Water Dechlorinator Problems?

[ChuckV]

Today I posted in the Catfish forum about my problem with disappearing fins
and barbels from my Albino Corys.

I am wondering if an excess of dechlorinator, over time will eat away at
the barbles and fins on a bottom dweller such as an Albino Cory.

Most dechlorinators are some sulfite compound. Adding this to the aquarium
can become an acid like substance an remain at or near the bottom.

Again this is strictly a question. I do not know for sure but adding an extra drop or
two over time may be hazardous to certain species of fish.

Has anyone ever heard about or wondered the same thing?

 

[Tolak]

You would have to overdose an incredible amount for it to have this sort of effect. You would also need to have little to no circulation for it to even have the chance of settling near the bottom, meaning the low O2 level would affect your fish before any excess acid buildup would.

I doube dose with Prime all winter long, everything from hatching fry to adults, and have never had any sort of problem.

 

[ChuckV]

Thanks, I was just wondering. My problems with my corys has me wondering.

You would have to overdose an incredible amount for it to have this sort of effect. You would also need to have little to no circulation for it to even have the chance of settling near the bottom, meaning the low O2 level would affect your fish before any excess acid buildup would.

I doube dose with Prime all winter long, everything from hatching fry to adults, and have never had any sort of problem.

 

[Bignose]

What are the nitrate levels? Are you doing large weekly water changes? If you aren't new to the hobby forgive me, but since you just joined the forum today, is the tank cycled?

The level of organic material in the water is one of the primary culprits that leads to barbel erosion. The sharpness of the gravel doesn't really enter into it except that shaper substrates may open more wounds and expose the wounds to the higher levels of organics.

What will probably be best is to do large frequent water changes to help get fresh diluted levels of organics in your water.

But, like Tolak said, it is not the dechlorinator. It was a long time ago now, but in the past a forum member wrote to Tetra and asked how much it would take to "overdose" and the Tetra representative said that the declorinator is safe up to at least a 50 fold overdose. Basically, you could dump the entire bottle in the tank and everything would still be ok. Dechlorinator is probably one the absolutely safest chemicals in the hobby (to you and to your fish).