Why Your Ammonia Test Kit is Probably Lying to You!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Looking for a water test kit? API Test Kit (Affiliate Link): amzn.to/2GSjqoy Want to know more about water parameters? Check out these videos! Here is more information about water parameters. Definitely worth a look if you are trying to learn all you can about the subject! What exactly is the nitrogen cycle? kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnfTf2etjcygnKs What is Water Hardness? kzbin.info/www/bejne/roO8laesltCZrJI How Does pH Impact Fish Health? kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmqxXn2intamgMk How to Lower Ammonia: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a52QgYKfeMhjmqs How to Lower Nitrites: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aaWbqqRjrsmCl6c How to Lower Nitrates: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qIXHm52Qh6d8erc What Does Water Quality Really Mean? kzbin.info/www/bejne/ipyzqIR9fJZ_g7M

[@josephdy9930]

Api sucks, doesnt distinguish between nh3 and nh4 get a sera master box

[@RikJameson]

Brilliantly explained. I am a freshwater newbie who is currently waiting for first ever tank to cycle. Keep up the good work.

[@robslater840]

Test kit is lying to you! ...Now buy the test kit?

[@breese4907]

I've heard somebody talking about pH and temp affecting amonia toxicity, but I've never had it explained so well! Thank you!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you! Appreciate you watching

[@Sec_coach]

That’s true

[@skylarstewart2248]

I've been having such a hard time trying to keep my ammonia at 0, its been constantly rising back up to .25ppm or so and driving me crazy! The fish never seemed bothered and it puzzled me and now I know why, the calculation says the true level is negligible. Thank you for the peace of mind!

[@MamboGuy914]

Growing up I feel like keeping fish was never this complicated. I had a couple Pacu for 5-6 years and I never did one water test.

[@weirdscience6820]

I was just saying I reckon most fishkeepers don't do any water tests.

[@flamefox8989]

Same with me, but all my fish died😥

[@TonyettaPerry813]

My mom says this all the time

[@dankystanky7438]

Same I had a tilapia in a 20 gal for atleast 10 years

[@cjdigman1683]

​@@dankystanky7438sarap ulam hahahaha. we cook and eat tilapia in Philippines 😅

[@darrylmoore5847]

I wish videos (like this)existed 30 years ago when I started in the hobby. Your channel is such a great resource to all of us in the hobby, because no matter how long you have been doing this sometimes it is good to get a second opinion.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I find myself wishing the same when I watch other channels too! : -)

[@coolmountaineer]

Bamm!!! API showing 1.0 in my QT was driving me crazy! 7.7PH 25C = 0.028 makes way more sense! Thanks bud!

[@crystalc9036]

I have been in a panic about ammonia in my tank doing water changes and never testing 0. Using the calculator was very enlightening. Turns out it was only .0005 ppm. These companies need to do a better job of explaining on the packaging what the ammonia is actually testing! I have been doing unnecessary water changes. Thank you for educating me!

[@chelsea78344]

I'm new to fishkeeping, and had quite a shock when I tested my tap water and my API test kit read 0.5ppm of ammonia. Apparently my city adds ammonia to long pipelines to keep the water sanitary. Thanks to this video I know that's actually about ~0.02ppm of the toxic stuff. I was much relieved. Thank you!!

[@dimitrovbmw]

Im not so sure. Our tap water in Tampa, fl also reads 0.5ppm but the Ph is at 8.2 and and during summer water temperature is about 80 F and with salinity near 0 this comes to over 0.0561 witch is not all that good in my opinion. Maybe you should recalculate your tap water again!

[@fordy19]

@@dimitrovbmw they don’t have the same water as you…

[@Zaphod0414]

Prime from Seachem will help to keep that added ammonia from being an issue in addition to neutralizing chlorine and chloramine. It works by keeping the ammonia bound up as the not-as-toxic ammonium this guy is talking about until your biological filter has a chance to break it down, which should happen quite quickly.

[@Rapha142]

Bloody great explanation. I've been keeping adult fancy goldfish for the past 5 years in the same tank and i kept getting ammonia readings of 0.25-0.50ppm and burned to different kinds of test kits. No wonder all my fish survived these past 5 years.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you!

[@veronicapachecoalbornoz426]

Thanks for the good information! As a wildlife biologist it drives me crazy when people in the hobby explain things but doesn’t give you the full picture or explain the whys! I love your channel! I almost don’t watch anything else about fish keeping but your videos!! Still struggling with my first tank cycle but having patience. Thanks!!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you for being here!

[@MichaelClark-uw7ex]

I have been in the hobby for over 50 years and I have never tested for NH3, back in the "old days" of brute force filtration with lots of Carbon and massive water changes it wasn't a problem, then when the hobby switched to biofiltration, I never even thought about ammonia unless there was a massive rise of pH. Now I know that if my biofiltration is working and the pH is stable then there is no Ammonia problem. If pH starts rising then the likely culprit is ammonia

[@beep200]

I cannot stress enough to you how informative this video has been. I by chance i suppose, set up a pretty dark blackwater aquarium for my Betta, because I knew they liked the tannins and I think blackwater aquariums are beautiful and have diligently kept him nice and warm. Every time i test for ammonia it stresses me out, All the other parameters are fine, my fish is alert and happy, the tank is booming with growth, so I decided to leave it be, not really sure of why he seemed to be thriving. But i'm cycling him a new tank (a bigger one, because I adore him) and I'm trying to check for the ammonia levels when I came across this video. I feel like i understand so much more about the balance of the aquariums now, thank you.

