Ammonia in RO water after sitting HELP

[jdm85]

I'm having an issue where my RO water has an ammonia reading of .50 after sitting in holding container.

My RODI system has x2 chloramine blaster carbon filters to help cutdown the Chlorine/Ammonia in my city water. When I test for Ammonia in my freshly filtered RO water I get a reading of 0 with both Salifert and API test kits.

When the fresh water sits for a day or two in a bucket or my brute trash can I then get an ammonia reading of .50.

Thoughts?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I'm having an issue where my RO water has an ammonia reading of .50 after sitting in holding container.

My RODI system has x2 chloramine blaster carbon filters to help cutdown the Chlorine/Ammonia in my city water. When I test for Ammonia in my freshly filtered RO water I get a reading of 0 with both Salifert and API test kits.

When the fresh water sits for a day or two in a bucket or my brute trash can I then get an ammonia reading of .50.

Thoughts?

May be something such as film in the container
Add a pouch of chemipure to help purify the contents

 

[jdm85]

ify the contents

That was my first guess, I tested with a sterile urine sample jar and same results

 

[vetteguy53081]

That was my first guess, I tested with a sterile urine sample jar and same results

What test kit are you using?

 

[jdm85]

What test kit are you using?

Salifert and API

I know API are known to ready .25 but my reading is zero with API with freshly made water

Also I tested for Free Chlorine and Combined. This is the results of fresh RO water

I know the city add chloramine to our city water. Maybe my RO is removing the Chlorine but not fully removing the ammonia?

 

[Gtinnel]

I can't tell you why but I can say that mine also has a ammonia smell after it sits in my brute mixing station. I never bothered to test it though. After I mix salt into it I no longer notice the smell.

 

[jdm85]

I can't tell you why but I can say that mine also has a ammonia smell after it sits in my brute mixing station. I never bothered to test it though. After I mix salt into it I no longer notice the smell.

I don't get any ammonia reading when I add to my tank but even with large water changes my nitrate don't go down as much I'd like. My thoughts are because I'm adding water that has ammonia and the nitrogen cycle is quickly converting to nitrate this being the cause of nitrate always staying higher than I'd like 15ppm

 

[Gtinnel]

I don't get any ammonia reading when I add to my tank but even with large water changes my nitrate don't go down as much I'd like. My thoughts are because I'm adding water that has ammonia and the nitrogen cycle is quickly converting to nitrate this being the cause of nitrate always staying higher than I'd like 15ppm

I'm not sure how much ammonia it takes to convert to a specific amount of nitrate, but your logic seems reasonable. I have to dose nitrates to keep them up so in case the extra nutrients are welcome.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I can't tell you why but I can say that mine also has a ammonia smell after it sits in my brute mixing station. I never bothered to test it though. After I mix salt into it I no longer notice the smell.

I had a brute that was so bad I told my daughter to clean her cat’s litter box to find it was the brute container

 

[Gtinnel]

I had a brute that was so bad I told my daughter to clean her cat’s litter box to find it was the brute container

Funny you mention that, my cat used to lay on my mixing station and at first I was blaming him.