Ahhh 100% Water Change And No Dechlorinator!

[BecciMac1987]

Just did a 100% water change on my tank while changing the gravel to sand. Water temp is 26, filters stayed in a bowl of tank water, obv new water is cloudy cuz of the sand but it should settle in a few days I believe?
Anyway, got round to adding new water and realised I have run out of 'Tapsafe'. Ive had to just fill it, float the fish and hope for the best when they are released. Is there any benefit to adding some tomorrow afternoon when I can get some? How likely am I to lose the fish?

 

[minxfishy]

I did something similar the other week, new tank, mature filter forgot to dechlorinate.

The longer you can leave the water sitting the more chlorine should gas off (although not chloramines), so hopefully in a few hours you should safe to re-add the fish and filter. How mature is the filter? Providing its pretty mature you should get away with it - may kill off some bacteria but not enough to cause a massive cycle problem.

I know alot of people dont dechlor apparently and never had a problem. Also yep add some when you can, by the looks of things you have a few tanks, you could always trf some media from them after you have added the dechlor to help .

 

[WILDER]

Shouldn't do hundred per cent water changes it stresses the fish out.
What are you latest water stats.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

providing they are approached carefully there's nothing wrong with 100% changes, i've done them several times when changing substrates and such like and never had a problem.

the fish won't care if you used dechlor or not, it's only the filter bacteria that it affects, so you can float the fish and get them back in the tank and not switch the filter on if you like.

do you know if your water company uses chlorine or chloramine? if it's just chlorine then it will have gassed off by tomorrow so no point adding dechlor, if it's chloramine then do add dechlor tomorrow as this doesn't gas off.

 

[Hawkins]

Miss Wiggle, im not an expert but i heard someone say they forgot to add dechlor to their betta tank when doing a water change, and it went paler and paler until it was white and died.

 

[WILDER]

[URL="http/www.flippersandfins.net/pop-eye.htm"]http/www.flippersandfins.net/pop-eye.htm[/URL]

Taken from the link.
Gas Bubble Disease is a result of supersaturation (excess levels) of the water with the gas, nitrogen. Supersaturation occurs whenever the pressure of a gas in the water is higher than the pressure of the same gas in the surrounding atmosphere. When there is this difference between gas pressures, the gas gets pulled too quickly out of the bloodstream, leaving gas bubbles behind. This is what happens to SCUBA divers who ascend too quickly and create a big difference in gas pressures, which leads to the diver getting gas bubble formation or the “bends”. In fish, gas bubbles can accumulate behind the eye, making it bulge outward.

Water in a newly filled tank will be supersaturated with gases and you will see the gas bubbles covering the inside of the tank. The more that the water is agitated as you are pouring it in for the first time, the less supersaturation you will have. Agitation of water releases gas from it. Normal aeration will speed up the time that it takes for this excess gas to leave the water. When the bubbles on the tank disappear, then it is safe to put your fish into the new water.