Ammonia after RO/DI/DI - What to do?

[Anonymous]

In testing my tank for ammonia and have a reading of .25

I made a new batch of SW to do a water change and tested that water with the same ammonia reading of .25.

I tested my water after the RO/DI/DI and the ammonia is .25.

So now I found the source of the ammonia.

Do I now need to buy my water from somewhere else (if thats the case - C-Ya)?

Is there an alternative?

 

[Anonymous]

First thing is, what brand test kit are you using to measure ammonia? Some are more accurate then others, so I just want to eliminate the possibility that you're getting a false positive, one way or the other.

There are chemical filtration medias for removing ammonia... polyfilters, ammocarb, etc etc. There are also ammonia removing chemicals that can be added directly to the water (Amquel). So even if your water really has ammonia, solving that shouldn't come down to more then either running some of the chemical media in tandem with your RO unit, or treating the water in whatever storage containers you use once you make the water.

 

[Anonymous]

All my top off water has ammonia in it too. How do I treat all of that? Thats a 1-2 gallons a day.

I am using a RedSea test kit for ammonia only. Salifert for everything else.

 

[Anonymous]

get some pure RO/DI that know to contains no ammonia, and use your test kit and see what is the reading.

 

[Anonymous]

Carbon - Where?

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry, I was thinking about chloramine issue with RO/DI, where you can use carbon post filter to take care of it. I think it also work a little with ammonia, but I feel your issue is your test kit, hence, my comment about testing a water sample without ammonia.

 

[Anonymous]

All my top off water has ammonia in it too. How do I treat all of that? Thats a 1-2 gallons a day.

Like I said above, Rob. Either run the media in tandem with the RO (add an extra media chamber after the DI for the water to run through as it's being made), or add something like the Amquel liquid to the buckets after you make the water and before you top off the tank.

RedSea's ammonia test kit I haven't used so I can't comment on it. The thing that caught my eye was that the ammonia readings on your tank, your fresh salt water, and your tap water were all identical. That strikes me enough to question it's accuracy; will your LFS test your water if you bring them a sample?

 

[Anonymous]

They use the same kits. I guess I wil lhave to order another kit.

 

[Anonymous]

Nah, try 7Es idea first. Get some bottled pure RO water from a supermarket and test that with your kit, see if it still reads .25 or not.

 

[shr00m]

its more than likely a false positive if all seems well dont freak out.... test known pure water like suggested....

 

[bleedingthought]

In testing my tank for ammonia and have a reading of .25

I made a new batch of SW to do a water change and tested that water with the same ammonia reading of .25.

I tested my water after the RO/DI/DI and the ammonia is .25.

So now I found the source of the ammonia.

Do I now need to buy my water from somewhere else (if thats the case - C-Ya)?

Is there an alternative?

Might be why your fish are dying, huh? I'm glad you found this out, Rob!

 

[Anonymous]

I agree (as always ) with 7E...eliminate the test kit being faulty first off. if it still tests high then use either chemical media or Amquel to help take it out.

 

[trido]

I have a red sea kit..... It has always read .25.. Slightly green no matter what Ive tested it with.