[@nwimpney]

This is a really good explanation, but at the same time, I think 0 ammonia on the test is still the condition that you would want to shoot for. 0 TAN means 0 NH3 regardless of the other parameters, so in a way, I think it's a more useful reading to the average (beginner) aquarist. If you're reading ammonia on your test kit, it's something you need to deal with. If it's all NH4, then it's probably not going to kill your fish, but I would still want to know where it's coming from. I know it's not the intent of the video, but some people are going to see 1.5ppm ammonia in their tank, punch it into the calculator, and see that they're

[@victoriaolender6289]

I've never had this really explained to me in detail, just bits and pieces like if your ph is lower than 7.0, ammonia is in its less toxic form. Never have I seen a tool to actually calculate UIA, so thank you very much for providing that. I can see why companies might want to make test kits to calculate total amounts, as this would be very difficult for new or inexperienced fishkeepers to understand. I love that there is so much science to go along with fishkeeping, but it does take a LOT of time, research, and trial and error to begin to understand how your aquarium functions. I feel like every time I stumble upon one of your videos a new door opens up and I love that feeling of discovering something new about my aquarium! You are very articulate and being able to explain complicated topics in a straightforward way is truly a wonderful skill!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you Victoria! Appreciate you watching. I love the science behind fish-keeping as well!

[@alyssasandhoff4307]

This is the most helpful video I’ve watched for a long time. This gave me so much peace of mind as my total ammonia has remained at 0.25 ppm for quite some time now. However, My UIA is quite low. I’m so happy to have learned this. Thank you!!!!!!

[@coelha159]

Thank you so much!! I’ve been driving myself crazy because my ammonia tests always come up positive. Everything else I’ve read said it’s super dangerous and all my fish are about to die, so I’ve been breaking my back and bank account buying SO many products to fix it and doing many frequent water changes just to still see it test positive for ammonia, even though my fish don’t look sick/distressed. After watching your video everything makes sense now! You just saved my sanity!! 😂

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Good to hear!

[@bguen1234]

In 50+ years in the hobby I only ever tested for ammonia on salt water when I first got into that. I stock lightly and and filter heavily. I replace evaporation loss with distilled water. I do water changes but I'm not pulling 25 gallons out of a 75 gallon tank every week. I've had success with breeding silver angelfish, ocellaris clownfish, danios, and of course lots of live bearers.

[@mealston1725]

Wow...probably one of the most important uploads for the Aquarium Hobby. Thank You Most Kindly!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you! Appreciate it

[@tiffanywilliams7763]

I know this is an old video but I am getting back into the hobby after many years away & it is so helpful along with everything else yall post. Thank you so much.

[@Unsensitive]

Thanks much for this info. I measured 4-8ppm today. Fish seemed fine, but I didn't want my wife to lose her fish! Added started doing a 50% water change and added some ammo lock. Glad to know they will be fine. She got excited and added fish when we she saw the ammonia level hit zero for the first time. Maybe was the plants pulling it down, and wasn't fully cycled yet.

[@sabretooth0467]

This may be easier. The common aquarium “ammonia” test measures the total ammonia, both ionized and un-ionized (Total Ammonia Nitrogen or TAN). The chronic toxicity, where the ammonia kills slowly by a variety of mechanisms, is as follows: 20 to 100 ppm of ammonia TAN at a pH of 6.0 2 to 10 ppm of ammonia TAN at a pH of 7.0 0.2 to 1 ppm of ammonia TAN at a pH of 8.0 Any pH between the above numbers you will have to make a linear interpolation. As you can see there is a 10X increase or decrease in toxicity between pH levels. A pH of 6.5 will reduce the growth of beneficial bacteria by 90%. A pH of 6.0 will virtually stop beneficial bacteria from oxidizing ammonia to nitrate; hence ammonia may be on the rise. Just an FYI...

[@marcuscooper9544]

Thanks for this. I've been trying to figure out what's going on in my 300L(80g) tank as I had a couple of fish start looking sick. I've not been doing much maintenance or water changes as the tank is lightly stocked, has a big filter, and is half full of java moss (and because I have a young child who exhausts me and isn't aquarium maintenance friendly). I freaked out when my ammonia came back as at least 8.0ppm (as high as the chart goes) and wondered why everything wasn't dead... but the other scary result was the pH coming in at 6.0 or lower (again, as low as the scale went). After a few water changes I'm down to about 2.0ppm ammonia and the pH is up to about 6.4. What's perplexing me is how my pH 8.4 tap water got down to 6.0?? Also, after reading your post - are all my bacteria dead due to the low pH, or just inert - ready to spring back into action now the pH is on the rise? Also (last one) if the pH is at 6.0 how is all the fish and food waste processed?

[@RoxusRemo]

@@marcuscooper9544 How did you end up sorting this one?

