Oh Bug**r!

[Helen G]

Just gone to lfs to pick up some more dechlorinator and noticed I picked up the wrong one.

It claims to remove ammonia in tap water. But if this is true, and someone is using it whilst using the fish in cycle, then won't it inhibit the growth of bacteria, as you would be removing their source of food?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

no, what they usually say is that they remove 'excess ammonia'. what this refers to is to do with chloramine.

water companies often treat water with both chlorine and chloramine. chloramine is a mix of chlorine and ammonia. when the dechlor gets rid of the chlorine it breaks the chloramie bond and leaves a small amount of ammonia behind, so most dechlor's will also get rid of this ammonia by converting it to ammonium which is less harmful to fish but can still be used by the filter bacteria. But they only contain enough of whatever converts the ammonia to deal with the small amount created by this profcess, it's not enough to wipe out 5ppm of ammonia like in fishless cycling.

practically we're talking small amounts of all these chemicals and it shouldn't affect a cycle at all or a mature tank for that matter

 

[Helen G]

Ah gotcha!

Thanks!