Can someone Help me now?? ammonia?

[One fish]

I am in the middle of a 30 percent water change. my ro water has been sitting for 2 weeks maybe more. I just tested it for fun and it is registering for ammonia. Should I add it or restart a batch?!?!?

[ShannyG]

I can't imagine that adding new water with ammonia in it can be a good thing. Restart is your safest bet.

[Kyle918]

What test kit are you using? API color charts are sometimes a bit hard to discern.

If anything though, I would just make a new batch of RO/DI water. There shuold not be any ammonia present in 2 week old water, unused water.

[One fish]

I am using Api saltwater test kits. The ones from petco. Btw they are on sale on the site for 23 dollars.
But I had a horible time with my water change. I had my tank almost half empty and then had to make a new batch of water. Why was my water testing for amonia I wonder? My new batch didn't. Can I not keep premixed water in a bucket for a few weeks?
So I am confused about some other things. I have a cpr bakpak skimmer. And I have filter floss in it I keep to catch food and what not. I change it when I do water changes. When I do I see all sorts of bugs and worms being killed. I try to fish them out of the floss and put them back but it is impossible. Am I hurting the maturity and health of my tank? I feel like I am.

[Dan_P]

I am in the middle of a 30 percent water change. my ro water has been sitting for 2 weeks maybe more. I just tested it for fun and it is registering for ammonia. Should I add it or restart a batch?!?!?

The presence of ammonia in RO water is unusual. Maybe the test kit is not being used properly. Maybe the RO unit is letting chloramine (some municipalities use it instead of chlorine) through. That would mean the RO unit is not working properly. How much ammonia was detected?

As for harvesting the little animals in the filter floss, don't worry about upsetting the ecosystem, but your line of thinking is a good one.

[Sk8r]

What sort of bucket? Polystyrene is ok, but other plastics maybe not.

[jason2459]

Those above plus do you have a cat?

[One fish]

Not sure the exact number that was detected, I would have to look at the card, but when I tested it to other water everything was yellow (zero) and this one came out a milky green (2.0 maybe?) I was using a regular orange bucket from home depot.

Those above plus do you have a cat?

I Do have a cat! Why?
did he pour ammonia into my bucket? sneaky cat...

Ps Thank you all for the quick reply, it really helped me.

[jason2459]

Is the litter box near by?

[jason2459]

For your reference and several threads can be found on this topic but this thread is a good one and I trust one of the posters in it. (Boomer)

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=18016641

[One fish]

wow that is crazy. my cat box is about 4 feet away. I will have a read! :spin1: