water

vikingdaddy1 · 06/05/2006, 12:00 PM

I just bought some drinking water from walmart to do a water change. Just for the hell of it I tested it and it was good except for ammonia was at 0.50ppm is that right?? How could you sell drinking water that has ammonia in it??

kraze3 · 06/05/2006, 12:02 PM

what kind of test kit are you using?

MCary · 06/05/2006, 12:20 PM

Water is purified often with chloramines. Chloramines are compounds of chlorine and ammonia. This is one possibility.

Other possibilities are increased incubation time, test error, or expired reagents. or the test lower linear limit does not go to zero.

angelsj247 · 06/05/2006, 12:56 PM

drinking water isnt a good choice.
what kind did you get.
you should try ro water or distilled from walmart

TekCat · 06/05/2006, 01:02 PM

Totally agree with angelsj. Drinking or spring water is bad choice. In addition to ammonia, chlorine, chloramine, there could be sulfates, copper, nitrates, and only god knows what else they put in there.
RO/DI or distilled is your best bet.

In any case you could check TDS. For SW it should read < 10.

vikingdaddy1 · 06/05/2006, 01:18 PM

TDS for SW slow down Im new?? And I was told not to use distilled water use drinking water from my LFS!!

waltm · 06/05/2006, 01:26 PM

SW = Salt Water
TDS = Total Dissolved Solids

It might not be as much an issue for you since you have a fish only tank but people with reef tanks like to start with VERY pure water (0 tds).

vikingdaddy1 · 06/05/2006, 01:40 PM

Is there a test for just TDS??

vikingdaddy1 · 06/05/2006, 01:44 PM

Anyway did I just waste 12.00 or is there something I could put in the water to make it safe? Or just throw it down the drain?

TekCat · 06/05/2006, 01:55 PM

TDS meters are for testing total dissolved solids (check out http://www.bestlabdeals.com/product_p/mil0006.htm prices there are not so hot, but it will give you an idea on what it is).

IMO, LFS advise should be treated as just one person's oppinion. Get more answers on the subject and evaluate what makes sense best. Some LFS will give you an excellent advise and some are just here to sell you denitrator reactor to help battling nitrates from your water source

-- edit --

this might help (good reading): http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...hreadid=239848

06/05/2006, 12:00 PM	#1
vikingdaddy1 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Des Moines, IA Posts: 25	water I just bought some drinking water from walmart to do a water change. Just for the hell of it I tested it and it was good except for ammonia was at 0.50ppm is that right?? How could you sell drinking water that has ammonia in it??

06/05/2006, 12:56 PM	#4
angelsj247 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Joliet, IL Posts: 866	drinking water isnt a good choice. what kind did you get. you should try ro water or distilled from walmart __________________ 2 perc clownfish, 2 peppermint shrimp, astrea, turbo, & nassarius snails, 20 lbs Live Rock Current Tank Info: 20gal FOWLR

06/05/2006, 12:02 PM	#2
kraze3 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: RI Posts: 2,373	what kind of test kit are you using?

06/05/2006, 12:20 PM	#3
MCary Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Hardin, Montana Posts: 3,142	Water is purified often with chloramines. Chloramines are compounds of chlorine and ammonia. This is one possibility. Other possibilities are increased incubation time, test error, or expired reagents. or the test lower linear limit does not go to zero.

06/05/2006, 01:02 PM	#5
TekCat Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: MN Posts: 3,130	Totally agree with angelsj. Drinking or spring water is bad choice. In addition to ammonia, chlorine, chloramine, there could be sulfates, copper, nitrates, and only god knows what else they put in there. RO/DI or distilled is your best bet. In any case you could check TDS. For SW it should read < 10.

06/05/2006, 01:18 PM	#6
vikingdaddy1 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Des Moines, IA Posts: 25	TDS for SW slow down Im new?? And I was told not to use distilled water use drinking water from my LFS!!

06/05/2006, 01:26 PM	#7
waltm Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bristol, RI Posts: 11	SW = Salt Water TDS = Total Dissolved Solids It might not be as much an issue for you since you have a fish only tank but people with reef tanks like to start with VERY pure water (0 tds).

06/05/2006, 01:40 PM	#8
vikingdaddy1 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Des Moines, IA Posts: 25	Is there a test for just TDS??

06/05/2006, 01:44 PM	#9
vikingdaddy1 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Des Moines, IA Posts: 25	Anyway did I just waste 12.00 or is there something I could put in the water to make it safe? Or just throw it down the drain?

06/05/2006, 01:55 PM	#10
TekCat Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: MN Posts: 3,130	TDS meters are for testing total dissolved solids (check out http://www.bestlabdeals.com/product_p/mil0006.htm prices there are not so hot, but it will give you an idea on what it is). IMO, LFS advise should be treated as just one person's oppinion. Get more answers on the subject and evaluate what makes sense best. Some LFS will give you an excellent advise and some are just here to sell you denitrator reactor to help battling nitrates from your water source -- edit -- this might help (good reading): http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...hreadid=239848