I have a seachem ammonia alert and it reads as 0 ppm free ammonia but my new API ammonia test kit tells me I have .25 ppm total ammonia. I understand they test for different things but does this mean my master test kit is faulty because I don't use any products like am guard? I assumed bound ammonia is a product of natural ammonia and am guard. No?
Is bound ammonia still toxic?
- Thread starter GrapeGuy
- Start date
Possibly a false ammonia reading on your API test, if you are using Seachem Prime as a water conditioner. Salicylate or Nessler based test kits determine the total ammonia by raising the pH of the test solution to 12 or greater. At this high pH all ammonia removal products will breakdown and re-release the ammonia, giving a false ammonia reading. Total ammonia is simply a reading of NH3 (toxic) and NH4+ (non toxic) combined.
If as you say your Seachem ammonia alert reads as 0 ppm free ammonia (NH3), then you are golden. (as long as the sensor is under 12 months of age)
According to Seachem, when using their products such as Prime and/or Safe, the ammonia is converted into the Schiff base of an aldehyde (R2C=NH) which is non-toxic.
HTH
If as you say your Seachem ammonia alert reads as 0 ppm free ammonia (NH3), then you are golden. (as long as the sensor is under 12 months of age)
According to Seachem, when using their products such as Prime and/or Safe, the ammonia is converted into the Schiff base of an aldehyde (R2C=NH) which is non-toxic.
HTH
