Ammonia Control in Aquarium

I have ammo-chips ammonia remover. The chips are supposed to be rechargable by soaking them in an aquarium salt solution. Couldn't I use plain table salt in solution instead?

thanks much

I have ammo-chips ammonia remover. The chips are supposed to be rechargable by soaking them in an aquarium salt solution. Couldn't I use plain table salt in solution instead?

thanks much

I've never actually used ammo chips or any other ammonia remover, but have looked into them before.
I'm sure table salt would recharge them the same as the aquarium salt. If you're looking to save money though, I would think a water softener salt would give you the most salt per dollar.
Any additives from water softener salt or iodine from table salt would probably be rinsed away with the salt before you put the chips back in the aquarium so either should be fine to use. If anyone has experience to the contrary however, please correct me. If that is a concern, you could get non-iodized table salt or water softener salt without additives.
If you look at the recharging directions they give at this link: http://www.aquariumg.../ammochips.html you might notice an Aquarium Pharmaceuticals theme. I think they're just plugging their other products when they say to use aquarium salt.

I've never actually used ammo chips or any other ammonia remover, but have looked into them before.
I'm sure table salt would recharge them the same as the aquarium salt. If you're looking to save money though, I would think a water softener salt would give you the most salt per dollar.
Any additives from water softener salt or iodine from table salt would probably be rinsed away with the salt before you put the chips back in the aquarium so either should be fine to use. If anyone has experience to the contrary however, please correct me. If that is a concern, you could get non-iodized table salt or water softener salt without additives.
If you look at the recharging directions they give at this link: http://www.aquariumg.../ammochips.html you might notice an Aquarium Pharmaceuticals theme. I think they're just plugging their other products when they say to use aquarium salt.

Yeah, I'm sure their ammonia recharging salt is no different than somebody else's salt. I assume we are talking about sodium chloride salt, but just want to make sure. Thanks for your thoughts.

I've never seen the point of ammo chips. If you have your biofiltration cycle established and perform regular water changes, you shouldn't need anything additional to take nitrogenous waste out of the water.

I've never seen the point of ammo chips. If you have your biofiltration cycle established and perform regular water changes, you shouldn't need anything additional to take nitrogenous waste out of the water.

It seems to keep the water from fouling as easily.

But like Nathan was getting at...the water shouldn't foul if the filtration is doing it's thing. I've never used an ammonium reducing/controlling product in my life. I've had plenty of large to small tanks that I didn't do as many water changes as I should have or didn't keep the filters up but never neglecting both of those at the same time.

But like Nathan was getting at...the water shouldn't foul if the filtration is doing it's thing. I've never used an ammonium reducing/controlling product in my life. I've had plenty of large to small tanks that I didn't do as many water changes as I should have or didn't keep the filters up but never neglecting both of those at the same time.

I'm wondering if sodium chloride solution will recharge the ammo chips.

It is my understanding that charcoal is primarily for removing unwanted chemicals from tap water. The filters usually have some ammonia removing chips in them along with the charcoal. I like to recycle wherever this is possible. I can't recycle charcoal but I can recycle ammo chips.

When I use the ammo chips, the tank water seems to last longer before it fouls.

When I use the ammo chips, the tank water seems to last longer before it fouls.

The point the other guys are making is that your water should never get to "foul". Normal filtration and bare minimum water changes should prevent any foul water, forever, as long as minimum husbandry is kept up. Smelly water is a huge warning sign filtration ain't keepin up.
The [easily obtained] goal is zero ammonia. With zero ammonia, ammo chips are obsolete. Get your filtration issues sorted out and never buy another bottle of ammo chips. No more need to recycle, money in your pocket, fish do better.

They can be useful when starting up an aquarium, before the filter is fully cycled. Once the filter is cycled, however, as others have said, you shouldn't need them anymore.

Unless this is your very first tank, may I suggest the following. When you start a new tank, buy the filter first. Install it as a second filter on an existing tank, at least a month or two before you buy the new tank, and let it become cycled. Then, when you buy and set up the new tank, you already have a fully cycled filter. You won't ever need to worry about ammo chips.

They can be useful when starting up an aquarium, before the filter is fully cycled. Once the filter is cycled, however, as others have said, you shouldn't need them anymore.

Unless this is your very first tank, may I suggest the following. When you start a new tank, buy the filter first. Install it as a second filter on an existing tank, at least a month or two before you buy the new tank, and let it become cycled. Then, when you buy and set up the new tank, you already have a fully cycled filter. You won't ever need to worry about ammo chips.

No this is not my first tank. I have about 10 years of experience keeping aquariums.

Tap water has ammonia in it. At our production plant we have boilers that are full of ammonia from the tap water. I think it is a good idea to neutralize ammonia. It is produced from urine.

