Help! Ammonia in QT and in RODI

[LovesDogs_CatsRokay]

Please help me! I brought home a new midas blenny last night and noticed today she's breathing heavy in QT. Ammonia alert badge looked gray so tested with API test kit and it's reading about 2-2.5ppm. I put some prime in and started making new water. Thought it seemed awfully short of a time to build up that ammonia level, so decided to test new water and got the same level! Then tested my RODI water and its testing that high also. My LFS is closed this late at night, and I don't have anywhere to get clean water! I can't even take water from my DT because its SG is at 1.026 and the blenny came in 1.021 which I matched in the QT. Will the prime be enough to help her until I can get to the store tomorrow? Would prime change the alert badge back to yellow? Its still grayish. She must have been in that level ammonia for almost 24 hours. It was an uncycled QT because I was going to do TTM I'm freaking out, please advise. I

 

[LovesDogs_CatsRokay]

I have bottled water? can I use that?

 

[JasonK84]

There is no way that your RODI would test with ammonia.

You could still use DT water just dilute it with tap water and prime down to the SG you need.

 

[JasonK84]

I have bottled water? can I use that?

Yes, bottled water would work as well. It is RO without the DI. As long as it is just a QT for TTM you should be fine using tap water in a pinch. Just make sure and treat it with prime first.

 

[LovesDogs_CatsRokay]

There is no way that your RODI would test with ammonia.

The test kit definitely turned green when I tested the RODI water. I tested straight from the unit too to make sure my container isn't contaminated. The test kit isn't bad because it stayed yellow when I tested my DT. I read in another thread that chloramines in the water can present as ammonia with the test kits? My TDS is reading 8, it was 0 a couple weeks ago. Could chloramines be caused false positives? Are they harmful to fish?

 

[JasonK84]

whether it's ammonia or chloramines the prime should take care of it.

Ammonia is your biggest concern and using primed tap water to mix new salt is better than the ammonia.

 

[LovesDogs_CatsRokay]

I transferred her to another tank with about 4 gallons of water from my DT diluted with bottled water. I'm pretty new to making my own RODI water, I just the unit back in December, and this is the first time I have the seen the TDS read above 0. Is 8 really high? It seems really dangerous that it could get so bad so quickly.

 

[MnFish1]

8 is really high it should be 0