How to Reduce or Absorb Ammonia

Ammonia in an aquarium is a byproduct of waste expelled by organisms or through the breakdown and decay of uneaten food and organic material. Ammonia is toxic to creatures in the aquarium and must be controlled through the establishment of a complete nitrogen cycle, chemical detoxification, the use of ammonia-absorbing resins or through periodic water exchanges.

Things You'll Need

  • Aquarium water test kit
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Instructions

    • 1

      Monitor the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels in the tank. Use an aquarium water test kit to measure the levels until ammonia and nitrite levels spike then reach zero. For established aquariums, ammonia levels should not read above zero. Ammonia is broken down into nitrite by beneficial bacteria. Nitrite is broken down into nitrate, which should be removed by water changes.

    • 2

      Add ammonia-locking aquarium chemicals to the water. These bind the ammonia into a non-toxic state. Locked ammonia will be broken down into nitrite and nitrate. Ammonia-locking chemicals do not disrupt the nitrogen process.

    • 3

      Use ammonia-absorbing resins in the filtration of the aquarium water. Naturally formed zeolite absorbs ammonia from freshwater before it is consumed by the nitrogen cycle. Other natural and synthetic resins are manufactured to absorb ammonia, nitrite and nitrate from the aquarium water. Follow manufacturer instructions for your specific application.

    • 4

      Treat the water to remove chlorine and chloramines. Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate saturate the water in the aquarium. Remove a specific percentage of water to remove a proportional amount of ammonia. For example, replacing 30 percent of the water with clean water will reduce the ammonia concentration by 30 percent.

    • 5

      Treat the cause of the ammonia build-up. New tanks should be carefully monitored and treated until the bacteria is sufficiently grown to complete the nitrogen cycle. Remove debris, decaying material and dead animals from established aquariums to reduce the amount of ammonia produced.