For the corporate conspiracy theorists - Ammo-Lock

[MnFish1]

Ammo Lock claims to measure ammonia reduction with API test kits - at least according to the bottle I have. I could take a picture - but it's not that big of a deal. Thoughts? I guess I can check if I still have some Dr Tims available to make a test - but - it goes against the "R2R gold standard" that nothing lowers free ammonia. @taricha - @Dan_P P

 

[nereefpat]

According to the SDS: https://apifishcare.com/pdfs/products-us/ammo-lock/ammo-lock-safety-data-sheet.pdf

It's sodium thiosulfate (not surprising, same chlorine neutralizer that's in other stuff)
+ some proprietary blend of "alphatic" amine salts (typo for aliphatic?).

 

[taricha]

Last I remember, Ammo-lock lists thiosulphate as an ingredient.
Thus the dechlorinating effect of thiosulphate would interfere with the chlorine in reagent 2 of the API Total ammonia test causing a lower measurement.
any significant amount of dechlorinator / reducing agent is going to lower the final color of the total ammonia tests to some degree.
So reduction of ammonia from ammo-lock is actually not verifiable with API kits, only interference as usual...

Edit: @nereefpat posted the SDS. It lists an undisclosed amount of thiosulphate.

 

[taricha]

It's sodium thiosulfate (not surprising, same chlorine neutralizer that's in other stuff)
+ some proprietary blend of "alphatic" amine salts (typo for aliphatic?).

To be fair, their patent says it's the amines that bind the ammonia...
But then they add thiosulphate so such an effect can't actually be verified with hobby kits.

 

[nereefpat]

To be fair, their patent says it's the amines that bind the ammonia...
But then they add thiosulphate so such an effect can't actually be verified with hobby kits.

If the amines bind the ammonia, then why add thiosulfate? Rhetorical, of course.

It's my understanding that there isn't anything that can work in saltwater. I wonder if would even work in freshwater? Maybe you'd know?

 

[Dan_P]

To be fair, their patent says it's the amines that bind the ammonia...
But then they add thiosulphate so such an effect can't actually be verified with hobby kits.

Is this the patent that includes ethanolamine as one of the claimed chemical structure?

 

[taricha]

Is this the patent that includes ethanolamine as one of the claimed chemical structure?

Looks like it.

 

[Malcontent]

Remember, patents are peer-reviewed!