Cycling with ammonia question

TokiHacker · 04/28/2017, 07:04 PM

The lady brought home ammonia today but it says in the ingredients ammonia hydroxide and sulfcant. Is that ok?

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dublo8 · 04/28/2017, 08:47 PM

absolutely not OK.
Typically there are two types. You need the other type. Pure ammonia. The one you have has a cleaning agent in it. DO NOT USE IT.

LX20000 · 04/28/2017, 08:50 PM

Do you have ACE hardware near you? They sell 10% ammonia, with no surfactants.

TokiHacker · 04/28/2017, 08:53 PM

That's what I thought.... I don't have an ace hardware and there wasn't any at Lowe's...

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Jwheld · 04/28/2017, 08:54 PM

Or true value hardware? I used blue ribbon ammonia.

TokiHacker · 04/28/2017, 08:55 PM

Nope... sad to say

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dublo8 · 04/28/2017, 09:00 PM

Then don't worry about it and throw some fish food or a table shrimp in there. Save the Ammonia for cleaning your kitchen and bathrooms.

TokiHacker · 04/28/2017, 09:01 PM

The only issue with that I have read people with large tanks (this one has 235g of water) with the ghost feeding not working

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dublo8 · 04/28/2017, 09:06 PM

ghost feeding is when you feed over a period of time, just like feeding your tank on a daily basis except only the ghosts are eating it..... I'm talking about throwing a shrimp or two in the tank and letting it rot to kick start the cycle. Ghost feeding on a tank that size isn't going to do much.

Home depot sometimes carries the other ammonia if you have one nearby. Read the label carefully though.

Did you use live rock or clean dry rock?

TokiHacker · 04/28/2017, 09:07 PM

Dry rock dry sand. Put bottle bacteria in there (don't really trust it) but we will see. I put a couple of silver slides I had to rot

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dublo8 · 04/28/2017, 09:12 PM

it should be fine. Keep an eye on the ammonia levels, pull the silversides in a couple days when the ammonia spikes and test every other day to see what happens. Some of those "bacteria in a bottle" additives are surprisingly good. However, they can create a mono culture of one type of bacteria only. Ask a friend or trade with an LFS for a bit of live rock from another tank to help create some diversity.

04/28/2017, 07:04 PM	#1
TokiHacker Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Mobile, Alabama Posts: 549	Cycling with ammonia question The lady brought home ammonia today but it says in the ingredients ammonia hydroxide and sulfcant. Is that ok? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ 200 GAL Mixed Reef Build \| 20GAL JBJ Frag Tank \| 29GAL Chiragra Mantis Shrimp Tank

04/28/2017, 08:47 PM	#2
dublo8 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Morgan Hill, Ca Posts: 3,225	absolutely not OK. Typically there are two types. You need the other type. Pure ammonia. The one you have has a cleaning agent in it. DO NOT USE IT. __________________ 10g IM fusion. Zoa and SPS dominant, Apex monitored, Ai Prime, MP10, sicce return.

04/28/2017, 08:53 PM	#4
TokiHacker Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Mobile, Alabama Posts: 549	That's what I thought.... I don't have an ace hardware and there wasn't any at Lowe's... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ 200 GAL Mixed Reef Build \| 20GAL JBJ Frag Tank \| 29GAL Chiragra Mantis Shrimp Tank

04/28/2017, 08:55 PM	#6
TokiHacker Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Mobile, Alabama Posts: 549	Nope... sad to say Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ 200 GAL Mixed Reef Build \| 20GAL JBJ Frag Tank \| 29GAL Chiragra Mantis Shrimp Tank

04/28/2017, 09:00 PM	#7
dublo8 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Morgan Hill, Ca Posts: 3,225	Then don't worry about it and throw some fish food or a table shrimp in there. Save the Ammonia for cleaning your kitchen and bathrooms. __________________ 10g IM fusion. Zoa and SPS dominant, Apex monitored, Ai Prime, MP10, sicce return.

04/28/2017, 08:50 PM	#3
LX20000 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: Allentown, Pa. Posts: 210	Do you have ACE hardware near you? They sell 10% ammonia, with no surfactants.

04/28/2017, 08:54 PM	#5
Jwheld Registered Member Join Date: May 2016 Posts: 106	Or true value hardware? I used blue ribbon ammonia.

04/28/2017, 09:01 PM	#8
TokiHacker Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Mobile, Alabama Posts: 549	The only issue with that I have read people with large tanks (this one has 235g of water) with the ghost feeding not working Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ 200 GAL Mixed Reef Build \| 20GAL JBJ Frag Tank \| 29GAL Chiragra Mantis Shrimp Tank

04/28/2017, 09:06 PM	#9
dublo8 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Morgan Hill, Ca Posts: 3,225	ghost feeding is when you feed over a period of time, just like feeding your tank on a daily basis except only the ghosts are eating it..... I'm talking about throwing a shrimp or two in the tank and letting it rot to kick start the cycle. Ghost feeding on a tank that size isn't going to do much. Home depot sometimes carries the other ammonia if you have one nearby. Read the label carefully though. Did you use live rock or clean dry rock? __________________ 10g IM fusion. Zoa and SPS dominant, Apex monitored, Ai Prime, MP10, sicce return.

04/28/2017, 09:07 PM	#10
TokiHacker Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Mobile, Alabama Posts: 549	Dry rock dry sand. Put bottle bacteria in there (don't really trust it) but we will see. I put a couple of silver slides I had to rot Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ 200 GAL Mixed Reef Build \| 20GAL JBJ Frag Tank \| 29GAL Chiragra Mantis Shrimp Tank

04/28/2017, 09:12 PM	#11
dublo8 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Morgan Hill, Ca Posts: 3,225	it should be fine. Keep an eye on the ammonia levels, pull the silversides in a couple days when the ammonia spikes and test every other day to see what happens. Some of those "bacteria in a bottle" additives are surprisingly good. However, they can create a mono culture of one type of bacteria only. Ask a friend or trade with an LFS for a bit of live rock from another tank to help create some diversity. __________________ 10g IM fusion. Zoa and SPS dominant, Apex monitored, Ai Prime, MP10, sicce return.