monkeyCmonkeyDo
7500 Club Member
When my waters yellow or hazy. Lol!
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So, how do YOU measure ammonia?
- Thread starter Azedenkae
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Azedenkae
Valuable Member
You do actually gain something from knowing if a tank can handle 2ppm ammonia. That is the general consensus of how much ammonia a full stocked tank will produce daily, so 2ppm converts to whatever fish (essentially) you'd plan to stock a tank with.
It's the main difference between two common methods for cycling, which either results in a 'go slow' process of stocking or a 'yeah just go ahead and add everything' process of stocking.
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Azedenkae
Valuable Member
Or it can point out issues that one might not otherwise have picked up on. I am currently cycling a tank and it is rather experimental: I only have MarinePure gems as biomedia and nothing else (rock, sand, etc.), and they were all in the display. Initially they were able to handle a large amount of ammonia, but over time this stopped.
I hypothesized that because the biomedia I was using were relatively small (the gems are around half an inch or small in width), the light from an AI Prime was enough to inhibit nitrification. Moved the gems to the filtration chamber and nitrification continued. Had I only tested for nitrite and nitrate, I would not have picked up on this. I mean at that point nitrate was already high and so if I kept on measuring 0 nitrite after dosing ammonia, the assumption could have been 'oh yeah ammonia is still being oxidized, sweet'.
Niche case, but the thing about testing is... you never need the numbers until you need the numbers.
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Azedenkae
Valuable Member
P.S. I think I may have touched a few nerves with this poll? Was just interested in knowing what people used, but I guess somehow asking about all this ruffled some feathers. So er, let's chill guys.
monkeyCmonkeyDo
7500 Club Member
Water chemistrys a touchy subject these days. Lol
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Gtinnel
10K Club member
I voted API since it is the only ammonia test that I own. Like many others I don't test ammonia and only did during my cycle, but even then I knew not to trust the API test. So for me testing it even then was probably pointless since I disregarded the results anyway.
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Azedenkae
Valuable Member
Thanks for voting. Yeah I am just curious and wanted to see what everyone really used. I kinda still measure ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate for my main tank but... does seem very unnecessary when everything comes out reading 0 anyways. >_<" XD
Gtinnel
10K Club member
It's kinda ironic that all I have is API because I have been on several threads complaining about and completely bashing API, lol. But I have seen too many threads where new reefers have an issue with their tank, test ammonia with API, see a slight amount of ammonia and do way more damage than good to their tank trying to fix their non-existant ammonia issue.
Btw you don't want to have a reading of 0 for Nitrate.
monkeyCmonkeyDo
7500 Club Member
Its not 0. Its undetectable.
Its below 1... 0= >1
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Its below 1... 0= >1
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Azedenkae
Valuable Member
Oh yeah I presume it's fine in my case because I still feed heavily. It seems like it is just because I have so much algae of so many different varieties that they just uptake all the nitrate. Though I presume 1. given the heavy feeding, there is still plenty of nutrients for the corals, and 2. given that I use the nitrate test kit, it's probably not exactly 0 anyways. XD
Gtinnel
10K Club member
While I'm sure technically true you still don't want to maintain an undetectable level of nitrate. Mine stays around 1 and it still makes me a little nervous.
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Azedenkae
Valuable Member
Yeah tbf I am somewhat nervous. The corals and anemone are growing though, so at this point in time I am more inclined to not do anything about it, but it is something I monitor. Also arguments against measuring all the time I suppose, seeing that 'the health and growth of your live stock' reflects the true situation when it comes to parameters, or something along those lines.
I am thinking just, why not both. XD Measure and watch, take a breath before taking any action, but take action if need be.
Gtinnel
10K Club member
You're probably correct, if it is being consumed then having a low level is probably okay. I guess ultimately of the corals are doing well then it isn't an issue.
2 ppm is not a general consensus that’s a Dr Tims consensus off a bottle bac label.
any reef that can move half a ppm ammonia can carry a common starting bioload because the active surface area we use is profuse and spread out, cancel that recommend for 2 ppm
it helps to cause totally unneeded thousands of dollars in redundant bottle bac sales
requiring two ppm movement to zero is the bane of reef tank cycling because nobody uses tests that cope well with accurately reporting that degree of clearing, that requirement has set cycling back so far, it’s tricking everyone into doubly buying bottle bac for the last .25 that won’t move
and then waiting six weeks for a cycle done five weeks ago
and then buying more bac a fourth time, all this is in some recent cycling threads.
two ppm movement is so high it’s outside the range of unmodified api testing (for many, but not all api tests) it’s wrecking our cycling hobby, it’s my #1 request that you’d skip promoting to every cycler posting.
maybe a new cycler will read this anyway and save a massive headache by using the updated approach.
