Water

[Nix]

How do you de-chlorinze water? We just got hooked up to city water after our old well snapped when the well guy was lookin at it.

I have no idea how to do it so please use some detail
~THANKS~

 

[tpl7370]

Your lfs will have drops or powders that you can add to your water. Both chlorine and chloramine will evaporate in about 24hrs.

Philip

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Nix

You can get a product called Wardley Chlor Out in both the UK and the USA. It removes both chlorine and chloramine from the water. Some places use one and some places use the other. It's inexpensive. A small bottle that will treat 195 gallons (US) costs $1. The instructions are on the bottle and vary according to whether you are using US or UK gallons.

There are other products on the market, but this works well for me.

To use any chlorine remover, add the required amount to the water BEFORE putting it into the aquarium since chlorine or chloramine will kill your bacteria.

Another important thing to remember is to rinse out your filters in the water you remove from the tank and not under the tap. This is, again, to preserve your bacteria.

 

[White Whale]

I use AmQuel+Plus to dechlorinize my water because it also removes nitrites and nitrates - turns them into harmless form. Just follow the directions on the bottle.

 

[thecichlidaddict]

chloramine wll evaporate in 24 hours

This is dangerous advice, chloromine can take a week or longer to dissipate, it's very stable. And the ammonia will stick around. Always use a dechlorominator, never try to 'let the water sit' when it comes to chloromine.

If your water contains chloromine, make sure you buy a dechlorinator that is specifically meant for it, not just a normal chlorine remover. These products not only neutralize the chloromine, but the ammonia that it is bound to as well.

use AmQuel+Plus to dechlorinize my water because it also removes nitrites and nitrates - turns them into harmless form

Products like that make me nervous, by having your nitrites altered by chemicals the natural biological filter of the tank is being interrupted (starved of nitrites). Besides, if you have nitrites in your tank that need to be neutrilized in the first place there is something wrong.

 

[Fly258]

Try this, it works for me
http/aquariumpharm.com/aqwater.html

 

[Nix]

hm.. I feel like im getting mixed replies although thecichlidaddict seems to be more on the safe side so i guess i'll see if i can go get some stuff to remove chlorine and chloramine, and hopefully not mess with anything else

 

[tpl7370]

I personaly use Wardley WATERCARE CHLOR OUT. You add five drops per gallon of water (before you add the water to your tank) and the 4 fl.oz. bottle treats 679 US gallons of water. It does not adjust Ph, amonia, nitrIte, or nitrAtes.

I only stated that chlorine and chloramine natraly evaporate because it is an option and some people use it. I personaly don't and like thecichlidaddict said it is more risky.

Chloramine is more stable than chlorine, but if you want to speed up the process of them evaporating let air bubble the water.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Nix

Actually, removing chlorine and chloramine is a very simple thing. While everyone has their favorite, they probably all work. (But, Itty Bitty Betta keeps bettas which are treated slightly different than cycled tanks.) I've never heard of anyone complaining that a product did not. Once you get in the habit of treating your water, it will just be another routine thing to do.

The main reason that I stick to Wardley's Chlor Out is because it is used by adding "drops per gallon" rather than a certain amount per 5 gallons or so. I do a lot of water changes and I appreciate the flexibility this gives. (Also because I use a 2 gallon pot to move water from the kitchen to the living room.)

 

[Distrait]

do you have to treat the water if you're only doing 20-25% water changes weekly or biweekly?

the guy at my lfs said they just use tap water for their changes.

 

[Sye]

I use declorinator(my LFS's own make) but still leave the water 48 hours in the hope that any potential parasites will die off in that time.

 

[Inchworm]

do you have to treat the water if you're only doing 20-25% water changes weekly or biweekly?

the guy at my lfs said they just use tap water for their changes.

Hi Distrait

If you use well water you do not need to add dechlorinator. But, if you use water from any municipal water source where chlorine or chloramines are added to kill bacteria you should use a product to remove it. It's a very easy thing to do and is inexpensive.

Since you are going to a great deal of trouble to cultivate beneficial bacteria in your tank, why take the risk of killing it by not taking this simple precaution?


______
By the way, it is a good idea to clean your tank by siphoning from the bottom AT LEAST once a week if you have more than just a few fish.

 

[Inchworm]

I use dechlorinator(my LFS's own make) but still leave the water 48 hours in the hope that any potential parasites will die off in that time.

Hi Sye

If you live where chlorine or chloramine is added to the water, you are doing the right thing by using a dechlorinator. But also, since these chemicals are added to the water to make it safe for human consumption, I don't think you have to worry about potential parasites in it. As long as you can drink it right out of the tap, it will be free of parasites that could hurt your fish.

 

[White Whale]

use AmQuel+Plus to dechlorinize my water because it also removes nitrites and nitrates - turns them into harmless form

Products like that make me nervous, by having your nitrites altered by chemicals the natural biological filter of the tank is being interrupted (starved of nitrites). Besides, if you have nitrites in your tank that need to be neutrilized in the first place there is something wrong.

I use AmQuel for my 'naked' ) (ungraveled) tanks. I use StressZyme for the tanks that have substrate.

 

[wuvmybetta]

I use Prime for all of my tanks, I love it