[@atty.veronicainoturanosg3487]

I currently have the same problem as @Marcus Cooper. Using the API Freshwater Master Kit daily, but no changes all this past month: - Tank: 75 gallon standard - Fishes: 7 goldfishes - Filters: 2 Cascade 1500 canisters & 1 sponge filter - Airpump: Hailea CP-60 AC/DC - Set-up Date: 10/30/2021 - Date Today: 1/3/2022 a. AMMONIA: Stuck at 4.00ppm since 12/14/2021 b. NITRITE: Stuck at 0.00ppm since 11/20/2021 c. NITRATE: Stuck at 40.00 to 80.00 ppm since 12/14/2021 d. pH: Stuck at 6.00 since 12/10/2021 - Double-dosing daily with SeaChem Prime every 24 hours (3 capfuls = 75g) - Dosing daily with AquaVitro Seed by SeaChem every 24 hours (4 capfuls = 75g)

[@apaulmcdonough2170]

@@atty.veronicainoturanosg3487 you have to get your Ammonia well below 4.0ppm, between 2.0ppm to a maximum of 3.0ppm. WATER CHANGES! Ammonia at 4.0ppm is TOXIC to the Bacteria that convert Ammonia to Nitrite, and even more so to the Bacteria that convert Nitrite into NitrAte. Seachem's Prime Does NOT remove or lower Ammonia concentration, it simply reduces the Toxicity of Ammonia for a short term of only 2 days. Get the Ammonia level Down and start dosing with Seachem's Stability to seed your Bacteria Colonies.

[@bluegum6438]

Interesting how the TAN is less toxic with decreasing pH but also ends up being processed more slowly, and vice versa. I would guess that aiming for a neutral to slightly basic pH (7 - 7.4) is optimal?

[@cavaliers60]

I was told about keeping ammonia levels below 1ppm but was never really explained why. And I believe these test kits are meant for inexperienced people who were told to keep ammonia levels near zero without the explanation in this video. It’s just a general test. Would be neat if the companies making the test kits would also include the formula to calculate this.

[@chocolatelily90]

Thank you so much for including both Fahrenheit and Celsius! Save me so much calculating!

[@squanchy4873]

Great video, I once read an article about this topic but it wasn't described nearly as well as in your video. I also like how you stuck to the relevant topic and kept it short and simple. A lot of people will post a long video mostly rambling about fishkeeping, which isint necessarily bad but sometimes you just want the important info. Thanks!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you! I try to keep the informational videos on task. : -)

[@hbarwickjr]

Keep learning more about ammonia. Now how to fine tune it precisely concerning the welfare of the fish. Thank you so much!

[@crazedisland3963]

Thank You so much I ended up having to do a fish in cycle and I've been doing water changes and prime doses to keep my fish healthy but my ammonia kept reading back at about 3ppm i just went to the website and my unionized ammonia is only 0.043, you have made me feel more confident and now I know that my fish will be fine while I continue to monitor them closely for the nitrites to show up.

[@sondralawrence5919]

Excellent video. This isn't talked about nearly enough . And isn't very well understood among new hobbyists and even some of the old schoolers. so glad to see someone covering the in depth learning required to properly care for fish.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you!

[@darrenwallace7471]

Great info, my ammonia levels were driving me nuts even when my tank is cycled, turns out I have some ammonia in my water. Something to bare in mind to test your tap water not just what you’re putting in your tank I find has helped me a lot. API test kits will always show if you do.

[@GirlTalksFish]

Very interesting! I've always heard that there were reasons why people do plop and drop instead of drip acclamation, but now I know why. Thanks so much for explaining things!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Glad to help!

[@stanfaulconer696]

Its simple you just add a drop or 2 of prime to the bag once you open it then do drip acclimating

[@aseriouslollygagger5734]

Great explanation, helped me understand what just happened in my tank, thanks. My new guppies showed signs of ick. I turned up the temperature, gave them some minerals, broke out the air stone, and started medication. The raise in temperature, ph, and the recent birth of fry made the ammonia spike and red brown algae started taking over. I read that that kind of algae likes ammonia and is a sign things aren't right in the tank. Now the ich is gone, the temp and ph are lower, the parameters are all good, the algae is gone and the water is clear and smells normal. Knowing how these variables can affect each other makes it easier to make informed decisions.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Appreciate you sharing. Great example of how everything ties together!

[@catfishcave379]

You do an excellent job of explaining the entire Ammonia issue. I use the Seachem Test Kit which can give you readings for both even AFTER using water conditioners in water with chloramines.

[@davidtennien39]

This helped so much. My total ammonia is always around .5-1ppm but my fish seem fine. Now I know why. Thanks.

[@dawnhiles3]

This is so useful, I'm new to fish keeping but it's so much easier to remember what to do and how to make your own decisions when someone has taken the time to explain the science behind it clearly, thankyou!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you!

[@steg245]

Thanks. Learnt something today which is always a goal for everyday. New fishkeeper of a few weeks. Had a very slight (0.25 ppm) ammonia spike after adding some more fish, which I'm hopeful the will resolve itself with a reduction in feeding and giving the filter time to catch up. But at least i know I'm not at danger levels when other parameters are taken account of.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thanks for watching!

