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Re: KH and Ammonia




> Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 17:56:11 -0400
> From: "Elaine Jacobs" <hjacobs at muskoka_com>
> Subject: Re: KH and Ammonia
snip...
> 
> Admitted newbie here, can you tell me other than AMQUEL, is there another
> product I could use as it is not readily available here and I vaguely
> remember being told it affected certain medications? 

It says right on the label that it can be used to reduce/remove dyes and
tanning agents like methylene blue and potassium permanganate. AFAIK, that's
its only effect on medications. [Plants and peat do the same thing.]

Some think "Prime" is OK. I have used it, but it seems less stable than
"Amquel." [Smell an older bottle and see what I mean.]

Even "Amquel" isn't infinite life, apparently. I recently tested the water
of a newby who was losing fish, and found residual chlorine (from
chloramine) in his water that his particular bottle of "Amquel" had failed
to trap. Test for chlorine to be *sure* it's working. Buy from high-turnover
or mail-order shops to be sure it is reasonably fresh, too.

> What exactly do you
> mean by "hypo-based" product, I use "AQUA plus "which seems to work fine,
> but maybe I am missing something.

IDK what is in "Aqua Plus" but all older dechlor products were just
over-expensive versions of photographer's hypo solution, sodium thiosulfate.
Chloramines are various compounds of chlorine and ammonia. If you use hypo
on them, you release a burst of ammonia/ammonium into the water that can be
deadly at higher pH. It is very likely to burn gills and cause stunting in
young fish. In the latter cases, it "seems to work fine."

Read the labels. It must *not* say "breaks the chlorine ammonia bond." It
must say it traps/binds the ammonia, too.

"Amquel" is readily available from the mail order fish stores. If your lfs
doesn't carry it, suspect their judgement in other areas, too. ;-)

Wright

-- 
Wright Huntley, Fremont CA, USA, 510 494-8679  huntleyone at home dot com

         "DEMOCRACY" is two wolves and a lamb voting on lunch.
     "LIBERTY" is a well-armed lamb denying enforcement of the vote.
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