Ammonia

From Microcosm Aquarium Explorer

What Is Ammonia?

Fish and invertebrates produce waste products. Uneaten food, decaying algae, and organic materials are broken down by bacteria. All of these processes introduce ammonia into the aquarium. The generic term “ammonia” actually refers to the Total Dissolved Ammonia in the water.

Total dissolved ammonia occurs in two forms, ammonia (NH3) and ammonium (NH4+). The relative concentrations of each are dependent on the pH and temperature of the aquarium water. At lower pH values, total dissolved ammonia exists primarily as ammonium and is less harmful. As pH increases, more ammonium ions change to toxic ammonia.

Why Test Ammonia?

The toxic form of ammonia (NH3) has deleterious effects starting at concentrations as low as 0.01 parts per million. Low chronic levels of ammonia can make fish more susceptible to disease, for instance. To some animals, even 0.01 ppm may be deadly. It is important therefore to be always aware of the ammonia level. Previous authors have incorrectly asserted that it is unnecessary to test for ammonia after an aquarium has “broken in.” Such references lead the aquarist to a false sense of security, believing that ammonia cannot occur in established aquariums.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Ammonia can and does appear in older, established aquariums where, left unchecked, it can have grave consequences for the tank inhabitants. Causes of ammonia in established aquariums include: medication, dead fish or other decaying matter left in the aquarium, clogged or malfunctioning filters, acute or chronic overfeeding, overcrowding, low dissolved oxygen levels—in short, anything that damages or overtaxes the biological filter of the aquarium can cause ammonia to build up.

I recommend that ammonia be tested once per month after the initial break-in period and immediately whenever signs of ammonia are present. Warning signals of possible ammonia problems include fishes that appear to be panicked, that are rapidly swimming, rapidly breathing, showing gill damage, or displaying faded colors. Even more obvious signs are diseased or dying fishes and/or invertebrates, cloudy water, or foul odors emanating from the tank.

How To Test Ammonia

Various ammonia test kits are available to the marine aquarist. Some make testing as simple as dropping a couple of tablets into a sample of water, others are more complex multiple-part tests. Whichever one you choose, simply follow the manufacturer’s instructions and follow good laboratory procedure.

Proper Ammonia Level

Ammonia levels should always be zero. Any non-zero reading is an indication of possible problems.

Record Ammonia in Your Log=

Once you have obtained the result of the ammonia test, record it in your log and on your graph. Note that any deviation from the zero line could indicate a problem.

=How To Lower Ammonia

Ammonia control is largely a biological process. Once the biological filter has been damaged, there are no quick fixes for the problem. The nitrifying bacteria must rebuild themselves to a suitable level for the biological load of the aquarium, a process that can take days or weeks depending on the degree of damage done to the biological filter.

There are some things the aquarist can do to reduce ammonia in an emergency:

• Reduce feedings and absolutely insure there is no chance of overfeeding.
• Temporarily reduce the fish load if possible by removing the animals to another aquarium.
• Clean all filters to remove clogs and decaying matter.
• Do a 20% water change to reduce the ammonia concentration.
• Add liquid or freeze-dried bacteria to the aquarium.
• In an emergency, two good commercial products used by both professional and amateur aquarists are useful. One is Poly-Filter® from Poly-Bio-Marine This thick white pad, available from most serious aquarium retail shops, has the ability to absorb excess organics from aquarium water that passes through. It will remove ammonia, amino acids, proteins, lipoproteins, dissolved organic matter, and other pollutants. The pad will gradually turn a dark grey color as its ability to absorb more ammonia and dissolved organics fades. The other is the HBH Ammonia Reducing Filter Pad® which effectively absorbs excess ammonia.

However, the best way to correct an ammonia problem is to never allow one to occur in the first place. Review all of the causes of ammonia above and take any reasonable steps to insure they do not happen.

— Carl DelFavero
Reference: Aquarium Keeping and Rescue