Ammonia In An Established Aquarium?

[Dan_P]

I recently titrated aquarium water with dilute bleach and detected what appears to be about 0.07 ppm total ammonia (more details about this study in several weeks). I am in the process of confirming this but was wondering whether anyone has come across evidence for very low levels of ammonia existing in aquaria being normal. My buddy ChatGPT thinks it is a realistic possibility.

 

[Garf]

I recently titrated aquarium water with dilute bleach and detected what appears to be about 0.07 ppm total ammonia (more details about this study in several weeks). I am in the process of confirming this but was wondering whether anyone has come across evidence for very low levels of ammonia existing in aquaria being normal. My buddy ChatGPT thinks it is a realistic possibility.

I've got a detectable level according to API. Don't stop me sleeping however.

 

[Reefering1]

I recently titrated aquarium water with dilute bleach and detected what appears to be about 0.07 ppm total ammonia (more details about this study in several weeks). I am in the process of confirming this but was wondering whether anyone has come across evidence for very low levels of ammonia existing in aquaria being normal. My buddy ChatGPT thinks it is a realistic possibility.

I only have my opinions and beliefs behind my statements and have never tested ammonia on established tank... but, it makes sense to me.. if all the critters are producing ammonia continuously, along with any decomposition; bacteria, corals and algea are consuming it -surely it is not all consumed instantly- resulting in some residual low level of ammonia. Maybe if a couple feedings were skipped there would truly be none available in water column?

 

[Dan_P]

I've got a detectable level according to API. Don't stop me sleeping however.

Is that in the same aquarium where you are using aragonite to control phosphate? Just wondering.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It’s certainly possible, But what was the test?

 

[Dan_P]

I only have my opinions and beliefs behind my statements and have never tested ammonia on established tank... but, it makes sense to me.. if all the critters are producing ammonia continuously, along with any decomposition; bacteria, corals and algea are consuming it -surely it is not all consumed instantly- resulting in some residual low level of ammonia. Maybe if a couple feedings were skipped there would truly be none available in water column?

This makes sense. Skipped feeding would be a doable experiment.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Lots of things can react with bleach

 

[Dan_P]

It’s certainly possible, But what was the test?

Ammonia reacts with chlorine in steps to form mono, di, and then trichloroamine before being convert to molecular nitrogen. The way this changing stoichiometry can play out in chorine consumption curve is a distinctive change in chlorine consumption as the dose of chlorine reaches 1.5 Cl2:NH3-N (break point). It is subject to interference by a wide variety of ions and molecules so this might not be a Eureka! moment. I am looking for ways that I could be wrong. I will post this study Eureka or not.

 

[Reefering1]

Lots of things can react with bleach

Ammonia reacts with chlorine in steps to form mono, di, and then trichloroamine before being convert to molecular nitrogen. The way this changing stoichiometry can play out in chorine consumption curve is a distinctive change in chlorine consumption as the dose of chlorine reaches 1.5 Cl2:NH3-N (break point). It is subject to interference by a wide variety of ions and molecules so this might not be a Eureka! moment. I am looking for ways that I could be wrong. I will post this study Eureka or not.

I didn't comprehend one bit of this response
But is it possible the bleach killed bacteria/ organisms- causing the ammonia to be produced in the vial?

 

[Dan_P]

Lots of things can react with bleach

Yes, that is why I need more data to make this observation a bit more interesting.

 

[Dan_P]

I didn't comprehend one bit of this response
But is it possible the bleach killed bacteria/ organisms- causing the ammonia to be produced in the vial?

I will teach you the secret handshake of stoichiometry :-)

I sterile filtered the test sample to remove all organisms but virus, and detected no statistical difference.

 

[Garf]

Is that in the same aquarium where you are using aragonite to control phosphate? Just wondering.

It is, however, I've just tested the wife's tank and it's the same ammonia result as I'm getting. We do feed heavily however, and I'm fully open to the idea that the ammonia test is being influenced by something other than ammonia. I would state though, that I've tried influencing the ammonia test deliberately in years past by adding food, bacterial additives, basically anything I had to hand, but failed to get a positive reading. Follows is a test done today, sorry for the freshwater colour card, boooo. I have an update to post on my phosphate sandbag test.

 

[Dan_P]

It is, however, I've just tested the wife's tank and it's the same ammonia result as I'm getting. We do feed heavily however, and I'm fully open to the idea that the ammonia test is being influenced by something other than ammonia. I would state though, that I've tried influencing the ammonia test deliberately in years past by adding food, bacterial additives, basically anything I had to hand, but failed to get a positive reading. Follows is a test done today, sorry for the freshwater colour card, boooo. I have an update to post on my phosphate sandbag test.

That API test looks like a real positive result.

Dosing vinegar or ethanol could remove the ammonia very quickly, but leave nitrate.

 

[Fish Fan]

I'm sure you guys all know this, but I personally learned/confirmed only recently that there's often ammonia in newly mixed saltwater. In testing, I was getting about 0.19 ppm to 0.34 ppm using a Hanna Ammonia Checker with newly made saltwater using RODI (with all new media) and three different salt mixes; AquaForrest Reef Salt, AF Sea Salt, and IO Sea Salt. If there's already ammonia in the water we add to our tanks, seems reasonable to have some ammonia in the aquarium itself as well.

I hope that helps; this is a good conversation for sure