[@RoxusRemo]

This is a great video and very educational. I've been battling constant reading of 0.25ppm in my 6 week old shrimp tank and doing daily water changes with prime... and allsorts of stupid stuff.. panicking and thinking my shrimp are going to die. I'm going to leave the tank now for 3-4days and just see what happens... Is this what you would advise? I'm at 7ph and 20c so hopefully there isn't any problems...?

[@berndmayer1765]

Matt,Zeolith will suck up your ammonia.

[@Izlagor]

This explained clearly what i have been experiencing. i have had a rash of fish die offs when adding fish to my quarantine tank, ammonia was reading 0ppm, ph was 8.0 -8.5 (central Texas hard water) and temp was 76-77 degrees. id add fish and it seemed almost instant where the smaller fish would roll over and start gasping and/or sit at the surface gasping, usually by the next morning they would be dead. when i would inspect the fish they always had reddening around the gill plate. so potential ammonia burns to the gill tissue? i'll work on now lowering my water ph closer to 7.0 and lowering my temps a couple degrees and see if the situation improves. Thank you for a very clear explanation of the relationship of ph and temps and ammonia/ammonium.

[@baileymoto]

Armed with this info, I stopped doing such frequent water changes on this current fish-in cycle. Found that my NH3 levels are quite low. 👌

[@konstantinaparaskevopoulou633]

Gosh, I am so glad I found your video. New to fishkeeping with a newly cycled tank and just a betta in...I experienced a 0.5 API test for ammonia. I went mad, did a water change and kept stressing about it...I asked multiple people and they all told me it should be 0 your betta may die, triple dose seachem prime....glad I found you so I can explain what I could see myself that API tests give you a total of ammonia which includes the seachem prime binded one!! And having a trace or 0.5 on that API test is not necessarily dangerous!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Glad it helped. :-)

[@benogrady3328]

Iv watched many blogs on this subject and I really have to say this was the best ! Many thanks

[@matt-fn9gr]

We’ve know about this in the hobby for a long time, but I think when forums quit being popular and Facebook started being popular certain myths or half truth become popular. Good video

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you!

[@Bhousm76]

facebook groups have pushed me back to forums. much more respect and etiquette on forums.

[@Emeri666]

@@Bhousm76 exactly! I have ran intp bullying egotisical a holes on groups nothing but beat down bullies!

[@konstantinaparaskevopoulou633]

For a newbie like me... Facebook groups destroyed me! I lost 2 weeks of cycling because of them saying nonsense and eventually I started reading forums and that's where I found the most accurate opinions. That actually have been validated with facts not just rumors..

[@hk5288]

I’ve been doing daily water changes due to 1ppm ammonia. My pH is 8 and water temp is 76. This confirms I was making the right call. Finally got the ammonia down to 0 but now dealing with high nitrites. Ugh I hope everything settles in the next week. Tank is just over one month old.

[@Heidi-tr3dh]

You have explained everything so well and so clearly! Thank you very much! I'm really pleased I found your channel! I'm new to fish keeping and only have a basic tank at the moment, one little bristle nose pleco and some blue jelly shrimp. I didn't have a test kit which I know is bad, so thought I'd better learn a bit more about which one to buy. I have been really confused by all the sales and waffle on the internet. Everything makes sense now! Thank you.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Glad it helped - good luck!

[@reptilesfishandmore]

I been fishkeeping since I was about 8. Your videos are very good. Still learning new info from watching your videos. Good job!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you! Glad you are watching.

[@jon-jamesdougherty9982]

My new tank apparently completed its cycle 10 weeks ago but maintained an "ammonia" reading of .0.5 and nitrite of 0. Because of the high ammonia reading I have not put any fish into the tank. The .ph had also dropped to 6. However using the formula described in the video, I find that the NH3 content is 0.0003, which is acceptable for fish! A great video and so easy now to undertand the content.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you! Glad it was helpful. : -)

[@mrSalior1]

Thank you so much. I’ve been having ammonia problems in a new planted tank everything is fine and normal but can’t get ammonia at 0 now I know it’s fine as the fish see absolutely fine

[@saktah]

Mind blown!! This makes so much sense with acclimation!

[@crazybirds9673]

Thanks so much. I am stressing because my tap water comes out with a 1ppm reading but I'm going to use the info you just shared to look into what is the UIA.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Awesome!

[@Brandon-ih9fu]

.......thank you! I have a API Master kit and everything checked out perfectly except for ammonia. Was getting about 1ppm with weekly partial water changes with all fish healthy/eating/active/breeding even! I've been using just water conditioner tetra safeplus water conditioner and read that my kit will read the ionized ammonia (ammonium) so knowing that and your link with the calculator I will be running those numbers try get better understanding about ammonia and why my kit giving me headache!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Hope it works out for you!

[@davidsamsell2031]

This is probably one of the best fish-keeping videos on KZbin. Great explanation. 📊 🐟🐠🐟🐟🐠🐠🐟🐬

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you! Hope it was helpful. :-)

[@jillmurph]

Yippie! I finally got it straight... I think. Thank you! Why are there not more NH3 only kits out there? Because they are not accurate (not factoring the pH and temp?) I did find one from Seachem that will test total and free seperate, but most all tests are clumped NH3/NH4+. I know I can use the free ammonia calculator. All in all, I think my tank is doing better than I assumed.

