The Uses Of Water Conditioner

[s007]

Here is the article ive read about Water change (was bored)

The Uses of Water Conditioner
Many aquarist use too much water conditioner. We see four cases where conditioner can be beneficial.

For Fish Bowls we recommend using bottled drinking water not bottled de-ionized water. After the bottle of drinking water is empty, refill it with tap water leaving 2" of air at the top, add a few drops of water conditioner, give the bottle a good shake, and let it sit for three days before adding it to your fish bowl. This method makes safe water for your fish bowl that costs less than bottled drinking water, and it is more convenient to use this method, than it is to bring home bottles of drinking water.

Elsewhere in this web site we recommend changing 20% of the water in your aquariums and ponds twice each week. If you change 20% or less, you don't need to add water conditioner, but it's risky to change more than 20% even if you add conditioner. Only a worrywart needs to add conditioner when changing 20% or less of the water in your aquarium or pond. Click here for more information about Changing Water.

How come is that true? Ive always added WC even when i change 2% due to evaporation of water.

Article taken from aquariumfish.net

 

[Truck]

when i do 10%-15% i dont bother with dechlor, it has no detrimental affect on fish or bacteria

 

[saz326]

The only reason that I add water conditioner to water changes less than 20% is that I may have heavy metals in my water supply. Old pipework and hard water in my area.

Remember de-chlors dont just dechlorinate. Some have additives like aloe vera to help keep fish slime coat happy, and some have bonding agents in them for metal ions and heavy salts.

 

[Inchworm]

Elsewhere in this web site we recommend changing 20% of the water in your aquariums and ponds twice each week. If you change 20% or less, you don't need to add water conditioner, but it's risky to change more than 20% even if you add conditioner.

After reading that part of the article, I would wonder about the the truth of anything they said. It's not risky to change more than 20% of your tank water at a time. Big water changes are a good thing.

 

[DJ ArKaDaRkA]

If ive done a 20% and over added declor and need to do another waterchange later on will the overdose of declor still be present in the tank? is there still a need to add more declor an hour of so later im using pond declor so im always adding more than i need

 

[nosoup4you]

Yeah, I'm with Inch. I never change less than 50%...

 

[Loony Fish]

I have well water so i never need to... the waters' the right ph kh gh ammonia everything!

 

[fatheadminnow]

I have well water so i never need to... the waters' the right ph kh gh ammonia everything!

I have well water as well.

When I started out with fish, I never used a dechlor, just because I never knew anything about it.

But after I found out about dechlor, I know use it all the time. I am know I probably dont have to do it when I do my weekly 15% water change, but to be truthful, I am actually scared not to use it.

It took me a long time for my tank to cycle, and I dont want to do anything to jeopardize my tank and/or its inhabitants.

Someone please tell me that it is okay not to use dechlor when doing small water changes...lol.

-FHM

 

[drobbyb]

Mis-Information rears it's ugly head again. Large waterchanges are vital to some species health and well being.

 

[petertr]

It costs so so little - why would anyone not use it?

 

[Truck]

and just because you water stats are correct it doesnt mean that you shouldnt do one! trace minerals need replacing!

i do 50% and i over dose dechlorinator anyway.

 

[fatheadminnow]

Yeah, when ever I do a WC I always use dechlor! Like mentioned above it is cheap.

Plus with stress coat plus, it has other additives that are good for the fish. And since we aquariums that are confined to what we add to them, we need to take every opportunity to do so; add trace minerals like truck said. Its not like a huge river or lake we have in our aquariums where in nature the trace minerals are present all the time, no water change needed in a river or lake....lol. (besides evaporation and what not) but you get my point.

-FHM

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

Elsewhere in this web site we recommend changing 20% of the water in your aquariums and ponds twice each week. If you change 20% or less, you don't need to add water conditioner, but it's risky to change more than 20% even if you add conditioner.

After reading that part of the article, I would wonder about the the truth of anything they said. It's not risky to change more than 20% of your tank water at a time. Big water changes are a good thing.

Totally agree. Discus keepers will do 100% water changes at a time.

I would be worried though if this wasn't de-chlorinated and a different temperature though

 

[Tolak]

I wouldn't pay too much attention to what that site has to say. If doing larger than 20% water changes were dangerous I would kill all my fish every week.

Here's a topic about not using water conditioner; http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=161413

Dechlorinator works almost instantly. There is no reason for it to sit, and actually water with no disinfectants is a nice place for bacteria to grow that you don't want in your aquarium.

 

[keenonfish]

The question I have about dechlor is if you put it in the tank prior to filling does it remain inactive until it sees some chlorine or will it lose effectiveness by the time you have refilled?