for filtration I have a pro clear 200 wet/dry, 2 xp3 canister filters and 2 emporer 400's. My wet/dry is pushing 1000 gal/hr. I don't know how my filtration could possibly be too little. Since my ph is at 7.6 why do i still have ammonium and not ammonia? could my plants be converting nitrate into ammonium faster than they can utilize it? also my tap water contains absolutly no chlorine or chloramine so that can't be it.. I am so stumped
ammonia vs. ammonium HELP!!!
- Thread starter dodgefreak8
- Start date
Other way around, ammonium is present above PH of 7 and ammonia below 7 (or there abouts anyhow).
It might be just a case of your test kit being very sensitive? As I said, there has to be some ammonia present as your BB cant consume it before its created! Just as long as it stays very low and does not spike then its all fine. My test kit doesnt have a '0' reading, it only has '<0.3'
Which, in the aquarium, anything that low is considered a 0 reading.
It might be just a case of your test kit being very sensitive? As I said, there has to be some ammonia present as your BB cant consume it before its created! Just as long as it stays very low and does not spike then its all fine. My test kit doesnt have a '0' reading, it only has '<0.3'
Which, in the aquarium, anything that low is considered a 0 reading.well I feel a little better. My ammonia alert will read .02 of free ammonia or NH3 and both the liquid test and the test strips will read 0 and .25ppm of total ammonia( both NH3 and NH4). so conclusion is I definatly have ammonium and not ammonia right?
dodgefreak8 said:
Going by your PH and what I have read regarding PH and ammonia - I would say yours is present as ammonium. What I was trying to say though, is regardless of it being ammonia or ammonium, a reading that low is more than likely normal, and your filter should still remove ammonium as well as ammonia.
hardb0iled said:Other way around, ammonium is present above PH of 7 and ammonia below 7 (or there abouts anyhow).
It might be just a case of your test kit being very sensitive? As I said, there has to be some ammonia present as your BB cant consume it before its created! Just as long as it stays very low and does not spike then its all fine. My test kit doesnt have a '0' reading, it only has '<0.3'
you got mixed up my friend ammonium is present in a ph below 7
with a pH above 7 it turns into ammonia
yep thats what I just read here
http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/nutrient/nitcyc.shtml
so now WTF
http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/nutrient/nitcyc.shtml
so now WTF
..yeah your right sorry, I did get it backwards! 
I've just been through all this with one of my tanks too so I dont know how I got it backwards!
Anyhow - I still say thats pretty normal, its such a small reading. Maybe someone else can chime in with some base ammonia readings from their tanks to confirm?
I've just been through all this with one of my tanks too so I dont know how I got it backwards!
Anyhow - I still say thats pretty normal, its such a small reading. Maybe someone else can chime in with some base ammonia readings from their tanks to confirm?