[@VolCanixWorx]

I actually love my Seachem ammonia alert. It's rather basic, but i can move it around from tank to tank, and it reads it within 15 minutes. From

[@thomashutchings5215]

Thank you very much. I knew there was a good reason to subscribe to your channel. This episode clarified what I should have known when experiencing an ammonia spike a month ago. Unfortunately, one out of a community of 14 fish died, but the rest are healthy. The link to the FL unionized calculator is one I will keep. Again, thank you for using your education to help others.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Glad it helped. We all learn as we go. : -)

[@ML-ks2lj]

Mines measuring 4ppm.....API master kit tester.....using ammo lock right now every 2 days and using sea chem stabilizer every day. Did a few water changes And ammonia staying strong at 4ppm......tank isn't cycled properly. Though I gave it enough time read my tests wrong through it cycled but it didn't. Corydoras sent doing well

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Try Fritz Turbo Start. The ammo lock will just prolong the issue.

[@therastareefer]

An A class explantation that’s both comprehensive and resourceful, that has now fortified my water quality management approach to marine biology 👍🏾 . I will certainly promote your channel and this video in my upcoming marine tank series 🔥💨🇯🇲🇨🇦

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you!

[@YosheetaBoneeta]

That was a little bit click batey, but I'm glad I clicked. I learnt something today, a fairly complex concept explained very well.

[@jstwhln]

I've really enjoyed learning about the science involved in this hobby. I'm new to it and I find it interesting. So, I've been using the API TAN test kit, but I've been frustrated with the results as the kit is indicating that my TAN never falls below 0.25 ppm. (I'm performing fishless cycling on two tanks) I did some research and found out there is an issue between the water conditioner I use, Seachem Prime, and salicylate based kits (API is one, as is the one from Sera). According to the Seachem Prime FAQ: "Under the conditions of a salicylate kit the ammonia-Prime® complex will be broken down eventually giving a false reading of ammonia." So, I dumped the APR (and Sera) TAN test kits and bought the Seachem MultiTest Ammonia test kit. It provides the ability to test for TAN and UIA separately. I just ran tests for TAN and UIA. The tests results showed that TAN was about 1.5 ppm and UIA was about 0.05 ppm. So, as a check, I took the pertinent information: Water temperature (75 degrees F), pH (7.8) and Salinity (0.3 mS/cm). I used an online calculator and calculated that my UIA was 0.0486 ppm. Rounding error...Close enough for me. And not bad, considering I just dosed 10% Ammonium Hydroxide to 2.8 ppm about, 5 hours ago. The calculator I used is here: www.hamzasreef.com/Contents/Calculators/FreeAmmonia.php

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

You have nailed it! Nice job.

[@jstwhln]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics Thanks!

[@jstwhln]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics I just discovered the Seachem Ammonia Alert. Pretty cool. Takes some of the guesswork out of it. This is beginning to sound like an ad Seachem. Haha.

[@jlathem56]

Much needed video Jason. I was trying to explain the ammonias to someone last week and because I hadn't broke it down like that in a long time I struggled with the explanation.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

It's an easy thing to forget! : -)

[@michaelhokie]

Thank you for this video! Both the info provided and the link to the UIA Calculator is a game changer for me.

[@TheRoosterGr]

Thanks for explaining this, it will help a lot of people.

[@konstantinosxanthopoulos9533]

Absolutely amazing explanation! Thank you so much!

[@GardensoftheAncientsHerbal]

I've never had ammonia except once I had deep sand and I stirred it up I recall the fish I put in cooler water recovered the fastest that day. Since then always keep eco complete and some sort of fast growing plant in the tank. Oversized filtration like 1 cycle every five mins and i understock. I also have a separate powerhead just for polishing that blows along the bottom. Since those changes I never even register nitrates unless I clean the filter and only maintain filters once every 6 months aside from the power heads polyfill floss which is like 20 cents monthly. All I do is add minerals and water. And check my water quality more than mess with it.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Nice set up!

[@cavaliers60]

Thank you for the video! I learned a lot. If my calculations are correct, I’m in good shape. My aquarium has been steady at around .25 ppm Ammonia with temp averaging at 75 F and pH at 7.5. I think it came out to .004

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thanks for watching!

[@alicia1984]

