The “Cure” for Ammonia issues in a pond or aquarium is BIOSEEDING. This is the simple (it is simple) transplant of beneficial germs and microbes from a natural body of water, or an established fish system, into the immature system which lacks those organisms.
What organisms are lacking?
How do I do “Bioseeding“?
About Ammonia as a Fish Killer
Ammonia: Most Common Killer of New Fish
– By Dr. Erik Johnson
Ammonia is the primary waste product of fish, excreted primarily through the gill tissue, but to a lesser extent via the kidney. Ammonia can also accumulate from the decay of fish tissues, food and other organic debris derived from protein. Ammonia accumulations cause reddening of the skin and disability of the gills by its direct caustic effect on these surfaces. Fish suffering in water with high ammonia accumulations will isolate themselves, lie on the bottom, clamp their fins, secrete excess slime, and are much more susceptible to parasitic and bacterial infection.
Ammonia is a big problem in new systems because the bacteria that would naturally dissolve ammonia are not established, see discussion of cycle. As well, even in established systems, ammonia may accumulate in springtime when the water is cold but fish are eating, because filter bacteria have not emerged usefully from hibernation.
Ammonia ionizes below pH 7.4 to Ammonium – and so in its ionized state is less toxic to fish.
Above pH 8.0 most ammonia is ionized, and so becomes more toxic. Care should be taken not to increase th pH of a system if ammonia is present but the need to drop the pH or restrict oxygenation to tanks of fish to keep pH down is an overrated aberration in the literature.
Treatment: Water changes and management of the pH near neutral will go a long way to cutting losses from Ammonias, ancillary, less useful modes of Ammonia management include the use of the various water conditioners that bind ammonia, and the application of rechargeable Zeolites to the system filter. I am still going to tell you that time and water changes are the two mainstays, however.
Water that is warm, high in pH or deprived of oxygen will have an enhanced toxicity when ammonias are accumulating. These are all important considerations as we try to interpret the varying symptomatology of fish at the same ammonia level, for example, but are affected very differently.
You will never have to worry about Ammonia if you use a drip irrigation system for constant water replacement at about 10-20% per week.
More about ammonia
Ammonia – Understand this! – by Doc Johnson
Ammonia is the first waste product of your fish. It is often the cause of your first mortalities in new facilities and new ponds. There is a simple test to measure the levels. I am a big fan of Kent’s Ammonia Detox to reduce the toxicity of ammonia, and of Enviro Reps BRF13A (Ammo Down) for the seeding of beneficial bacteria to reduce the ammonia on the long term. Bioseeding may be the most effective method of all, when possible, and AP’s AmmoLock is great. I do not like Amquel. At all.
- Made from rotting fish wastes/urine/food
- Tested with Nessler’s Drop Type tests
- After (the regrettable) addition of aldehydes such as Formalin or Ammonia-binder agents, test with Salicylate reagent tests.
- Ammonia causes redness of fins, general poor health, excess mucus production, flashing, and by chronic auto-intoxication: Pinecone disease.
- Ammonia is more toxic at pH above 8.0
- Ammonia is directly irritating to fish gills and tissues
- Ammonia is removed from the environment by beneficial bacteria called “Nitrosomonas”.
- You can control Ammonia with partial water changes or addition of Zeolites.
I discourage the use of chemicals for Ammonia binding. All but a few of them contain aldehydes (glutaraldehyde) which are guilty of binding oxygen and irritating the fish.
Wet dry filtration (versus submerged media) is very superior for supporting nitrifying bacteria.
I will upload a VERY lengthy discussion of Ammonia in *doc format please check the downloads section.
There will also be a pretty-rare document there showing Gratzek’s research on my favorite ammonia binder, Ammolock II
Additional notes:
“First of all, because it is foiled by fewer organic molecules, let’s establish that Salicylate test kits are superior to Nessler’s tests. Still, Ammonia testing can present a problem. You may not know that dechlorinator can zero-out your ammonia test. The reason is that in the salicylate test kit, chloride ions provide a reagent. Ample dehlorinator and other ammonia binders will zero out this free chlorine reagent and show you a zero test. The only way to be sure that the Ammonia is truly bound up is by “live-tissue cell culture histopathology”. Cells are bathed in test-water and then examined for tell-tale signs of Ammonia damage. The only company that has done this so far is Aquarium Pharmaceuticals who used Drs Lukert and Gratzek at UGA. This Ammonia binder does not contain any aldehydes. Even the so-called “Sulfide Ion” binders are often nothing but Formaldehyde-bi-sulfite (rongalite) which is incredibly unstable.” Doc Johnson
**By Dr. Erik Johnson**
Ammonia is the primary waste product produced by fish, mainly excreted through their gill tissue, with a smaller amount eliminated via the kidneys. Additionally, ammonia can accumulate from the decomposition of fish tissues, uneaten food, and other organic protein-based debris. High ammonia levels cause redness of the skin and damage to the gills by directly irritating these tissues. Fish exposed to elevated ammonia concentrations often isolate themselves, rest on the bottom of the tank, clamp their fins, produce excess mucus, and become more vulnerable to parasitic and bacterial infections.
