Nitrates/Ammonia in NSW (stored)?

themcfreak · Apr 14, 2018

Hello all!

I did a test today on my NSW that I have had stored for 7 days (that I use for AWC) and noticed that my ammonia seemed to be at 0.1 and my nitrates were at 4ppm. Is this normal/expected/ok? I used 0 TDS Ro/DI to make the water, mixed it last Saturday, have been using it all week, and tested the little that is left today, and those were my results. FWIW I use the Red Sea Coral Pro salt mix.

mitch91175 · Apr 14, 2018

themcfreak said:
Hello all!

I did a test today on my NSW that I have had stored for 7 days (that I use for AWC) and noticed that my ammonia seemed to be at 0.1 and my nitrates were at 4ppm. Is this normal/expected/ok? I used 0 TDS Ro/DI to make the water, mixed it last Saturday, have been using it all week, and tested the little that is left today, and those were my results. FWIW I use the Red Sea Coral Pro salt mix.

I read that all salt has some ammonia but I personally do not buy into that. On your carbon block are you using one that filters both chlorine and chloramine? That is the first place I’d look and if it is then you look at your storage container and after that the salt.

saltyfilmfolks · Apr 14, 2018

I’d double check the test yes and the rodi.

Fwiw Nsw is natural seawater.
Like mine.

mitch91175 · Apr 14, 2018

saltyfilmfolks said:
I’d double check the test yes and the rodi.

Fwiw Nsw is natural seawater.
Like mine.

Oops. Try a different test kit just to make sure and if you still have ammonia the only other thing I could think of is that there may be some die-off of organisms that is causing the ammonia.

mitch91175 · Apr 14, 2018

saltyfilmfolks said:
I’d double check the test yes and the rodi.

Fwiw Nsw is natural seawater.
Like mine.

Are you runners my into any ammonia issues with yours?

themcfreak · Apr 14, 2018

OH, I always throught it meant "New salt water" hahaha. Oops!

I use 2 of these on my RO/DI system (both only a couple of months old)
BRS 1 Micron Universal Carbon Block

(Chlorine 35,000@1 GPM / Chloramines 3,[email protected] GPM)

Chlorine/Chloramine test both show clean.

I only have the 1 test kit for Ammonia (Red Sea) but I will try and order another one to see if it is giving false/bad readings.

That could be the ammonia, but what about the Nitrate?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 14, 2018

themcfreak said:
Hello all!

I did a test today on my NSW that I have had stored for 7 days (that I use for AWC) and noticed that my ammonia seemed to be at 0.1 and my nitrates were at 4ppm. Is this normal/expected/ok? I used 0 TDS Ro/DI to make the water, mixed it last Saturday, have been using it all week, and tested the little that is left today, and those were my results. FWIW I use the Red Sea Coral Pro salt mix.

0.1 ppm ammonia is not uncommon for salt mixes and is not a concern. I'd just ignore it.

The nitrate also is not an issue, although it may also not be real. Even 0.04 ppm nitrite from conversion of some ammonia to nitrite could falsely show as that much nitrate.

mitch91175 · Apr 14, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
0.1 ppm ammonia is not uncommon for salt mixes and is not a concern. I'd just ignore it.

The nitrate also is not an issue, although it may also not be real. Even 0.04 ppm nitrite from conversion of some ammonia to nitrite could falsely show as that much nitrate.

Was going to say something similar but not as eloquent Randy.

0.1 isn’t a lot.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 14, 2018

Ammonia and the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-02/rhf/index.php

Sources of Ammonia in Reef Aquaria: Salt Mixes

There are a variety of sources of ammonia in reef aquaria. Minor sources include: 1) tap water (especially if it contains chloramine and is not treated with a deionizing resin) and 2) impurities in salt mixes and other additives. It has previously been shown that the total NH4-N ranged from 0.55 to 11.9 micromole/kg (0.008 to 0.17 ppm total NH4-N) in an analysis of eight brands of artificial seawater mixes. At the higher end of the scale, those levels will be detected with an ammonia test kit and can present potential toxicity concerns if fish are kept at those levels (see below). These levels of ammonia may be introduced from impurities in calcium chloride and magnesium chloride, where ammonia is a well known impurity resulting from some of the commercial manufacturing processes used (such as the Solvay process, which involves ammonia).

Calcium and magnesium additives can also be a significant source of ammonia, especially for aquarists who are trying to use inexpensive sources of bulk calcium or magnesium chloride. I discussed testing calcium chloride for ammonia in a previous article.