So I've been scouring the internet trying to learn more about the nitrification process as it pertains to ammonium. I took home a fish to an uncycled tank because it was near death and I figured my uncycled tank was still better than an ammonia filled betta cup. I just recently learned about the fact that ammonia turns to ammonium the farther you go from neutral ph and I have two questions I've been trying to answer. 1. If ammonium is less toxic and you can manage it with water changes, plants, maintaining low ph, etc... then do you really need to cycle the tank in the traditional sense? The purpose of a cycled tank is to build up sufficient bacteria to break down ammonia and nitrites into nitrates to keep fish safe but keeping ph low enough that ammonia NH3 is barely there what's the difference? 2. Nitrification starts and is more efficient at a higher ph and a level that would be heavily ammonia leaning I'm assuming. I've read having a low ph can greatly slow or even stall a cycle. How does the nitrifiying process work when you have more ammonium than ammonia? I read at one point it can still happen assuming the ph isn't below 6 but that bacteria don't break it down as easily as ammonia. Now to add to that even further lets say you have plants which suck up ammonium. If the plants are using the ammonium then hypothetically there's nothing for the bacteria to feed on therefore the nitrification process stalls wouldn't it? Nitrite comes from the break down of ammonia so if you have a low ph and enough plants to suck up any ammonia than wouldn't you only ever have ammonium and low levels of nitrates from leftover food and such which the plants would also feed on? That might be multiple questions. I'm just going crazy trying to find how ammonium fits into the nitrogen cycle and everything so far only discusses it in the form on NH3. Hopefully you've made it to the end of my novel and have some insight or can point me in the right direction.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Ammonium is also converted to nitrite so the cycle will begin regardless of pH. There are many microbes that complete the nitrification process at a lower pH as well. So long term, the ammonium/ammonia issue will be resolved regardless of the pH as the tank cycles. Plants can certainly compete for ammonia at the beginning of the nitrification process, but will most likely be outcompeted by bacteria as they become more established. At that point the plants will use the nitrate as their primary nitrogen source. Hope this helps!

[@SargentEdgedTools]

Almost 20 years ago I read one magazine article that changed everything for me. I was young without much experience. I started prepping my water before putting it in the tank #1! I was raising Africans so I only started measuring hardness. I started using a fluidized bed that hung on the back of the tank. Weekly water change of about 25% and I completely siphoned the gravel each time. Added a grow light that grew a little bit of green algae. Reduced feeding a lot. The fish mostly ate the algae. They started breeding a few months later. That tank ran like that for years until I had to move. The algae fed the fish and the fish fed the algae. Very little mechanical filtration was needed. I miss that tank, the years before that was a crime scene if you know what I mean.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

So interesting!

[@stacystubbs7874]

Good video, so many folks freak out when they see NH3 +NH4 in their tank.

[@fisharefriends598]

Yup... knew about this new in the hobby, it’s amazing how many people don’t know about this

[@dhoogduin]

considering the good brands tell u about this in the manual im really suprised how many ppl use the tests and dont know about it.

[@hbarwickjr]

@@dhoogduin It's the outstanding explanation of the calculation that brings it home. Would have been good for him to have wrote those previous manuals for all of us stupid people huh?

[@slickchick5811]

I actually like to do a two step acclimation. First the bag in the tank for temp. Then I put the fish in a bucket with their old water and add tank water to it and wait half an hour. Then I net 'em and plunk 'em in.

[@hannah-mariedonovan4681]

TEMPERATURE OF TANK IS AROUND 19 TO 19.5 The tank isnt heated , but eqalizes with the room temperature the tank is in. PH is btween 7.5 and 8, tank is around 240 litres. We had a large Goldfish in our pond who was very sick she had fin rot, so we brought her inside into a tank... her fin rot improved , BUT there was a leak into the tank of batery acid, i did not know about... i bought a light for the tank (it was supposed to be for aqariums) We emptied 50 percent of the water out immediatly, and we have done 30, then 25 perent changes since ...we have THOROUGHLY cleaned the tank, .. even left the poor fish with no plants for a ouple of days for the filter to 'clean' the bits floating in the water. We added LOADS AND LOADS of bacteria to the filter, and the water,=... but our test kit is still showing between 0 and 0.25 ppm We have dont EVERYTHING right... but still our poor fish has amonia burns... she has black edges on her fins and tail and she has black bits on her body and gills... she isnt eating and 'floats' most of the time at the topor just flatens herself on the sides... we dont know what else to do... how can we cure her burns, and how can we get the blinkin amonia to 0 PPM...??? ph is between 7.5 and 8 HELP PLEASE... we love our fish, she is 14 inches long we have given her salt baths of 3 minutes twice..to help her osmosis. she is a gorgous fish, we really have tried everything to help but now we are at our wits end.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

FOr us the only bacteria that has worked is Fritzyme 7 (or in this case Turbo Start). RIght now the only thing you can do is large daily water changes daily. Hope everything works out ok.

[@hannah-mariedonovan4681]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics Thankyou, is the PH right for her? the temperature and the litres and ph show on the calculator in your description that the amonia is within safe limits. ... so i am confused. It is a freshwater tank so i put zero for salinity.. have i dont it right? We have small shrimos in there for her to eat, as she isnt eating anything and they are not dying... so we figure the water cant be too bad if shrimp can live in it.

[@Boompoet]

My city uses chloramine to treat the water and most conditioners I've found will break the bond between the ammonia and the chlorine creating ammonium. Ammonium tests in a master test kit as ammonia as you've said. So my questions are... 1 - Ammonium is the unionized form of ammonia? 2 - Will the nitrifying bacteria metabolize the ammonium present? I currently use Ozarka spring water for changes, but if this info is right then I can go back to tap with the right conditioners.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Once your tank is established it really doesn't matter. You will have the microbial population to deal with it.

[@veenessa1004]

Thank you so much for this video and the calculator. First time I was hearing this!