Ammonia is particularly problematic in new aquatic systems because the beneficial bacteria responsible for breaking down ammonia have not yet established a stable population—see the section on cycling for more details. Even in mature systems, ammonia can build up during cold periods in spring when fish continue to eat but filter bacteria have not fully reactivated from hibernation.
The toxicity of ammonia is influenced by pH: below pH 7.4, most ammonia is ionized as ammonium (NH4+), which is less toxic to fish. Above pH 8.0, ammonia exists mostly in its toxic, unionized form (NH3). Therefore, it is important to manage system pH near neutral when ammonia is present. However, extreme measures to lower pH or restrict oxygen to reduce ammonia toxicity are often overstated in the literature and generally unnecessary.
**Treatment and Management:**
The most effective methods to reduce ammonia toxicity are regular water changes and maintaining a pH close to neutral. Secondary approaches include using water conditioners that bind ammonia and adding rechargeable Zeolites to biological filters. Despite these options, time and consistent water changes remain the primary and most reliable strategies. Warm water, high pH, and low dissolved oxygen conditions all increase ammonia toxicity, so these factors must be considered when interpreting fish symptoms at similar ammonia levels.
Using a drip irrigation system that continuously replaces 10-20% of the water weekly can virtually eliminate concerns about ammonia buildup.
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### More on Ammonia – Understanding the Basics
Ammonia is the first and most common waste product your fish produce and is often responsible for initial mortalities in new tanks or ponds. Measuring ammonia levels is straightforward with available tests. I recommend Kent’s Ammonia Detox to reduce ammonia toxicity and Enviro Reps BRF13A (Ammo Down) to seed beneficial bacteria for long-term ammonia reduction. Bioseeding with live cultures can be the most effective method, and AP’s AmmoLock is another excellent product. Conversely, I do not recommend Amquel, as it is derived from decomposed fish waste and food.
Testing ammonia commonly involves two methods: the Nessler’s drop test and the Salicylate reagent test. When chemicals like formalin or ammonia binders are used, the Salicylate method is preferred for accurate readings.
Ammonia exposure causes fin redness, poor overall health, excessive mucus production, flashing behavior (rubbing against surfaces), and, with chronic exposure, a condition known as pinecone disease. The toxic effects worsen at pH levels above 8.0.
**Important facts about ammonia:**
– Ammonia directly irritates fish gills and tissues.
– Beneficial nitrifying bacteria, primarily *Nitrosomonas*, convert ammonia into less harmful forms.
– Partial water changes and Zeolite filtration help control ammonia.
– Chemical ammonia binders often contain aldehydes like glutaraldehyde, which can reduce oxygen availability and irritate fish, so their use is generally discouraged.
– Wet-dry filtration systems are superior to submerged media for supporting nitrifying bacteria.
You can find a comprehensive discussion on ammonia in a downloadable *doc* format in the resources section, including a rare study by Gratzek on my preferred ammonia binder, Ammolock II.
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### Additional Notes:
Salicylate test kits outperform Nessler’s tests because they are less affected by organic matter. However, ammonia measurement can still be complicated: dechlorinators and some ammonia binders can interfere with the test by neutralizing chloride ions, essential reagents in salicylate kits, leading to false zero readings.
The only definitive way to confirm ammonia detoxification is through live-tissue cell culture histopathology, where cells are exposed to suspect water and examined for damage. Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, collaborating with Drs. Lukert and Gratzek at the University of Georgia, has conducted such studies. Their ammonia binder contains no aldehydes, unlike many others. Note that products marketed as “sulfide ion” binders often contain formaldehyde–bisulfite compounds (rongalite), which are unstable and less reliable.
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Dr. Johnson
