Look out Edmonton! High Ammonia in our tap water!!!

[bulletsworld]

Just wanted to let everyone know. I use tap water and treat it with Prime conditioner but just resently noticed high levels of ammonia in my water. Couldn't figure it out! As it was never a problem for me. Someone told me to test the tap water for ammonia? I shook my head and thought no way as I never had a problem before but tested anyway. Sure enough! To my surprise HIGH doses of ammonia in our tap water! Even though prime helps you will still have ammonia in your tank when it should be 0. Our poor fishy friends! Your topping your tank with ammonia!

Just talked with my brother that works for Culigen in the city here and this is what he had to say:
"By the way there is such a high content of ammonia in the water because the city got a lot of complaints about the chlorine smell so they use ammonia to mask the smell but it creates new chemical called chloramines which are very hard to get rid of"

Any body know of a good portable R/O unit? Since i rent my apt, can't install. all the people out there like me that need new water for our friends! The heck with this city water crap! My fishes deserve the best water !

Any thoughts anyone?

[Trevor Robertson]

Is this a new thing? I can not see the city just all of a suden adding this in the last month but sounds like you would know.

Thanks

[Veng68]

Ro will not get ride of the ammonia. You need an ro with a special post filter that will take the ammonia out of the water. Checkout the spectrapure website. They should have some info.

Cheers,
Victor [veng68]

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by Veng68

Ro will not get ride of the ammonia. You need an ro with a special post filter that will take the ammonia out of the water. Checkout the spectrapure website. They should have some info.

Cheers,
Victor [veng68]

you need to remove it befor it hits the membrain or the chlorine will destroy your membrain to do this two carbon block filters in series befor the membrain should work nice.. this is what I am using now .. I have a sediment filter then two carbon block and them my membrains and finaly a DI.

Steve

[Veng68]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

you need to remove it befor it hits the membrain or the chlorine will destroy your membrain to do this two carbon block filters in series befor the membrain should work nice.. this is what I am using now .. I have a sediment filter then two carbon block and them my membrains and finaly a DI.

Steve

I think the pre carbon takes out the chlorinebut not the ammonia....... the post carbon filter (special ammonia absorbing) takes out the ammonia. The RO membrane does not do too much with the ammonia (I guess the molecules are too small for the membrane). I can't remember off hand but I think the Spectrapure website explains it.

Cheers,
Vic [veng68]

[StirCrazy]

Randy holms farly just did a big report on it for one of the onlime mags I think (or maybe it was just a forum topic) but you have to break down the chlorimene into its base products befor it can be removed.. the carbon block will do this but they are finding only one still alows someof the chlorimene to pass through. the carbon block will remove amonia also.. beware of onlime stores trying to sell you filters that are twice the price and you don't need

Steve

[Veng68]

Actually Spectrapure has been around for ages and they have been experts on the topic of water filtration before all the other RO shops came online. Charles (the president of the company) has been very helpful with any questions I've ever asked him. I will take his word as the truth. He has never done wrong by me (he even gave me some really good pointers on how to increase the output on RO units........... which I hope to write an article on some day)

True the 2 carbon blocks you propose will break the chlorine from the chloramaine but I am not sure if the second carbon block will catch all of the ammonia. Then again most people only have the one carbon pre filter and it is recommend by spectrapure to put another post carbon for the ammonia on their machines (which only have 1 pre carbojn). Who knows............. maybe just 2 ways of doing the same thing I think you can find many threads in reefs.org & reefcentral.

Cheers,
Vic [veng68]

[sbrown]

My two cents...check your chlorine remover and if it doent say on the bottle that it treats chlorimine throw it in the garbage. This is the easiest and cheapest way to get rid of chlorimine, a good conditioner breaks it into chlorine which it takes care of itself and then the ammonia you have to deal with via other means. The city has been putting chlorimine in the water for a good 15 years. The stuff that comes with starter kits doesnt remove chlorimine, which is why a good bunch of new aquariasts kill off their fish to start.