# Where can I buy pure ammonia?



## Leopardfire (Sep 23, 2012)

I am about to start cycling my 10 and 20 gallon tanks, but I need some ammonia first. I went to wall mart, but the ammonia they had contained surfactants, which are bad for fish. Where is the best place to buy pure ammonia for cycling?


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## vilmarisv (Apr 17, 2010)

Try a hardware store like Lowes or Home Depot


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Ace Hardware. That's where I got mine. It's full name is "Ammonia Janitorial Strength". I bought this big bottle of it for $2.99 and I'm cycling my 20 gallon with it. It seems to be 9/10ml for 2.0ppm. It's *REALLY* concentrated!!


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## Leopardfire (Sep 23, 2012)

Thanks for the advice, I'll go get some this weekend. Should I add about 2 tsp a day to my 20 gallon to cycle it? I think that is 10 ml.


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## Pilot00 (Jul 24, 2012)

Sorry if it doesnt sound pretty nice, I had more than my share of drink... But why do you need to do this? Jump start the cycle?


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

No, you don't add ammonia everyday. Just test the water after 2-3 days of the dosing and add ammonia whenever it's 1ppm or below. Don't go over 6ppm as this will stall the cycle since it's too high for the bacteria to grow. Read this sticky. It's post #2 but listen to the dosing I said. I followed the calculator's dose and it was over the charts! I had to do a 50% change so you shouldn't follow that. ^^"


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Pilot00 said:


> Sorry if it doesnt sound pretty nice, I had more than my share of drink... But why do you need to do this? Jump start the cycle?



Why what? Leopard just wants to fishless cycle his tank with pure ammonia, what's wrong with it?


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## Pilot00 (Jul 24, 2012)

LebronTheBetta said:


> Why what? Leopard just wants to fishless cycle his tank with pure ammonia, what's wrong with it?


Didnt say there is something wrong, just wandering why to add ammonia straight? As opposed to let it occur naturally.


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

You know, to start the cycle.


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## Pilot00 (Jul 24, 2012)

LebronTheBetta said:


> You know, to start the cycle.


Duh...LOL.

I mean isn't better to let it occur naturally? IMHO at least.


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Oh, LOL. Sorry!! 
What do you mean by naturally? A fish-in cycle or a fishless cycle is the owner's choice. Never mind, there's no hope for my brain. >.>


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## Pilot00 (Jul 24, 2012)

LebronTheBetta said:


> Oh, LOL. Sorry!!
> What do you mean by naturally? A fish-in cycle or a fishless cycle is the owner's choice. Never mind, there's no hope for my brain. >.>


If you allow the water lay still for a month or so. With the filter working (OFC, fully setup aquarium) and do an occasional water change the cycle gets complete without any fuss.

Don't worry about not understanding what I say, I am pretty much not sober right now ha! But I think I am right of the above. At least thats what my brain tells me I did for the past 15 years.


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Hm... Now I understand. But where's the ammonia source? Wait, LF has 1ppm in his tap water. If he adds some throughout the week, he doesn't need to use pure ammonia. I haven't even reached 15 years yet. ;w;


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## Pilot00 (Jul 24, 2012)

LebronTheBetta said:


> Hm... Now I understand. But where's the ammonia source? Wait, LF has 1ppm in his tap water. If he adds some throughout the week, he doesn't need to use pure ammonia. I haven't even reached 15 years yet. ;w;


You answered yourself. Tap water has it inside in small quantities waiting to take over. Especially if you let the water still, so to speak.


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## Leopardfire (Sep 23, 2012)

My tap water has 1ppm ammonia, but I want to add a little more to make it around 2 or 3ppm so the cycle goes faster and can handle more.


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## whatsupyall (Oct 17, 2012)

I just got back into betta hobby after 3 years of retirement. However, in the past, I hardly ever cycled my tanks before placing fish in there, or at least I cycled them with the bettas in there and they seem super healthy the whole time lol. Especially fry's. I just set up my 55 gallon, dechlorinate it. Add a filter. Slowly acclimate the fry into the 55 gallon and voila. Healthy healthy healthy me, I eat fruits and vegetables that are good for me lol. However, I strongly recommend cycling your tanks. You would be doing the right thing.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

The issue is Leopard's fish is too ill to do a fish in cycle. He's suffering serious fin rot from the ammonia in the water. Hardware has ammonia, it works well though your water seems to have a good supply of it as well >. I wish you tons of luck on cycling.


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## Leopardfire (Sep 23, 2012)

I added my betta without cycling to the 10 gallon and though the ammonia never got super high, he ended up with fin rot which is now so severe that he could die. I will always cycle from now on because it's just not worth it the time saved by not doing it if the fish get sick.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

I have my fingers crossed for you and your fishy Leopardfire. I really hope with the spring water you can get him to good health again.


