but, unless it is a very large water change, an established tank will convert the ammonia to nitrate in fairly short order.

 

[BurntOutReefer]

what they said....

 

[SeaView]

Get a fresh water ammonia test and test it before you add salt. I suspect it is the source and not the salt. I don't think air removes ammonia but I could be wrong.

 

[marc200]

ok so change salt brand then but my friend is using the exact same water and same brand of salt and his water is 0 ammonia going to buy a new barrel just incase but still lost to why i have ammonia

 

[marc200]

LFS tested it with a feshwater test kit

 

[bertoni]

Many freshwater ammonia kits are fine for saltwater, so perhaps your batch of salt had a bit more contaminant than would be nice. I still wouldn't worry too much for normal-sized water changes.

 

[marc200]

yes an established tank would Tom but mine is still new, you recommended doing 20% w/c every 2 days to keep the life on the rock alive so am following you advice
But adding water with ammonia isn’t really going to help as i have a lower ammonia level in my tank so i am lost can’t do a water change then until tank is mature

 

[marc200]

Thanks by the way for everyone’s help i really appreciate your advice

 

[WaterKeeper]

If you don't have any livestock in the tank then there is no worry. All the stuff in a new tank saw ammonia levels way above 0.4 just a short time ago.

 

[marc200]

ok thanks tom so do you think i should try a new batch of salt and chuck the water thats in the barrel and see if i get a lower level with the new salt it terms of live stock i have some zoo's and a organ pipe coral (hitchhickers that came with rock) that seem to be doing well