Ammonia - NH3 can appear in two forms in water
1. Free ammonia
2. Ammonium ion NH4
NH3 + H = NH4
Ammonia is considered as ion with high toxicity and thus is important to make sure that we don’t have high levels of Ammonia in our tank. The NH3/NH4 ions are strongly depending on PH levels. The lower PH is - the more NH4 we get. (NH4 is not as toxic as NH3) in PH of 8.0 - 8.4, NH3 will be dominant.
Royal Ammonia test kit will measure both: NH3 and NH4 levels in your tank.
There are few sources of Ammonia in reef tanks:
- Tap water.
- Impurities of supplements like Ca and Mg. when one is trying to use inexpensive and not analytical grade metals like Ca or Mg, the immediate effect will be higher levels of ammonia.
- Impurities in salt mixes that may use cheaper versions of Ca and Mg or any other supplement with high level of Ammonia.
In sea water NH3/NH4 levels should be below 0.04 mg/l and shouldn’t be detectable by the test
The new Royal Ammonia test kit can determine with a finely tuned color chart which includes a concentration range from 0.01-5 mg/l and up to 100 tests.
Caution:
When doing a water change to bring down high Ammonia levels make sure you have tested the pH levels first. At lower pH values loose Ammonia in the aquarium will mostly be in the form of NH4+ which is only slightly toxic. A large water change may raise the pH to normal levels of 8.0-8.4. At these pH values most of the remaining NH4+ will convert to highly toxic NH3.
Safety instructions:
- Keep out of the reach of children.1.
- Ammonia reagents can cause severe burns.
- In case of contact with skin or eyes, rinse thoroughly with fresh water.
In case of accident or illness consult a physician immediately.
