# Is Zero Ammonia Really Possible?



## simplykayla76

I am wondering if 0 ammonia is really possible? Using a API Master Test Kit the lowest reading I get is between 0ppm and .25ppm. I know there is toxic and non toxic ammonia and the toxic is what you don't want. API Kit Test for both together. And the higher your ph the higher the toxicity of the ammonia. So if my temp is 73 and my ph is 7.8 and i test a .25ppm with my master test kit that means I have 0.15ppm toxic ammonia. 

The only time I have ever tested 0 ammonia with my test kit is when I first started my aquarium in January and when I changed my gravel out completely in March. (2012)

So any thoughts?


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## susankat

Yes its possible, mine all stay at zero


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## FishFlow

I feel like I'm missing a piece of the question? A cycled tank, should have 0 Ammonia. All my mature tanks have zero ammonia.


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## NeonShark666

Ammonia is always genrated whenever organic matter decomposes (fish food, dead fish, dead snails.) A good bacteria poulation convets the Ammonia to Nitrite very quickly. A decomposing fish or overfeeding may tempoarily overwhelm these bacteria but things should get better quickly. Even a rapidly increased fish population (2-10) will do the same. A high ph will casue a lot of your Ammonia to be in the form of NH3 (very toxic). This is why you need to be careful overcrowding high ph tanks.


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## Crazy

It sounds to me like you either have ammonia in your water or you are overwhelming your biological filter (the bacteria that breaks it down). This could be caused by overfeeding or overstocking, or dead fish or plants in the tank. There are two main bacterias involved in the break down process. Ammonia is converted to nitrite by bacteria Nitrosonomas europa whereas the nitrites are converted to nitrates by Nitrobacter. A properly stocked, fed, and mature tank should have zero ammonia, zero nitrites, and rising levels of nitrates that get water changed prior to 40ppm. The indication of ammonia or nitrites in a tank means something is overloading the bio-filter.


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## Tiari

You may consider that possibly you have chloramines in your water, and the conditioner you use breaks that apart into chlorine and ammonia. Most water conditioners do this, as well as add an additive that turns the chlorine harmless, and the ammonia into ammonium.

I found the easiest way to check for this, is to use a Seachem ammonia monitoring tag. This is kept in the water, and registers only harmful ammonia. This really helps stop "stress attacks" of seeing ammonia readings on the API test kit. I also recommend the Seachem ammonia dual test, which tests for harmful, and non harmful ammonia, so you can get a better handle on it.

You can also do a test by testing your tap water. First, straight out of the tap to see if ammonia happens to be coming from out of the tap. Then add your water conditioner to the sample, and let it sit 12-24 hours, and then test that. If the conditioned water registers ammonia, and your tap water straight did not, what you are seeing is just the breakdown of the chloramine bonds.


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## jrman83

You have a tank with a few goldies, correct? I dont think it is uncommon for goldie tanks to register a little ammonia and I don't believe your goldies are at risk, but I wouldn't want it in my tanks over a sustained period of time.

How much filtration and what size is your filter? Have you thought about any plants? There are a few out there that people say goldies tend to leave alone. Have you tested anything else to make sure your test doesn't read that way all the time?


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## simplykayla76

Yes I have 3 juvenile goldfish~a black moor about 1 inch, a calico ryken about 2 inches, and a fancy about 3 inches. I have 2 filters a Aquaclear 30 and a Topfin 40. I did buy a back up filter a Aquaclear 50 which I am thinking about replacing the AC 30 with. I don't have any real plants. I do have the Seachem Ammonia Alert Device and the Seachem Ammonia Test that test free ammonia. I am going to test my tap water. But if you remember jrman83 the post about my ph levels I haven't been using my tap previously. And maybe just maybe I need to re home one of my goldfish  I hear so many different opinions on stocking~who to believe? I have a 37 gallon that holds 30 gallons of water right now and hopefully before the year is over I will have either a 55 or 75 gallon.


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## simplykayla76

Okay~ tested my tap and 0 ammonia was the result. Now I will treat my tap with prime and let it set 12 hours and then test it again.


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## jrman83

I would replace the AC30 with your 50 and keep the AC30 as your backup. A little extra filtration is good and may help some. If you do this, run both filters (AC30/AC50) for at least 2wks before you remove the AC30.

