is ammonia present in my tap water

[cavallo]

It's crucial to check your tap water for ammonia and nitrites. Take a look at your city's water report to see what they say about average, high, and low pH levels. I learned the hard way that even a small amount of ammonia can be a problem.

In Topeka, our tap water tests positive for ammonia at 1.0 to 1.5 ppm. This wasn't the case a few months ago, and I had to dig deep to get some answers. After sending multiple emails and copying their legal department, I finally got a call from the city water manager. He admitted that there shouldn't be any leftover ammonia in the water after treatment for chlorine. He promised to look into it, but in the meantime, he suggested I drink bottled water - even after I explained that this was for my fish tank, not human consumption.

The thing is, every time I do a water change to reduce or eliminate ammonia, I'm adding 1.5 ppm back in. Thankfully, Prime seems to take care of it. I recently cycled a 29-gallon tank, and I was able to get my ammonia under control. I now read zero ammonia and zero nitrites. I'll be doing another water change soon, but I'm waiting for my new ammonia test solution to arrive.

By the way, the average pH for Topeka water is 8.9, with a range up to 10 or 11. Before I add fish, I have to lower the pH to get it closer to 6.8-7.0 for most of my fish. I've had to use pH- or pH+ to get the job done, as the so-called "natural methods" didn't give me the control I needed. Adding 2.5 mls per day, it takes 2-3 days to get the pH up, and I've had minimal rebound due to hydrogen ions in the water. Once I get the water adjusted, it usually stays that way, even with water changes.

I'm still waiting to hear back from the city water manager, but I'll be following up soon. I would also recommend doing larger water changes than 25% - I just don't think that's enough to make a difference with ammonia or nitrite issues. Aim for 50-75%, and you might find that you have no ammonia or nitrites and can get away with water changes every 2 weeks if you don't over-feed.