Tropical Fish Forums

[clewis]

There's a reason why I buy drinking water

This is my water before I started cycling what is the best course of action?

pH: 8
ammonia: 8
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0

Test was taken on a Aquarium Pharmaceuticals master test kit.

thanks for any help

[Minsc]

Have someone else verify that ammonia reading, sometimes test kits are faulty.
If it is that high, I don't think you can use the water as is. I think RO filters get rid of ammonia, so that could be an option.

You do mean 8 ppm, not .8 ppm, right?

[clewis]

yup thats right, 8 ppm.

[TMfish]

Just let the tank cycle to get rid of the ammonia. As for pH you could add peat to your substrate, or your filter if possible I.e. "media basket" to lower pH. Your water must be very hard. Sounds like you need an R.O. system.
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70Gal
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15Gal

[clewis]

Yeah, I live on an island and this stuff is literally hard as rock(I.e. you can smell the iron in it) Its my first house and I bought it last march. I'm hoping to get a water softener installed when I get my tax refund. Apparently, I'm the only one on the street that doesn't have one.

The girl at the LFS said I could use this 3n1 stuff (sorry I can't remember the actual name) and let the tank cycle for a couple of days and it should take care of the ammonia as well as the pH.

Know anything about it?

[Bob]

Another islander (What one, it must be a lot bigger than the one I live on if you have an LFS), we also have very hard water in Orkney, I breed Angels and keep other "Softish" water fish

I would steer clear of chemicals to deal with this, they often don't work and there actions are short term.

The Ammonia is the real cause for concern. A pH of 8 is not that bad for most fish if they can get used to it (Your LFS probably has hard water as well).

Have a read of this thread:

http://www.aquahobby.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=40426

Getting your tank cycled, should be easy (No need to add any Ammonia). Is this Ammonia in the tap water constant?

Have you spoken to your water supplier about this?

Once it is cycled the bacteria should be able to keep on top of it, but I would consider doing frequent small water changes, rather than less often large ones that could suddenly raise the Ammonia level in the tank.

Long term an RO filter will sort out the Ammonia and hardness, but a simple way round pH and hardness is to keep fish that like it, there is no such thing as "Bad" pH, just the wrong sort of fish

Bob

[clewis]

Thanks for the advise bob! I've only been to Stronsay once, when I was four. I don't remember much but I think the island I live on is still smaller My island is across the Cheasepeake Bay from Annapolis, Maryland called Kent Island.

My water supplier unfortunately in this matter comes from the ground. I have a well. The island also used to be used for nothing but farmland and I think the ammonia is a result of the fertilizer that was used.

[myhamster]

Your water has 8.0ppm ammonia? Haha. Your water sucks. So when you get an ammonia spike...quick, don't do a water change, hehe.

Thank you,
Eric

[clewis]