Ammonia removal options

Today I bought a 3 stage filter 5 micron sediment and kdf medium, this gives me chlorine / chloramines free water with a lot of the heavy metals removed, the water then needs the ammonia removed.

What would the best option for this?

1. Bio filtration
2. Zeolite
3. Ion exchange unit

will the water be more alive after bio filtration?

Thanks
Rix

 

there should not be any amonia to start with ?

 

Is that for water coming out of your tap?

If it is, then don't waste your time. Unless you have a serious ammonia problem in your tap water?

The filter will take care of a lot of the nasties in your water. If you have a planted aquarium, the plants will use the ammonia pretty quickly, and if you have a good healthy filtration system, it will also be neutralized there.

If you really want clean water, get the DI resin and the 5 micron RO membrane. But then you will need to invest in a TDS meter or pen to test. With the RO membrane, sediment filters and sintered carbon an resin, your water will be stripped of everything and you will then need to buffer your water. You cannot use pure RO water to fill a fish tank. You must use something to replace the elements that you have removed from the water...

 

And again... There shouldn't be ammonia in your tap water, like singularity said.

 

The water in Hilton has chloramines in it the filter removes the chloramines and leaves ammonia proportional to the amount of chloramines in the water. Same as what cheap de chlor does. Breaks the chorine ammonia bond. I want 0 ammonia going into the breeding cubes as the water is going to be changed 70% every day.

 

seachem safe ?

 

Nah I don't want to use any products or anything that will be adding chemicals or locking up the ammonia,
The reason I bought the filter is so I can stop using de chlor

The water is going to be treated in a 1000l tank prior to being added to the cubes.

My question is what would my fish prefer or does it make no difference?

1. Bio filtration
2. Zeolite
3. Ion exchange

Will any have any special benefits?

 

how much nh3 is actually in the water, have you tested it ?

 

It is at .5 after the new filter ph is 6.8.

 

just a quick question:
@rixtrix, are you happy with Copper and Zinc in your water filter?
As that is your KDF active component material.
Softer water adds to the uncertainty.

Manufacturer's Research shows a slight increased nitrate level, albeit not large, as a result of using these filters.
These units will have some stagnation, hence Nitrogen cycle will occur within them!

I think you are trying to emulate UK type HMA here?
If so, it is not the same thing....

Use zeolite of a known, aquarium safe grade.
Recharge or replace regularly, test weekly to verify this interval, for sure.

Don't try to animate your storage water with biofiltration, it defeats purpose of clearing it all up to begin with.
Ion exchange resins are not longterm cost effective, or maybe you can afford it, we don't know...

Prefiltered water, with half dose Seachem Prime is a good standby for pretty much all tapwater in SA.
Your fear for "chemicals" is unfounded, if the bound up ammonia is biodegradable.
I have seen MORE people have pairs spawn more readily when they condition AND Prefilter water.
Also, what KDF , or carbon misses, a complete water conditioner WON'T

By no means is this instructing you, but also it would be wise to compare notes with local breeders ...
There are a few in DBN

 

Hi Altum,

No I would not be happy with copper or zinc in my water, do you feel that these will actually be in the filtered water?
One of the points of this filter is to remove heavy metals!

This was meant to be a HMA filter but settled with KDF Media.

Clinoptilolite Zeolite it is then
Thank for the advice I will test for Cu today

Richard

 

Have a look at a product called Cloram -X

Cloram-X | Reed Mariculture

MicrobeLift makes a dry ammonia remover which uses the cloram-x technology - i have a few samples they sent me so if you like i can send you some.

 

Henk this seems like a good product, I am needing to do 4000l each month, any idea on the cost of this?

Thanks
Richard

 

We dont carry it as a stock item so i will have to find out. The 450g unit i am sending treats 14233L

 

5lb Tub = $40 = 80 ounce Say $90 ($40 + $50) delivered to SA.(On that site)
That makes it R800 at worst case, incl. (No duties) Henk would probably bring it in cheaper as he will pay cost and ship cheaper.
1.12 ounce per 1000lt = 4.48 ounce per 4000lt
Therefore 4.48 ounce = R44.80 to do 4000lt.

That would be as a once off treatment in your case, where you are just preparing water.

I wonder what the daily dose would be if you use it in the tank to eliminate ammonia produced? Can it be used like that to eliminate water changes?

240 lt tank daily dose = 0.27 oz. 80 oz / .27 oz = 296 days. R800 / 296 days = R2.70 per day = +- R84 per month.

Not really economical to eliminate WC and also extra burden to do everyday. I will stick to WC fortnightly. It is however an interesting product and I would like some on standby for emergencies. Another pity is that your Nessler method tests will not work. So you will have to invest in a much more expensive testing method.

@Henk Hugo, would you bring in smaller quantities? What is @Dirk Bellstedt 's take on this? Do we have something similar on the market here in SA already? Seems to recall products like that for shipping fish.

 

The smallest size is 250G and then we have the liquid ammonia remover....

Microbe-Lift.com :: Ammonia Remover

Microbe-Lift.com :: Dry Ammonia Remover w/ ClorAm-X

 

I understand Altums comment better now. It is because this process use copper and zinc as its media. It however states that the copper is taken up from the water by plating to the media. They do not say anything about the zinc. Have you tested yet?In your other thread you state that the pH is increased. Have you measured pre and after kH and gH?

 

@TomK
Yes , certainly!
Seachem produces several.

Prime, liquid.
It treats 1mg Ammonia, at standard dose, which is why I routinely suggest HALF Dose , AFTER Tap Water Prefiltration.

Safe, powder.
Concentrated form of Prime, without heavy metal detoxification and fish slime protectant stimulus effect.

For purely Ammonia?
There is Amguard Liquid, and AmGuard Concentrate (Powder)

For shipping?
Stressguard

All the above items are available in SA, and it's already within your budget calculation
From 10g Powder vials, and 50ml Liquid bottle sizes.....

 

Just going back in this thread a little, you say you want to change 70% of the water in your breeding cubes per day. What for? And I say this after having bred discus for 23 years now, not because I do not know why, it is completely unnecessary and you are going to kill yourself with your electricity bill and you might kill your fishes in the process as well. Discus just don't need that frequency of water changes.

Then as soon as I see persons wanting to breed discus and I see these all this proposed water manipulation I get nervous because in the long run you will not be able to keep this up, it is far too labor intensive and also it is not necessary, so I think you should do your homework more carefully, this sounds like far too much to me.

Kind regards,

Dirk

 

@Dirk Bellstedt
The point of all this water tinkering is to reduce my elec bill and the daily maintenance, Currently each tank has a heater in it and each tank has a sump with a heater and a pump.

My thoughts are to remove the sumps to save on the extra heater and pump. And replace with a large sponge filter by doing so saving 200 watts per tank, my elec bill is insane and winter is on its way.
I will be adding a pump to my 1000l water store that will only be used for when I am refilling each tank the water store has 2 300w heaters and is plastic and retains heat quite well compared to my tanks, kept at 28c.
This will be connected so i just need to put the pump on and open the valve for the tank I want to fill.

Previously i used my own hypo stock solution for dechlor and was not concerned with the ammonia that remained as the sump made short work of it.
I have been siphoning and bucket filling almost every night for the last 4 years. The siphoning will always be there but the filling will be a lot easier.

The price of water is cheap so I don’t mind using whatever is needed, please advise me what percentage of water needs to be changed at what intervals,
or this something that should be worked out by testing the water in each tank?

I would feel far better making the water perfect and changing large quantities often.

Thank you
Richard