Venting corner

Azira

ARGH!

I think I've just caused my first HSM because I ignored the exact thought I had that warned me against doing it. :upset:

pH was getting a little low, shell grit near the inlet pipe had dissolved. I have none left except the sacks full hanging in each tank. Hmm, so I think to myself, I'll pull it out and tip it under the inlet pipe. But I think to myself, it's been sitting in the tank since I started, it might be a big ammonia collection point. So I think, I'll rinse it first and then tip it in.

But, because I'm an idiot, I pull it out, snip the knot off and tip it straight in to the GB. Water immediately clouds up. OH SHIRTTT. Ammonia is off the chart. Emergency water change, only 50% because I'm not sure how my water is for chlorine levels nowadays. Ammonia still off the chart.

Futher water change and risk the chlorine being too high? Leave it until tomorrow and do another water change with some rain water a friend offered to drop around? I don't know now...I just hope my trout aren't floating tomorrow morning.

Ugh, so annoyed at myself.

Colum Black-Byron

Chlorine will probably kill them before the ammonia will. If your water is cold, and ph is low, it's the best time to have an Ammonia spike, wait for the rainwater, and keep and eye on the ammonia toxicity chart.

Azira

That's what I was thinking. The chlorine levels in my water are a bit of an unknown commodity now. They used to be non-existent because it would all evaporate off by the time it got to my town, which worked well for me doing tapwater topups, but not so much for the town and the town-wide gastro outbreaks, lol. But a few months ago they set it up so it now gets added in town, they chlorine bombed it initially but it's settled down now, I just don't know to what level.

I'll wait and to another water change tomorrow and hopefully the trout can survive me being an idiot. I'm just glad it has been so cold and the pH was low. They are last years trout that I was going to see if I could get through another summer, I hope they aren't belly up tomorrow!

Colum Black-Byron

What's the ammonia sitting at?

Azira

Somewhere over 8ppm on the API test. A nice healthy dark green colour, lol. I haven't bothered diluting, whatever it is it's too high so it's almost irrelevant what the actual reading it at this point.

Sleepe

Azira

This won't help you at the moment but for future (hoping not) HSM re ammonia spikes; get some zeolite and put it in a way you can plumb/use it in your system in an emergency. It will remove ammonia from the water (and a few other things).
Please note this is for emergency use to control the spike not for a long term fix; from memory it works by ion exchange and adsorbtion so it will, to put it in plain terms. become full. It is possible to renew it but it is fairly cheap (well swimming pool filter grade is) so don't reuse it ( I can't believe I said that).

Azira

Thanks for the suggestion Sleepe, I'll have to set something like that up.

Mind you it wouldn't have been a problem if I hadn't dumped a sack full of ammonia laden grit into the system, lol. :roll:

Sleepe

I was going to say something really profound; but scotty thinks I am just shallow and guess a lot. :lol:

Azira

Replaced half of the water with fresh rainwater, here's hoping that it's helped a bit. I'll test in an hour or so. On the plus side the trout seem fine, thankfully the water is as cold as it is (and pH low). Water cleared up too. I chucked a heap of salt in yesterday but I'm not sure where the ppt is because my refractometer doesn't seem to show me anything above 0.5ppt for some stupid reason. Time to get a new one and an electric pH meter dealy methinks!

BuiDoi

Azira wrote:

Water immediately clouds up. OH SHIRTTT. Ammonia is off the chart. Emergency water change, only 50% because I'm not sure how my water is for chlorine levels nowadays. Ammonia still off the chart..

And..

a timely warning for all.. BUT :oops:

I would not have thought that it would not have been a problem, and wonder "Why is it so"

Bag of stuff.. stationary.. no flushing or minimal flushing.. anaerobic bacteria..

I would have logically considered that ANY ammonia within the mass would be processed by the bacteria, so how does the ammonia build up..

What is the suggestion as to how it "Builds Up"
..
.

BuiDoi

Sleepe wrote:

get some zeolite and put it in a way you can plumb/use it in your system in an emergency. It will remove ammonia from the water (and a few other things)..........

Please note this is for emergency use to control the spike not for a long term fix;

Any logical reason why not permanent under the right circumstance..?

eg.. in my new system where I collect all solids (for off-site mineralisation) and have near no plants..

Quote:

Escott zeolite has a unique internally porous atomic structure that provides a very open framework with a network of pores giving it a large surface area (up to 450m /g) and high porosity (up to 45%) for trapping and exchanging valuable cations, water and other molecules without any change in structure. Escott zeolite is a robust, insoluble and chemically stable natural mineral (part of a group of hydrated alumino silicates) and can be used as an organic agricultural and horticultural input. It carries a negative charge balanced by freely moving cations with positive charges. This provides an ideal trap for positive cations like nitrogen rich ammonium and potassium which are then released when demanded by plants. Escott high-quality, natural zeolite is therefor an excellent water filtration media and soil amendment - fertiliser carrier and can continue to function as a water and nutrient reservoir in the soil indefinitely. Escott zeolite has a particularly affinity for ammonium (N H4+), potassium (K+), calcium (Ca+) magnesium (Mg+) and trace elements which makes it particularly useful as a soil, compost and fertiliser additive to attract, retain and slowly release critical plant nutrients.

does the Alumino Silicates, provide a long them issue..

OBVIOUSLY, you would not want it in a normal AP system as you would be removing nutrients at their source.. :cry:

..
.

Colum Black-Byron

The ziolites only store the ammonia. So if you have something go wrong, ph crashes or something, the ziolites will release all the ammonia, and it'll kill everything (depending on ammonia levels). But in the short term, it's a good way to remove ammonia.

Yavimaya

also if you are low on plants, but have enough filters, then nitrate woud be a bigger problem.

in which case you move to the Purigen instead.

Azira

BuiDoi wrote:

Azira wrote:

Water immediately clouds up. OH SHIRTTT. Ammonia is off the chart. Emergency water change, only 50% because I'm not sure how my water is for chlorine levels nowadays. Ammonia still off the chart..

And..

a timely warning for all.. BUT :oops:

I would not have thought that it would not have been a problem, and wonder "Why is it so"

Bag of stuff.. stationary.. no flushing or minimal flushing.. anaerobic bacteria..

I would have logically considered that ANY ammonia within the mass would be processed by the bacteria, so how does the ammonia build up..

What is the suggestion as to how it "Builds Up"
..
.

Not a clue as to the how and why, all I know is I ignored that inner voice warning me that it was a bad idea and did it anyway. lol. Ammonia wasn't reading at all before I did it because the trout are hardly being fed (I keep running out of food!). Which reminds me, I need to go and do another test now the rainwater is in and has circulated.

Now to find me some zeolite, I think I know an easy way to hook it into the system should I derp things up again in the future!

Azira

Hrm...so I'm guessing the bubbles that arenow completely covering the waters surface are somehow related to this whole issue? They aren't overly foamy, definitely more bubbular (that's a word now dammit!). And I'm guessing I'm going to be seeing a massive nitrite spike now aren't I?

Le sigh.

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