Let new cyclers know the completion/duration dates on a label of bottle bac are right, they’re well-researched, its why every initial cycle on this whole board has completed and the initial bioload lives just fine until brook wipes them all out a few weeks later
moving 2 ppm to zero is 100% absolutely not required to carry any common starting bioload, it’s an arbitrary number and so is half a ppm which aligns much better with the known variances api presents.
The degree of surface area we are all using is the force multiplier, not the massive amount of ammonia we expect a brand new system to move to hard yellow for everyone.
if you’ll take all concerns for ammonia and move them into fish disease preps and prevention you’ll help thousands of marine tank cyclers, as we can see ammonia control is inevitable and certain in a reef tank, cycle charts show quite a helpful ammonia pattern and completion date (seneye agrees with it any time we test). New reef tank cycling rules already know when ammonia compliance will be earned for any new cycle, no testing required. Our concern should be for the first two clowns about to go in that spread disease within weeks. The ammonia from those clowns isn’t going to be an issue for anyone, in every arrangement.
any reef that can move half a ppm ammonia can carry a common starting bioload because the active surface area we use is profuse and spread out, cancel that recommend for 2 ppm
it helps to cause totally unneeded thousands of dollars in redundant bottle bac sales
requiring two ppm movement to zero is the bane of reef tank cycling because nobody uses tests that cope well with accurately reporting that degree of clearing, that requirement has set cycling back so far, it’s tricking everyone into doubly buying bottle bac for the last .25 that won’t move
and then waiting six weeks for a cycle done five weeks ago
and then buying more bac a fourth time, all this is in some recent cycling threads.
two ppm movement is so high it’s outside the range of unmodified api testing (for many, but not all api tests) it’s wrecking our cycling hobby, it’s my #1 request that you’d skip promoting to every cycler posting.
maybe a new cycler will read this anyway and save a massive headache by using the updated approach.
Let new cyclers know the completion/duration dates on a label of bottle bac are right, they’re well-researched, its why every initial cycle on this whole board has completed and the initial bioload lives just fine until brook wipes them all out a few weeks later
moving 2 ppm to zero is 100% absolutely not required to carry any common starting bioload, it’s an arbitrary number and so is half a ppm which aligns much better with the known variances api presents.
The degree of surface area we are all using is the force multiplier, not the massive amount of ammonia we expect a brand new system to move to hard yellow for everyone.
if you’ll take all concerns for ammonia and move them into fish disease preps and prevention you’ll help thousands of marine tank cyclers, as we can see ammonia control is inevitable and certain in a reef tank, cycle charts show quite a helpful ammonia pattern and completion date (seneye agrees with it any time we test). New reef tank cycling rules already know when ammonia compliance will be earned for any new cycle, no testing required. Our concern should be for the first two clowns about to go in that spread disease within weeks. The ammonia from those clowns isn’t going to be an issue for anyone, in every arrangement.
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A person might ask if 2 ppm is indeed written onto bottle bac instructions and so is the # of days to completion why pick and choose which parts we apply
because the massive massive variation in how newbs interpret api must be dealt with in updated cycling science so we can reduce cost, streamline start dates (into meeting the dates on the label, not three months later still trying to oxidize the tail end of the massive initial dose .25)
if someone sets these goals for the new tanks forum the only way to get there is to modify old cycling rules around the quality of test kits the masses are using. Left untouched, we can easily see the current state of new tank cycling its a doubt machine overselling bottle bac by the ton per day.
because the massive massive variation in how newbs interpret api must be dealt with in updated cycling science so we can reduce cost, streamline start dates (into meeting the dates on the label, not three months later still trying to oxidize the tail end of the massive initial dose .25)
if someone sets these goals for the new tanks forum the only way to get there is to modify old cycling rules around the quality of test kits the masses are using. Left untouched, we can easily see the current state of new tank cycling its a doubt machine overselling bottle bac by the ton per day.
KarlsReef
Active Member
Since the initial cycle I don't test for ammonia, I do have one of the Seachem display indicators in my sump, just to shop if anything goes crazy. Also have one in my QT tanks when I QT new arrivals
I actually use the sensafe iDip 570 - test 486654
Actually I use this to test all my parameters.
Actually I use this to test all my parameters.
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