[@robertfletcher3421]

A couple of things. On the API test kit which most of us have some people will read the 0 ppm at 0.25 ppm this can be due to the individual's eyes. Get another person preferably a younger person to check the reading. They don't need to have a clue about fish keeping. I understand the Seachem test will measure both forms of ammonia. The best thing of all is plants, plants, and more plants.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

O man, yes, it's come to this for me too! Haha. Young eyes are a good tool to have in the fish room. : -)

[@jancavalieri5444]

I have two tanks that each register 8 PPM Ammonia. All the fish are alive and well. It's been reading 4-8 PPM for months. So and I read and read and discovered this relationship between ammonia and ammonium. If I use water conditioner like Primer or a serious ammonia solution like AmGaurd then most likely ALL your ammonia has been converted to Ammonium regardless of PH. I have tank right now registering 8.0 ammonia, 7.2 PH and a temperature of 79. All would calculate out pretty high BUT as soon as I add Prime or AmGuaurd it neutralizes all you ammonia regardless of PH and regardless of temperature There is a test you can buy that will show you how much of each you have in you tank and I have yet to have active ammonia in any of my tanks except during cycling - it's always neutralized. Problem is these liquids only work for about 2 days for some reason and you'll be back to having ammonia in your tank and probably a lot of dead fish (I don't know I've never killed a fish even when my test kit measures 8). But like what was said in the video something is STILL probably wrong. So what is WRONG and HOW do I fix it. I would love to use my API test kit and have it pop up all zero's like it used to do after I first cycled everything. I did ammonia cycling and probably ran each tank through 6-7 doses of bottled ammonia and waited until there was 3 days in a row that it registered zeros the next day. The SOMETHING happened. In this one little tank - 5 gallons and it has 5 tiny litte Raspdoras not even 1 inch long. I regularly cleaned it 59% weekly and the water was never even dirty it's just what I do out of habit with all my tanks. My larger tank with an Ammonia reading of 8 is 29 gallons and has exactly 29 fish but some are 5 " fish, there's a large number of plecos (of the smaller varieties unless they lied to me) and the vast majority are about 1.5" in length - so I'm still overstocked - I clean it once per week. Test afterwards and the Ammonia REMAINS 8.0, but if I get out my other kit it shows 100% of ammonium so my fish are safe. I've tried 4 water changes 4 days in a row and "8" value NEVER goes down (it can't go up because that's as high as the test reads) so how do I get rid of that ammonium? Oh, and our city has Ammonia levels of 1.5ppm so I'm constantly adding ammonia to my tank with every water change. But thanks to Prime all the ammonia is safe for my fish - I just wish I could convince others of the ammonia kit "lie" - but I won't until I'm sure I know how to get rid of ammonium! (and ammonia)

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I think part of the issue is the high ammonia in the tap water. You could try filtering it or using the ammonia neutralizing media sold by Marineland and others? You may have already tried this, but using a second ammonia test strip/kit might be a good idea just to make sure the one you are using is accurate?

[@knrgaquatics8032]

I've had a fish room for near a decade and I still dont own any test kits at all lol actually i think i have an ammonia test from at least 10 years ago somewhere but i dont think I've ever used it. In my eyes (which I use no chemicals at all) the answer regardless of the issue is always a water change or changes fish behaving differently (rare) means water change, I dont like chasing some ideal numbers all the time just chase fish health and happiness!

[@MadCheshireHat]

First time I've ever tested my tanks and honestly, it's stressful and confusing for me. The fishless cycle is annoying too.

[@ThePythonPit]

Much appreciated, wasn't expecting the calculator to be a free downloadable Excel spreadsheet. Thanks.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

It's a cool resource. : -)

[@jmacd98]

Thanks for explaining this so well, very informative! 👍

[@Wazzit2ya]

i gotten a 4 ppm ammonia using the API test kit. My ph was around 6.4 and temperature was 26C. Its been days since the test and my betta doesnt seem to be affected by it though.

[@bigfoxki]

Thank you, I had this problem a few year back with moss pellet, and not much info on the web back then. I am surprise someone made a video about his.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you! I love nerding out about water parameters. : -)

[@bigfoxki]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics Me too, now I can freely use my moss pellet again.

[@PawluCachia]

Great video thanks, was going nuts with the .50 ppm reading of Ammonia from my tap water, this helped.

[@Kenney9120]

A major piece of the fish keeping puzzle. Keep'em coming.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you! Will do!

[@thomasashe2681]

Prime Time Aquatics, thank you very much for the chemistry lesson. I always wondered why the pH and ammonia go up when you open the fish bag and you just explained it very scientifically. I appreciate that. Does this also happen with Kordon breather bags?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thomas Ashe I don’t think it’s as big an issue because you can’t float the breather bags so the fish just go right into the tank!

[@thomasashe2681]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics you don't need to drip acclimate in a bucket with the breather bags?

[@PaleoEntertainment]

How would you go about acclimating betta fish? At PetSmart, they come in cups with lids. What would be the best way to acclimating them to my aquarium water?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Great question. You can ask for them to be bagged at the pet store so you can float them when you get home. Just don't let any of the store water into your tank.

[@muhammedhisham7658]

The most game changing fishkeeping video i have ever seen😍…but the calculator also asks salinity…how to know that

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

It isn't an important factor in freshwater.

[@neilser1975]

Very professional and concise explanation...and you arent a huge Nerd about it. Subscribed!!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Appreciate you being here!