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## Leopardfire (Sep 23, 2012)

Thank you and I hope so too. His fins haven't gotten any worse today, so I think the Triple Sulfa may be slowing it down. He's been battling fin rot for over a month, so I really hope he can get better.


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## whatsupyall (Oct 17, 2012)

Either your fish is stressed out a lot or your water quality is very poor. Non-cycled water, from my knowledge, does not cause fin rot. But I already agreed that cycling your tank is good, but not necessary if you carry out with bi-daily partial water changes. Your fish probably has a bacterial infection, so I don't think a cycle tank solves that at this moment. Your fish needs PWC and treatment. One last thing, be sure the water you use to do PWC is dechlorinated and similar if not exact to the tank water. Usually when fish are stress or have poor water conditions, this increases chance of disease such as fin rot. Fish can live in non-cycled tank, but like I said, it needs daily pwc. And when you do pwc, you have to be subtle about causing stress to the fish as his home is small and he will experience an earthquake lol. Good luck and good day.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

Also note none cycled tanks need to be cleaned 100% once a week as well. Thought I would add it since you didn't mention that.


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## CapeCodClownfish (Nov 1, 2012)

Pilot00 said:


> Duh...LOL.
> 
> I mean isn't better to let it occur naturally? IMHO at least.


Ummmmmm..... How is a fish less cycle supposed to have naturally occurring ammonia? That's why we put ammonia in, to replicate the waste of fish.. Since there are no fish, there will be no ammonia...

I have always used Austin's Clear Ammonia. It has no sulfactants. Any kind of ammonia will work as long as it has ZERO SULFACTANTS. The dosing is different for each brand because each brand has a different percentage of ammonia.

I take one gallon of water, measure the amount of ammonia it takes to raise it to 4ppm, then do some math.. I will keep setting the ammonia level back to 4ppm anytime it drops until I get nitrite readings, then I cut the original amount I added to the tank to bring it to 4ppm and cut it in half. Add this amount EVERY DAY until you have zero ammonia and zero nitrite when you test. Test 12-24 hours after adding the ammonia. Toward the end, you will be able to dump pure ammonia into your tank, and if you feel like it, you can watch the level drop by testing it every half hour (just for fun, there is no reason to actually do this). 
The two main reasons we do fish less cycles are as follows... 1. We don't kill or subject any fish to ammonia or nitrite poisoning to set up a tank... 2.. We can fully stock the aquarium safely after the cycle completes instead of slowly adding fish every couple weeks until you reach full stock levels...
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## whatsupyall (Oct 17, 2012)

LadyVictorian said:


> Also note none cycled tanks need to be cleaned 100% once a week as well. Thought I would add it since you didn't mention that.


I mean, when you start, you can cycle tank with fish and it's okay. At this time, it is a non-cycled tank. However, don't do 100% water changes as you will NEVER be able to establish a cycle tank. A cycled tank is the goal...Do 25% water changes just to keep the ammonia down. What I'm saying is, whether tank is cycle or not, I continue to do water changes. So, it really doesn't matter for me.


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## Pilot00 (Jul 24, 2012)

CapeCodClownfish said:


> Ummmmmm..... How is a fish less cycle supposed to have naturally occurring ammonia? That's why we put ammonia in, to replicate the waste of fish.. Since there are no fish, there will be no ammonia...


As I said, even the most clean water contains particles of ammonia and other stuff, that are either added or are a byproduct of the water treatment companies, I think you can ask at the local offices for the parameters. 
That said ammonia, is not something that sets in the water and remains in constant levels, it has a tendency to increase even without waste from fish. After all there all kinds of microorganisms in the water, simply leaving a couple of weeks without changes and you will have a spike.


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## Leopardfire (Sep 23, 2012)

Pilot00 said:


> As I said, even the most clean water contains particles of ammonia and other stuff, that are either added or are a byproduct of the water treatment companies, I think you can ask at the local offices for the parameters.
> That said ammonia, is not something that sets in the water and remains in constant levels, it has a tendency to increase even without waste from fish. After all there all kinds of microorganisms in the water, simply leaving a couple of weeks without changes and you will have a spike.


It's a lot slower if you have to wait a few weeks just to have a spike. Also the bacteria won't be able to handle as much ammonia since I don't think the spike would reach the same levels of ammonia as when you put it directly in. If the spike wasn't high enough, then the bacteria might not be able to handle the ammonia from all the fish even if it is cycled. I could be wrong though since I don't know a lot about cycling, but from what I've read, I think this is true.


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## Pilot00 (Jul 24, 2012)

I ve been using this method for more than a decade and I have never lost a fish, or failed to have acceptable parameters. To me its the safest, yet slowest method. I just don't like risks and want the tanks to mature on their own so to speak. As they say choose your poison.


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