Ammonia

 What is Ammonia

Ammonia is excreted by the fish as a waste product. It is extremely toxic to the fish, and is broken down into less toxic nitrite by the beneficial bacteria in the filter of your pond.

Why test for ammonia?

Any ammonia present in the pond water will cause major health problems for the fish. Toxic ammonia can build up in ponds where there are not sufficient beneficial filter bacteria to deal with the total waste from all the fish in the pond. This situation can arise in new ponds, when new fish are added, when the filter bacteria have been disrupted (e.g. during cleaning), or during accidental misdosing of pond medications.

What is the correct ammonia level in my pond?

There is no occasion where any ammonia is tolerable in a fish pond. A level of zero mg/L (PPM) must be maintained at all times.

What do I do if the ammonia level is wrong?

If a level of 0.2 mg/l (PPM) is recorded then add a filter booster such as Koi Care Filter Bugs or Koi Care Actizyme. If a level above this is recorded then a substantial water change is essential. Change 25% of the pond volume for 0.5 – 1.0 mg/L (PPM) ammonia and 50% to 75% for ammonia levels above this. Koi Care Pond Zeolite Chunks and Koi Care Pond Aquazorb will remove ammonia from pond water, and can be recharged. If you do record an ammonia level in your pond, then it is important to check other vital water quality parameters, especially Oxygen, pH and Nitrite.

How do I do the test?

Ensure the test tube is clean. Take a 5 ml sample of pond water into the test tube, preferably using a hygienic Easydip Water Sampler. Add 5 drops of the reagent Ammonia 1 and 5 drops of Ammonia 2. Then using the scoop provided add one flat measure of the Ammonia 3 powder. Replace the test tube cap and mix. Wait 10 minutes, then compare the colour of the sample to the colour scale provided. Zero ammonia is represented by a yellow colour. Any hint of green in the sample indicates the presence of ammonia in the pond.