AMMONIA REMOVER FRESH WATER USED IN SALTWATER???
- Thread starter hexcolor reef
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FUNGI
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Navy SEAL asking, Can I use FLUVAL ammonia remover and peat in saltwater tank?
We have a 55 gallon SALTWATER tank with NO issues, but just replaced ALL of our filter pouches or media filters in our 406 Fluval canister filter and used FRESH WATER ONLY Fluval ammonia remover pouches and Fluval FRESH WATER ONLY PEAT GRANULES pouches in our 406. Our tank is 100% Clown Fish...
www.reef2reef.com
" Thank you for your question to Drs. Foster and Smith. While it won’t hurt anything if the Fluval Ammonia Remover is used in a saltwater tank, the Fluval Ammonia Remover uses Zeolite in its formula. Zeolite is an ionic substance, and in a saltwater tank with all the extra ions the Zeolite is rendered useless. Thus it’s recommended for Fresh water only."
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hexcolor reef
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I just came across this, to be honest I was being lazy about driving further to my LFS to pick this up so I stopped at Petco which is right up the street. I should’ve taken the drive. I’ll go tomorrow. I’m still using this fluval to see if it some what works. My ammonia spiked to .25 - .50. Im mixing fresh saltwater now just in case it goes higherSeachem says their product works for both saltwater freshwater. I’ve used it to remove metals.
Seachem - Zeolite
www.seachem.com
Randy Holmes-Farley
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I'll add a few comments...
1. Note that Seachem does not literally claim it binds appreciable ammonia from seawater, and certainly not how much. Seachem likes to be vague and sciency sounding, and even if they claimed it somewhere else than that link, I would not believe it.
2. Zeolite is not a single thing, any more than car is a single thing. Can you transport a single mattress in a car? Depends on the car, of course.
3. The primary zeolite known to bind ammonia in fresh water (Clinoptilolote) binds much less in seawater. It may bind some, but I don't think it is generally a useful treatment in seawater.
Here's my previous commentary on it:
Ammonia and the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
Treatments for Elevated Ammonia: Clinoptilolite
Few filter media are capable of binding ammonia from seawater. The zeolite clinoptilolite (a sodium aluminosilicate) is capable of binding ammonia from freshwater, but the sodium ions in seawater displace much of the ammonia. In fact, the ammonia binding capacity of clinoptilolite in freshwater can be regenerated by rinsing it with salty water. Consequently, its capacity to bind ammonia in seawater is very low, if any, so it is not a very useful product for marine systems.
1. Note that Seachem does not literally claim it binds appreciable ammonia from seawater, and certainly not how much. Seachem likes to be vague and sciency sounding, and even if they claimed it somewhere else than that link, I would not believe it.
2. Zeolite is not a single thing, any more than car is a single thing. Can you transport a single mattress in a car? Depends on the car, of course.
3. The primary zeolite known to bind ammonia in fresh water (Clinoptilolote) binds much less in seawater. It may bind some, but I don't think it is generally a useful treatment in seawater.
Here's my previous commentary on it:
Ammonia and the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
Treatments for Elevated Ammonia: Clinoptilolite
Few filter media are capable of binding ammonia from seawater. The zeolite clinoptilolite (a sodium aluminosilicate) is capable of binding ammonia from freshwater, but the sodium ions in seawater displace much of the ammonia. In fact, the ammonia binding capacity of clinoptilolite in freshwater can be regenerated by rinsing it with salty water. Consequently, its capacity to bind ammonia in seawater is very low, if any, so it is not a very useful product for marine systems.
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hexcolor reef
Valuable Member
So I couldn’t find the original product at LFS so I picked up everything that has to do with Ammonia in saltwater including dragons breath. Last checked ammonia was .25 looking for it to be zero by tomorrow
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