Tap water has ammonia

[ahud]

Hello,

My tap water has an ammonia reading of .5ppm. What precautions should I take when topping off or doing water changes? Would I be better off to buy my water since I have downgraded to a nano tank?

This is probably the most retarded question ever asked, but the RO/DI unit will not remove ammonia will it? I have no clue:idea:

 

[FormulatedFire]

If you don't use an RO/DI you could use Prime which is a dechlorinator and also removes ammonia

 

[ahud]

Prime binds ammonia, I'm not it removes it.

 

[disc1]

RO alone will not remove ammonia, but the DI stage will take it out.

 

[ahud]

Are you positive of that?

If it does take it out then I will have nothing to worry about

 

[disc1]

Is this municipal water? (city water?) Probably you are seeing chloramine in the ammonia test results and not ammonia. In that case your carbon block will get most of it and the DI will get the rest. I doubt the presence of free ammonia in your tap water.

I should have said that earlier, but your title had me thinking ammonia, which can pass an RO membrane, but will exist mostly as ammonium at any reasonable pH. As it gets pulled out by the DI resin, more of the ammonia will convert to ammonium. Unless it is really really high, you should be able to clean it up. Doing a quick test on your RO/DI water isn't a bad idea, but it should be OK.