Ammonia (NH3) Spike
Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2016 11:58 am
Morning all. I found Costia on a few of my fish last week and treated with MG/F (1%/30% w/v, 2 doses over five days) which has done a great job on the wee beasties but I've had a massive increase in my NH3 from the normal 0.02ppm average to something like 2.4 today!!! Now, the fish look ok for the time being. In search of a reason to explain the Ammo spike I reached (as usual) for Duncan's SbSAKD&T book and, as I understand it, I read that formalin binds with NH3 and makes readings unreliable (that bit I can confirm - 2.4 on the Hanna meter, and zero on my drop test kit (?)).
My question is in two parts really; 1, have I understood Dunc's book correctly and despite the outrageous NH3 reading trust that the formalin has it under wraps and it will return to normal in due course; and 2, how long is that period of "due course" likely to take?
If I've totally got the wrong end of the stick I'll be doing a big water change tonight and trying to figure out what I've done to kill off my filter (poxy two chamber brushes + jap mat/fine filter foam augmented by small veggie bed/stream and an additional 18x biocenois baskets (12"x12") placed in the main pond to mature prior to AFS completion) - because I haven't done anything unusual except add the (carefully measured dose of) MGF. Ordinarily I don't have any issues with ammonia, it's pH I have to watch carefully even with Kh at 6 to 8 and regular doses of Sodium Bicarb to maintain it.
Thanks as always, Mick
My question is in two parts really; 1, have I understood Dunc's book correctly and despite the outrageous NH3 reading trust that the formalin has it under wraps and it will return to normal in due course; and 2, how long is that period of "due course" likely to take?
If I've totally got the wrong end of the stick I'll be doing a big water change tonight and trying to figure out what I've done to kill off my filter (poxy two chamber brushes + jap mat/fine filter foam augmented by small veggie bed/stream and an additional 18x biocenois baskets (12"x12") placed in the main pond to mature prior to AFS completion) - because I haven't done anything unusual except add the (carefully measured dose of) MGF. Ordinarily I don't have any issues with ammonia, it's pH I have to watch carefully even with Kh at 6 to 8 and regular doses of Sodium Bicarb to maintain it.
Thanks as always, Mick