Could someone please tell me if sodium chloride solution will recharge ammonia chips? thank you

I believe what you are refering to is zeolite. Here are some recharging instructions I found via Google.
Recharging Zeolite Ammonia Remover: Zeolite Ammonia Remover can be easily recharged in a warm salt solution. Dissolve 80 g (4 tablespoonfuls) of non-iodized salt in 240 ml (8 ounces) of warm tap water (approximately 48°C/120°F), soak the pouch for at least 2 hours and rinse lightly in tap water before re-use. Zeolite Ammonia Remover will gradually become fouled with organic matter, and therefore should be replaced when performance declines.

I found plenty of recharging instructions by searching Google using "zeolite recharge"

I do agree with the comments above about water going "foul" though, It sounds like something is out of balance. If you are treating the tap water with a product like SeaChem's Prime the ammonia from the tap would be made safe.

Edited by dafrimpster, 30 June 2008 - 03:46 PM.

Tap water has ammonia in it. At our production plant we have boilers that are full of ammonia from the tap water. I think it is a good idea to neutralize ammonia. It is produced from urine.

Could someone please tell me if sodium chloride solution will recharge ammonia chips? thank you

Looks to me like smilingfrog took a shot at answering you. I think the point here is that most of us NANFA folk tend to trust biology far more than chemistry to keep our tanks in check, so don't have a lot of experience with chemical solutions. Chances are you'd get more informed responses from people in a tropical forum (but very good of dafrimpster to hit Google on your behalf).

I don't think people are trying to be unhelpful, just don't have experience with the product you're asking about.

Edited by jase, 30 June 2008 - 04:39 PM.

Chances are you'd get more informed responses from people in a tropical forum

Better yet, a saltwater forum! Those guys love chemicals and stuff.

I'm wondering if sodium chloride solution will recharge the ammo chips.

I am 99% certain that it will recharge your ammo chips. Aquarium salt is still mostly sodium chloride. If you want to bump that up to the full 100% certainty though, you could do the following as a quick test. Next time your ammo chips need to be changed out, save some of the chips and get a small jar of aquarium water that tests positive for ammonia, take the ammo chips and try to recharge them with table salt. Then see if they remove the ammonia from the jar of water.
Let us know if it works.

I believe what you are refering to is zeolite. Here are some recharging instructions I found via Google.
Recharging Zeolite Ammonia Remover: Zeolite Ammonia Remover can be easily recharged in a warm salt solution. Dissolve 80 g (4 tablespoonfuls) of non-iodized salt in 240 ml (8 ounces) of warm tap water (approximately 48°C/120°F), soak the pouch for at least 2 hours and rinse lightly in tap water before re-use. Zeolite Ammonia Remover will gradually become fouled with organic matter, and therefore should be replaced when performance declines.

I found plenty of recharging instructions by searching Google using "zeolite recharge"

I do agree with the comments above about water going "foul" though, It sounds like something is out of balance. If you are treating the tap water with a product like SeaChem's Prime the ammonia from the tap would be made safe.

Thanks for the info. Non-Iodized table salt should do the trick. I want to thank everyone else for trying to help. I'm not a biologist. Maybe I'm overkilling the ammonia issue.

Maybe I'm overkilling the ammonia issue.

I think you might be. If your tank has been set up for any length of time, and nothing has gone seriously wrong with it (in the very recent past), then you really shouldn't have any ammonia in there anyway. In an established tank, ammonia is pretty quickly converted to nitrite and then nitrate by beneficial bacteria in the system. Unless something is very wrong, a test kit on an established tanks would show 0 ammonia.

When you say "foul", what exactly do you mean? If you can tell us what you're hoping to avoid, perhaps someone can help better. I really don't think ammonia is causing the problem unless the tank is severely unbalanced.

Better yet, a saltwater forum! Those guys love chemicals and stuff.

We saltwater types don't use zeolite chips. They would be useless in a marine aquarium because the salt would, as advertised, keep extracting the ammonia from them continuously.

I rest my case.

I think you might be. If your tank has been set up for any length of time, and nothing has gone seriously wrong with it (in the very recent past), then you really shouldn't have any ammonia in there anyway. In an established tank, ammonia is pretty quickly converted to nitrite and then nitrate by beneficial bacteria in the system. Unless something is very wrong, a test kit on an established tanks would show 0 ammonia.

When you say "foul", what exactly do you mean? If you can tell us what you're hoping to avoid, perhaps someone can help better. I really don't think ammonia is causing the problem unless the tank is severely unbalanced.

When I say "foul" I mean the water smells like it needs a change. Usually the fish show some signs of discomfort like scraping their scales on rocks and other objects.