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[APD] Re: Ammo Lock and Ammonia Tests
Phil,
My apologies for not reading your original post more carefully. You said
you were using "Ammo Lock" and I just read it to read "Ammo Lock 2."
"Ammo Lock 2" is a product very similar to "Amquel" and "Prime" that
actually ties up the ammonia/ammonium with a formaldehyde-like compound
until it can be used by plants or biofilter. [Salicylate tests read only
the free ammonium/ammonia with those, AFAIK.]
I don't know how the original "Ammo Lock" (without a "2") is supposed to
work. so my comments may be way off base. If you have free ammonium, it
*should* most all be in the NH4+ form until pH gets up toward 8. From
there up, the NH3 proportion skyrockets upward. The ratio of deadly NH3
to NH4+ increases by about 10 times from a pH rise from 7 to 8. At 9 it
is about 50X higher than at 7. [When in doubt, keep pH down around 7 or
lower!]
Wright
Date: Sat, 25 Oct 2003 12:29:42 -0700
From: Phil Bunch <pbunch at cox_net>
Subject: RE: [APD] Re: Ammo Lock and Ammonia Tests
To: "'aquatic plants digest'" <aquatic-plants at actwin_com>
Cc: "'african_cichlids at yahoogroups_com'"
<african_cichlids at yahoogroups_com>
Wright:
It turns out that the kit I'm using is a salicylate reagent product
(Aquarium Pharmaceuticals). It however indicts that it tests for both NH3
and NH4. It also indicates that "Ammonia test kits will still test positive
for ammonia..." even when Ammo Lock is used. I suspect the ammonia is all
in the NH4 form or as you say the fish would be dead or totally stressed.
It may be that I will just have to wait for the NH4 to be processed through
the bio-filter.
Phil Bunch
--
Wright Huntley -- 760 872-3995 -- Rt. 001 Box K36, Bishop CA 93514
Mencken's maxim—every election is a sort
of advanced auction of stolen goods.
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