I ran an AC50 on a 20g and an AC70 on a 29g.


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## simplykayla76

Will do


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## Crazy

that may be enough to help knock down the ammonia, the larger filter will have more area for bacterial growth. If you enjoy keeping goldfish you may want to look at sump filtration down the road though, it is much more effecient than HOB.


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## simplykayla76

Definitely will consider especially when I get a bigger aquarium.


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## simplykayla76

Just noticed something that could have been creating a problem..but not sure. I was standing in front of my aquarium and started looking at my Seachem Ammonia Alert device and noticed nasty stuff under and around the suction cup. I immediately took it out. I had never noticed that before. It probably wasn't the cause of my issue but I am sure it wasn't helping either...


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## simplykayla76

Well tested my prime treated tap water after @15 hrs= 0 ammonia. I tested my ammonia in my aquarium between .25 -.50 so i will doing a 50% pwc. I know its not over feeding because i feed them every third day for example i fed them Wednesday and i won't feed them again till Saturday. So maybe i need a bigger aquarium or minus one fish


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## beaslbob

Did you ammonia alert show any ammonia?

Technically, scientifically, and philosophically nothing can ever be 0 but it can be so low as to be undectiable with test kits. 

On my FW I did get the nice clear yellow of 0.

But on my saltwater it was more of a white cloudy yellowish closer to the .25 ppm level.

I suspect the salt measurement was more a testing thing as fish and corals lived in that environment for years.

my .02


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## jrman83

Your filtration just may be inadequate for your bio-load. Be sure to do a good gravel vacuum also.

I would look into getting some java moss. I hear goldies will leave it alone. It should help.


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## simplykayla76

beaslbob said:


> Did you ammonia alert show any ammonia?
> 
> Technically, scientifically, and philosophically nothing can ever be 0 but it can be so low as to be undectiable with test kits.
> 
> On my FW I did get the nice clear yellow of 0.
> 
> But on my saltwater it was more of a white cloudy yellowish closer to the .25 ppm level.
> 
> I suspect the salt measurement was more a testing thing as fish and corals lived in that environment for years.
> 
> my .02


I threw out my ammonia alert because of nasty stuff under it and the suction cup. I meant to buy another one today but forgot.

I just got through doing a 50% water change which usually brings it down between 0 and .25ppm. ~but i never get yellow ...just a very very light green.


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## simplykayla76

jrman83 said:


> Your filtration just may be inadequate for your bio-load. Be sure to do a good gravel vacuum also.
> 
> I would look into getting some java moss. I hear goldies will leave it alone. It should help.


So would you say I might need a AC70? To replace the AC50 and topfin 40. I cover the entire bottom when using the gravel vac. I would like to go over it twice but by the time i do the bottom once i have already took out 50%.

Is Java Moss hard to maintain? Or take care of? I have never had live plants.


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## beaslbob

simplykayla76 said:


> So would you say I might need a AC70? To replace the AC50 and topfin 40. I cover the entire bottom when using the gravel vac. I would like to go over it twice but by the time i do the bottom once i have already took out 50%.
> 
> Is Java Moss hard to maintain? Or take care of? I have never had live plants.


Hopefully you may find that fast groiwn glive plants will bring ammonia down to the clear yellow level. *old dude

my .02


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## jrman83

Java moss will even grow from ambient light. Anubias is another plant to look into that goldies may also leave alone.


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## simplykayla76

Can you just let Java Moss float in the water or do i need to make a java moss wall or ball?


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## jrman83

You can just stick it under anything you have in the tank to hold it down. The rest will occur on its own.


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## simplykayla76

jrman83 said:


> Your filtration just may be inadequate for your bio-load. Be sure to do a good gravel vacuum also.
> 
> I would look into getting some java moss. I hear goldies will leave it alone. It should help.


I was looking at AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor and i entered 30 gallons with 3 goldfish using the topfin 40 and ac 50 and it said that was satisfactory filtration. but when i entered 3 filters~ ac30,ac50, and topfin 40 it said plenty of filtration. so maybe i should just leave all 3 on and see if that helps my bio-load... 

*still looking into the plant option.


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