[@Cougar139tweak]

You sir are a Legend! by far best explanation I've seen, where was this info 20 years ago... very confusing science put forth in layman's terms

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you!

[@ericolsen5917]

Quick question. I have a 10 gallon new tank set up for 4 days with 4 small tetra. I am using a cap full of beneficial bacteria to start. My question is, should I keep the 3 small potted, live and untied plants in their small pot left unpacked in order to keep whatever beneficial bacteria from the past tank. Do you think that the small pots have enough bacteria to help keep ammonia down?? Just a quick thought.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

It certainly can't hurt. I would through them in.

[@TheBackyardBirder]

Again, a super in-depth review of a critical component of our hobby. Never really knew this, but now I do! Thanks Professor Jason, always on the cusp of technology. Willem

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you!

[@icarlsw34]

I'm not sure how you get those numbers. When I plug them into the calculator I get different numbers. What salinity are you using?

[@tiffanyhoward881]

Hi i have a glow fish tank and i am Cycling my tank with tow glow fish! Well i did the test kit i am getting Different results! But my boyfriend Accidentally in the dark poured too much food in the tank The lady I Petco told me I could not clean it up because it's a process of a cycle I want my fish to live so yes I did use conditioners that help fish And prayed to God that they survive through this i spent 400 bucks trying to Cycle my tank fishless

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Usually when that happens I just try to suck all the food out. It happens. :-)

[@beccaparks7497]

Where is the link that was mentioned in the video about the how to figure the math?

[@themcmahans4712]

Excellent Video! Thank you so much for this advanced explanation xx

[@JustinV911]

Older video but really useful information. In the calculation how does salinity play affect? And what is it?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

In freshwater it really doesn’t. Percentage is around 0.9%.

[@JustinV911]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics thanks for the reply Currrntly doing a recycle Still have some signs of nitrite but I have a few more days left on the timeline

[@heidisfishtank7543]

This is such important and helpful information! Thank you so much for putting this in such a well explained format.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thanks Heidi! Appreciate you watching!

[@alicorydorie5429]

Darn, the link to the chart doesn't work anymore 😕!

[@darkehorse71]

Wow. This is great information. I really love your channel. I always love your videos, so informative.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you for being here!

[@FishRfun]

Hey this brings up something interesting...at I think it would be interesting. I don't even test my water anymore because month after month for well over a year and it's always been fine, I just stopped testing. I have some strips that I'll use maybe 4 times per year. Yall should do a survey so people hopefully will be honest, to see often people really test their water, and what they use ...strips or the master kit

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I think I will do that! I don't test my water unless something is wrong, which is very rare.

[@FishRfun]

@PrimeTimeAquatics awesome!

[@scottthomas2136]

Great videos, they really help me understand this better! I have an aquarium that cycled correctly once, ammonia to nitrite to nitrate then near zero for nitrates. Then after a few weeks the ammonia and nitrates went up high so I did some partial water changes which helped a little but not all the way. I then cleaned my eheim canister sponges after adding a separate sponge filter to my 55g. Now the ammonia is a little elevated, no nitrites, and elevated nitrates. Do I just keep doing water changes at this point? Also, what happens when cycling is you get ammonia, no nitrites, but some nitrates? will this still cycle Ok or do I need to see nitrites whenever ammonia is present during and after the cycle?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

The goal is to have zero ammonia and nitrites and registered nitrates. Yes, water changes and used filter media are my main go to methods. Obviously, reducing the feeding will help too! Thanks for watching!

[@mvvinds]

To make it simple. Can you use the first bottle to measure NH3 and wait 5 minutes? Will it give toxic ammonia for your fish

[@wingstoflymusictolife7443]

Thank you so much for making this video! I am somewhat new to fish keeping with two goldfish, and knowing how much ammonia goldfish produce I've always closely monitored the water parameters. I have been using the API Test strips, and although they measure the ammonia, they do not state what ammonia levels are safe for what fish which left me quite confused. This video put my nerves at ease! Thanks!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Great to hear! Thanks for watching.

[@emiliomolina5778]

Just saw this!!! Good info!!! Thanks!! Also noticed that your filters are not running in the background!! Thanks again for the info!!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you! Yes, I turn them off when I'm recording for better sound. : -)

[@emiliomolina5778]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics Makes sense!! Thank you for your reply!!

[@yassysgdk]

Question on acclimating fish: So... if the store is closer and less than 1 hour in transit, you do just temperature match and take fish out and drop into the tank.Now, when fish got shipped, I see you are saying bag got concentrated ammonia and lower PH and once bag is opened, ammonia goes into tank and also to the fish bag and not good.What do you recommend to do when fish is being shipped then? After water temperature match by floatin the bag, you would like to pour fish bag water into the big net over the bucket and drop the fish right away? I got bit confused.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

We use the same method no matter how we get them. Temp acclimate, remove the fish from the bag by pouring the water through the net into a bucket and drop the fish in without adding the bag water. Hope this helps!

[@yassysgdk]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics Thank you. What would you do for shrimp acclimation?Drop method or plop and drop method or..? Shrimp kind I might get are Amano,Dream blue,Cherry in the future.