Aging water

[Sheepsnana]

I have heard that many people in the Tauranga area don't bother with de-chlorinator, and that many people let the water "sit" before adding it to the tank, as this helps the chlorine evaporate.

I have recently filled yet another tank, and added a heater (set to 28ºC). How long would you let it sit before you use it for a water change?

[Godly3vil]

Chlorine will disappear within 24 hours if you have an airstone in there, chloramine takes up to a week I think.

[Sheepsnana]

I have always used Nutrifin Plus or Aqua One water conditioner with every water change. How much damage can chloramine do?

[Godly3vil]

Chloramine is way more toxic to fish than chlorine. I was just reading up on it and it says it won't disappear naturally no matter what you do, only way to remove it is to use a water conditioner. Easiest way to know if your water contains chloramine is to test your tap water for ammonia and if it contains some more than likely your water treatment plant uses it instead of chlorine. Or you could just ring them, by law they have to tell you what your tap water contains.

[livingart]

i just stick the hose in tank

[camtang]

i just stick the hose in tank

+1

Much easyer that way

[Sheepsnana]

Or you could just ring them, by law they have to tell you what your tap water contains.

I have called them, and they have confirmed that they use chlorine. According to the TCC, all I needed to know was that is was within the acceptable and legal levels.

[Sheepsnana]

i just stick the hose in tank

With a 30% change, wouldn't that cause a dangerous temp change?

[camtang]

i do a 50% per week straight out with one hose straight in with another I dont think I dont recall ever having an issue

[Godly3vil]

The plants will appreciate the cold water change anyway, I do the same except 40pct a week and it drops the temp about 6c but only takes about an hour to heat back up. I do want to purchase one of these - http://www.trademe.co.nz/pets-animals/f ... 821932.htm before I get discus so I can use the mixer on my tap to set the temp right.

[livingart]

i just empty required amount then do a slow fill with hose

[Sheepsnana]

So i've been wasting time getting the water in the bucket to the same temp as the tank!?!? :an!gry :facepalm:

[alanmin4304]

Copied from a previous post & edited:

When you add chlorine to water you get hypochlorous acid which reacts with nitrogen compounds like ammonia,urea and the amines (in all proteins) and forms monochloramine. When you add more chlorine you get dichloramine and even more you get trichloramine. All these (and other reactions) form part of the "chlorine demand" in the water. You cannot get free available chlorine until this "chlorine demand" is satisfied. Therefore when the reaction is pushed towards trichloramine there will be virtually no monochloramine present. In some states in the US they treat the water with monochloramine (made by reacting chlorine with ammonia) because chlorine will react with other impurities in the water and form some compounds that are not so nice (such as acetone) where as monochloramine will not. Monochloramine is not as effective in treating water as chlorine which is used in NZ but is still a strong oxidising agent.

When people complain that the chlorine in a swimming pool is too strong and it is burning their eyes the problem usually is that the free available chlorine has been used up by contaminants in the water (such as urea) and this has pushed the chloramines back towards the monochloramine and this is what is burning their eyes. The problem is fixed by adding more chlorine.

When you allow water to stand or aerate it to get rid of the chlorine the chloramines all move back to monochloramine and this will react with your fish the same as an under chlorinated swimming pool will with your eyes.

Chlorine and all chloramines can be converted to more harmless chemicals with the addition of sodium thiosulphate which is the active ingredient you are buying from the petshop with dechlorinating products.

Drinking water will contain various impurites that add to the chlorine demand and will form chloramines and other compounds. Ammonia is a bi product of the reaction when adding thiosulphate to chlorinated water. Chlorine only is used to sanitize water supplies in NZ and when you add chlorine you will always get chloramines unless you use distilled water.

[F15hguy]

i'll stick to using the water conditioner,

a: because its cheap not the place to save your money

b: why risk it, they increase the chlorine levels after rainfalls better safe than sorry

[GrahamC]

Some people apparently remove the chloramines formed by adding a couple of teaspoons of worm castings to the water ( in a bag ). The ammonia and chlorine dissociate, and then will gas off over time.

You can always try taking a sample of your aged water to a local pond supplies shop to test for chloramines. Or just purchase a chlorine/chloramine testing kit.

[alanmin4304]

Wouldn't thiosulphate be easier?

[GrahamC]

If you don't mind the ammonia released.

I leave a lot of buckets of tap water outside for a week and all sorts of organic material gets blown into them. Hoping that is sufficient to neutralize any chlorine and its metabolites. Never seen fish gasping at the surface from methaemoglobinaemia.

[Li@m]

So i've been wasting time getting the water in the bucket to the same temp as the tank!?!? :an!gry :facepalm:

:sml1: :sml1: :sml1:

[GrahamC]

You'd be better on using a bubbler than a heater.

I note that my fish huddle beside the heater after a large water change so I prefer to add a little boiled water to the aged water if it's really cold .. as in over winter time.

[Sheepsnana]

I decided "screw it" and just added dechlorinator.