Ammonia will show sith most test kits whether it is bound or not, but
chlorine, once treated, will not show, since it becomes ionized, as in salt.
That is where the test kits referred to work. I thought the same thing you
were when I first read the post.
--
RichToyBox
http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html

"Newbie Bill" wrote in message
om...
I thought I had heard that some test kits will still show ammonia even if
it is bound and 'safe'?
Bill

"Richard Holub" wrote in message
...
1. Can I use cat litter as a amonia absorber?
2. If I put ZEOLITE into my tank and it absorbes the amonia, does that
mean that there won't be any amonia to break down into nitrite/nitrate?
Does that mean that I am not creating bacteria in the filter?
3. Can I put ZEOLITE as bottom gravel in my 160 gal. pond?

Now for my problem question???

1.) I have 4 koi that grew in four months from 4" to 8" in my 55 gal.
fish tank. Water quality was good (Amonia-0, Nitrite-0, Nitrate-40).
The last 5 or 6 times I cleaned the filter every other day because the
water return (circulation) was being blocked by sediment. Apparently the
water quality was being maintained by the bacteria in the bottom gravel
since there was no filter circulation (fish survived due to good
aeration).

First question: Does the gravel bacteria theory make sence?????

I built a 160 gal miny-pond down in the cellar. I also designed and
built a drip filter (BIOBALLS media) which by theory is large enough to
keep the pond clean. I moved my 4 KOI (now 8") from my 55 gal. fish tank
to the cellar pond. Many of the BIOBALLS were taken from the previous 55
gal. filter. I know that there probably is not enough media to take care
of the fish load but I was hoping that it would slowly balance out.
Amonia going up to 1, Nitrite-0, Nitrate-2-5 ppm). Did three 85% water
changes in three days but amonia levels are still up.

Next question: Can I use some of the gravel from the 55 gal. tank as
bottom gravel for the 160 gal. pond to help in controlling amonia?

Will ZEOLITE gravel work?

Now for the final question: If the water amonia reading is 1.0 and I
change 85% of the pond water then wht does the next water test show the
amonia still high. I would think that changing 85% of the water should
reduce the amonia level by at least that amount. Next day water change
same situation, and the next.

By the way...fish as at bottom of pond but still alive...

Rich