# How to avoid ammonia spikes with NPK fertiliser ?



## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

What root tab are you using? 

I find it strange that your ammonia is already measuring 2 ppm. TNC Lite is not supposed to have any nitrogen, while I doubt Tropica uses urea/ammonia in their dosing liquid.

If you introduce nitrogen in the form of nitrates, you will be able to provide for your plants without introducing harmful ammonia to your livestock


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## dukydaf (Dec 27, 2004)

I agree with darkblade, the ammonia spike might come from. The un cycled aquarium? Bad test kit?

Are you sure it is not nitrate no3 that you test? 

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## vince01 (Nov 3, 2017)

@ Darkblade48, I am using Tropica root capsules (1). The ammonia isn`t from the TNC Lite it is from the Tropica Specialised liquid, could you recommend a nitrate based feed please ?

@ I am keeping the filter cycled with 1ppm ammonia but I made sure that the test reading was @ zero before I dosed the Tropica Specialised and retested later. I am using the NT Labs liquid tests that I also use on my none planted tanks and yes I know the difference between the ammonia test and the nitrate test.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

vince01 said:


> @ Darkblade48, I am using Tropica root capsules (1). The ammonia isn`t from the TNC Lite it is from the Tropica Specialised liquid, could you recommend a nitrate based feed please ?
> 
> @ I am keeping the filter cycled with 1ppm ammonia but I made sure that the test reading was @ zero before I dosed the Tropica Specialised and retested later. I am using the NT Labs liquid tests that I also use on my none planted tanks and yes I know the difference between the ammonia test and the nitrate test.


It is strange that Tropica is using ammonia in their fertilizers. I could not find a product sheet to back up either of our claims, however.

An easy way to test this is to add a few drops of the Tropica fertilizer into distilled water and then testing the water with your test kit.

Regarding a nitrate source, the most economical option is to use something like potassium nitrate and make your own solutions.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Darkblade48 said:


> It is strange that Tropica is using ammonia in their fertilizers. I could not find a product sheet to back up either of our claims, however.


well there is this
https://www.bigalspets.com/tropica-specialised-fertiliser.html


> *Product Description*
> 
> Tropica Specialised Fertiliser contains nitrate, ammonium, phosphate, iron, manganese, and other vital micro-nutrients required to ensure healthy and active plant growth


Many fertilizers use ammonia bases for nitrogen...


Chemical formula‎: ‎NH4NO3
What is your pH?
ammonium is pretty harmless at low quantities and low pH..

https://youtu.be/v1vIyGf9kRI









Aquaponics Health: Understanding Ammonia, Water Temperature and pH Balance | Ecofilms
Ammonia and nitrites are a different story..


Chemical formula‎: ‎NH4NO3

To COMPLICATE things even further..


> Since the test result is a sum of both molecular ammonia (NH 3) and ionic ammonium (NH 4 +), the preferred unit for reporting is as nitrogen (NH 3-N)


Test kits sample ammonia but some of it was ammonium ..then converted to ammonia w/ the test reagents..

a, hopefully correct, example..
Kit shows 2ppm "ammonia" (actually ammonia + ammonium)
At pH of 7 and a temp of 26C (78.8F) Ammonia is only 2 x .6/ 100 x 1.2 = 0.0114ppm toxic ammonia..
Do the Nessler and Salicylate methods detect ammonia or ammonium?

CHART above takes this into consideration..though at pH <7 most ammonia is non-toxic ammonium..



> Total Ammoniacal Nitrogen - TAN (NH3 + NH4+)


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## vince01 (Nov 3, 2017)

Thanks for the help guys,

@ Darkblade, I`m hoping that I can avoid mixing dry compounds because of the tiny amounts involved, could I pick your brain one more time and ask if you know of a ready mixed proprietary product ?

@ jeffkrol, Thank heavens for you guys who take an interest in the technical side of the hobby. Over the tears I have rubbed shoulders with some of the charts and theories behind the science but we never became friends so to speak. I run a venturi so there is quite a bit of 02 going into the tank, but even with a dK of 3 - 4 I never had a problem with pH which is steady @ 7 with a tank temp of 25c.

Another question if I may, I only dose the Tropica once a week and any ammonia in that is oxidised within 24 hours so I`m keeping the filter cycled with daily doses of 1ppm ammonia which is leading to 60 - 80ppm NO3, should I be concerned ? I don't want to be doing too many pwc with no fish to introduce CO2 and get the pH fluctuating with so much ammonia in the water. I hope that makes sense ?


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Hey, it's fun..
so @ pH 7 and 25C you likely won't kill things till you reach 3.5ppm via the test kit..
Obviously "acceptable" and preferred are 2 different things..

Seachem - Prime


Everyone needs a bottle of Prime laying around..


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## vince01 (Nov 3, 2017)

Just opened my 2nd bottle of Prime, the first lasted 7 years, first thing I noticed no sulphur smell, I hope someone hasn`t sold me a bottle of water.


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## dukydaf (Dec 27, 2004)

vince01 said:


> @ I am keeping the filter cycled with 1ppm ammonia but I made sure that the test reading was @ zero before I dosed the Tropica Specialised and retested later. I am using the NT Labs liquid tests that I also use on my none planted tanks and yes I know the difference between the ammonia test and the nitrate test.


 Didn't mean to imply you did not. Just that sometimes reagents get mixed up, the wrong volume or bottle is used etc. 

So according to the Rotala calculator 

1ml of Tropica specialized in 15L will add 0.89 mg/L N. Is this your dose? 
Assume (by absurdity) that all of this comes in the format of ammonia. You will still only get 1.08 mg/L ammonia. Tropica also states they add nitrates so certainly not all that N is from ammonia and certainly from a brand perspective I trust the scientists at Tropica that only a small conc of ammonia is actually added. So something does not add up... 

I think 1ppm ammonia daily is a little too much, the nitrifying bacteria will likely be able to survive with far less, maybe 0.1 2x per day. 

Where are you located? I think nilocg offers ready-made mixes, Co2 supermarket also offers dry all in one or ready made solutions. Aquarebell is another supplier of liquid fertilizer with nitrate as a N source in pretty good conc. More commonly available are the Easy Life products, but they are very dilute. 




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## vince01 (Nov 3, 2017)

@ dukydaf, no problem, I looked on the Rotala site and used the EI weekly low light dose of 1.9 ml Tropica Specialised which I planned to add 1ml after a pwc and the rest over the next 4 days, that way I would be able to stop the ammonia dose. I started with that 2 days ago after a scheduled pwc.

I was going to start a new thread but seeing as we are in the same ballpark, that pwc removed 80% of the water and yet this morning I tested for nitrate and got a 80ppm reading. I haven`t dosed ammonia since I changed out the water so I haven`t a clue where all this is coming from, is it safe to have all this NO3 floating about (no fish) or should I do another pwc to get rid of it ?

The NT Labs NO3 test comes in a clear bottle so you can see when all the solids are in suspension.

Bump:

Bump: Don't know what happened with the edit, I m in the North West of England I don't think I can get hold of Colins products. I also have TNC Lite which is just K and micros for when I get livestock


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