How long does it take for a water conditioner to work

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RainGamma

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Some people say wait 24 hours and others say just wait 10 - 15 minutes what are your guys opinions. I think I should be good to go I just put it like 3 hours ago and once I wake up I put bacteria in (obsly not 24 hours) but I don’t think it would take so long even ways
 
water conditioner to remove chlorine works almost immediately as long as water is circulated to spread the conditioner throughout the water.
 
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Reiterating Fishmanic. The dechlorinators break down/ neutralise chlorine as soon as they come in contact with the chlorine molecules. However, this can take some time if the water is stationary and not circulating.

The best way to dechlorinate water is to fill a bucket with water, add the appropriate amount of dechlorinating agent, and then aerate the mixture (water and dechlorinator) for at least 5 minutes (preferably 30 minutes). This gives the dechlorinator time to come into contact with all the chlorine molecules and the water should be safe to add to the aquarium.

Aerating for 30 minutes also allows the dissolved gasses in the water to stabilise and get back into equilibrium. When water is under pressure (like in water pipes), the dissolved gasses can be forced out. This can leave the new tap water lacking oxygen, carbon dioxide or nitrogen. Aerating the mixture allows the gasses to get back into the water in the correct amounts, making it safer for the fish.

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You mention putting bacteria in... What do you mean by that?
 
I concur with the 2 above. ^

It works immediately to remove chlorine from the water. :)
 
I’m curious too as to why you’re adding bacteria to your tank now.
 
Many hobbyists add the conditioner directly in the tank and refill with source water ... and it generally works fine. Now some only add an amount of conditioner relative to the amount of new source water. HOWEVER, most manufacturers of conditioners recommend that when adding directly to the tank, the amount should be relative to the entire tank volume. Some claim that the recommendations is to get us to use more conditioner. I think it's just as likely a conservative approach to better ensure that the chlorine/chloramine is neutralized.
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Perhaps the safest and most obvious way is to condition in buckets or bins using the exact amount of conditioner required for the water in the bucket or bin. Since conditioners do instantly neutralize chlorine/chloramine, a simple swirl mix is enough.
 

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