# Ammonia Ammonia Ammonia



## jayarc89 (Mar 11, 2013)

today i spent the whole afternoon looking for the right ammonia as described in the fishless cycle article. i've been to wal-mart, lowes, homedepot, target, cvs, Rid-aid, couple of grocery stores, and dollar tree. NOTHING. i found some with no ingredient label. Here are couple of photos.
























they all labeled "pure ammonia" with no ingredient on label. But the fishless cycle article i read said there is no such thing as pure ammonia, and i should look for clear ammonia instead. 
i live in CA, around LA. Anyone on this forum who has bought clear ammonia around LA please let me know where u got it from.


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## iridextr (Feb 8, 2013)

I've never heard of this... why not just let the tank run on it's own for a little while or put old filters/cartridges into a new setup? Personally, this seems really sketchy to me and I'd rather just wait a week than put stuff like this in my tank.. that's just me though, I have no idea what chemistry goes behind this trick since I've never heard of it.


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## jayarc89 (Mar 11, 2013)

iridextr said:


> I've never heard of this... why not just let the tank run on it's own for a little while or put old filters/cartridges into a new setup? Personally, this seems really sketchy to me and I'd rather just wait a week than put stuff like this in my tank.. that's just me though, I have no idea what chemistry goes behind this trick since I've never heard of it.


if you click here, u will know what im talking about http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/fishless_cycle.php


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

iridextr said:


> I've never heard of this... why not just let the tank run on it's own for a little while or put old filters/cartridges into a new setup? Personally, this seems really sketchy to me and I'd rather just wait a week than put stuff like this in my tank.. that's just me though, I have no idea what chemistry goes behind this trick since I've never heard of it.


It really is the best way to cycle a tank from scratch.

I think it was Ace hardware that sells the stuff that is 100% ammonia.


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

jayarc89 said:


> they all labeled "pure ammonia" with no ingredient on label.


The point is that you are looking for ammonia without detergent added. The bottles in your 2nd and 3rd image are specifically labeled as such. They contain exactly what you need for a fishless cycle.

Very often the label on the bottle is more like that in your first image, and it's hard to tell whether or not there is detergent present. In this case a look at the list of ingredients can be helpful, because it might list detergent, surfactant (another term for detergent), or the name on an individual detergent. If that's the case, you know it's the stuff to avoid.



jayarc89 said:


> But the fishless cycle article i read said there is no such thing as pure ammonia.


Technically pure ammonia is a gas and looks something like this when you buy it:










Don't worry, nobody in their right mind would buy this for aquarium purposes. That little gas cylinder would most likely be used in a chemistry research lab.

Strictly speaking any regular bottle containing a liquid with a label 'pure ammonia' does not contain pure ammonia, but a solution of ammonia in water. In fact, ammonia dissolves in water in form of ammonium hydroxide, which is another label I have occasionally seen ammonia sold under.

Be that as it may, definitely the bottles in your 2nd and 3rd image contain what you need!


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## CrypticLifeStyle (Dec 14, 2009)

Shake the bottles too. If it gets foamy like soap up top there's detergent in it.


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## jayarc89 (Mar 11, 2013)

thank you fmueller u pretty much answered all my questions.



CrypticLifeStyle said:


> Shake the bottles too. If it gets foamy like soap up top there's detergent in it.


thank you for the tip


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## jayarc89 (Mar 11, 2013)

13razorbackfan said:


> I think it was Ace hardware that sells the stuff that is 100% ammonia.


i will check that out tmr thank you. or used the ones that i already found


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## BaldyBob (Oct 10, 2012)

jayarc89 said:


> 13razorbackfan said:
> 
> 
> > I think it was Ace hardware that sells the stuff that is 100% ammonia.
> ...


Ace hardware has ammonia labeled "janitorial strength formula" that I have used to cycle 2 tanks with no problems whatsoever.


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## austings (May 12, 2012)

As already mentioned, the 2nd and 3rd bottle will work. No need to buy more.


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## Sirian (Feb 16, 2013)

Can someone explain why this the best way to cycle a tank? I found that buying bacteria like Bio-Spira is the best way. It will have your tank cycled in 3-4 days and is worth every penny.


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

Even when using an additive like Bio-Spira, the bacteria still need a food source (ammonia). Your method and the fishless cycling method are essentially the same, when performed correctly, the main difference being that the bacteria are being added instead of forming on their own.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/f ... _cycle.php


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## fishing12 (Dec 15, 2012)

I just finished cycling my tank a couple of weeks ago and used a Bacteria in a bottle product. I used ammonia to feed the bacteria and to also make sure that the tank was cycled properly. I dosed from 2-3 PPM for about a week while using the bacteria product and it took about 7 days if I remember to be able to have Ammonia and Nitrite be reduced to 0PPM in a 24 hour period after dosing to 2-3PPM ammonia. If you are interested you can read my daily posting on cycling the tank it was Under the Tank Setup Forum, thread was 180 getting ready. Maybe it will help you? Good luck.


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## jayarc89 (Mar 11, 2013)

austings said:


> As already mentioned, the 2nd and 3rd bottle will work. No need to buy more.


i only took picture of them in the store. today i went to ace and bought the ammonia as it is way closer to my house.


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## Frank H (Mar 11, 2013)

So dissapointed! I guess frustrated is the correct word. Walmart, Target, Home Depot, a different Walmart, Smart & Final, Walgreens, CVS pharmacy, Vons, Albertsons, Dixieline... All these stores had Ammonia WITH surfactant. I guess Ill drive north 20 miles for the nearest Ace hardware and test my luck there.

I remember reading that the Great Value brand (Walmart brand) was pure ammonia/water. But the GV stuff at my local Walmart's have surfactant.

Heck, I cant even find the stuff on Ebay.


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## fishing12 (Dec 15, 2012)

Frank H said:


> So dissapointed! I guess frustrated is the correct word. Walmart, Target, Home Depot, a different Walmart, Smart & Final, Walgreens, CVS pharmacy, Vons, Albertsons, Dixieline... All these stores had Ammonia WITH surfactant. I guess Ill drive north 20 miles for the nearest Ace hardware and test my luck there.
> 
> I remember reading that the Great Value brand (Walmart brand) was pure ammonia/water. But the GV stuff at my local Walmart's have surfactant.
> 
> Heck, I cant even find the stuff on Ebay.


Wow sorry to hear that! I walked to my grocery store a couple blocks away and they had it. I Dont mean to rub it in but that's crazy. The way things are going for you I would call them first before I drove the 20 miles. Good luck!


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## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

Don't feel bad. I'm in port or.went last nite to Safeway, Fred Meyer, bimart , no one carried it without surfacants. Went to ace and there it is. Jugs and jugs of it


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## b3w4r3 (Dec 14, 2012)

The alternative is to get Dr. Tim's Ammonium Chloride. You can get it on amazon, and other places I'm sure. It comes in a 2oz bottle that's enough to cycle a 100 gallon tank at least. Not as affordable as the household stuff, but it's readily available, and you know it's the right stuff.


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## Yael (Nov 25, 2012)

my Giant grocery store carries clear ammonia in the cleaning section.


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## raydawg (Dec 25, 2012)

just get a bottle of bio-spira dump it in then add fish right after, already worked for 4 set ups for me. I use more then whats required i dump it on my filter cartridges also the stuff works great.


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

I don't think bio spira is produced any longer. I believe Tetra SafeStart is the same product.


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