Treating water

[Capt.Gorilla]

Well, I know I should but after nearly 10 years of fish keeping I have my doubts.

I have never treated my tap water for chlorine, ever.
My fish seem fine, never had any problems with my goldies until the crash and my cories and snail seem to be fine with the way I handle my tank.
I am going to buy some treatment stuff on my next trip to the lfs but i'm just wondering if its nessesary.

 

[Bearfan]

Yes it is, and it's cheap.

 

[jsoong]

I've read that if you are doing less than 25% water change, then it is not necessary to treat the water for chlorine or chloramine. Certainly, a lot of the pond people don't treat the water & they seem to do fine.

However, in an aquarium, it doesn't cost much to treat the small (compared to a pond) amount of water I used, so I treat the water routinely.

 

[PK Tester]

I have also read...and been told by my biology teacher that if you let your water sit in an open container for atleast 24 hours...the cholorine and chloramine evaporate.

 

[madasafish]

I've read the same, and believe it, as dissolved chlorine is very volatile/off-gases easily.

I've always erred on the side of caution, and nowadays a chlorine-treating liquid is the only chemical I add to my tanks. I'd say use it. If you don't, your fish may not die, but they *really* don't like chlorine in their gills!!

 

[RogerMcAllen]

UV light reacts with chlorine causing it to be bound into other compounds. With a pond there is plenty of sunlight to remove the chlorine present in your water very quickly.

 

[jsoong]

I have also read...and been told by my biology teacher that if you let your water sit in an open container for atleast 24 hours...the cholorine and chloramine evaporate.

Although Chlorine will off-gas from water fairly quickly (24 hrs), chloramine will take a week (with exposure to light). That is why chloramine is used instead of chlorine, so it stays in the water & continue to do its job en route to your house.

What I've read is that low level of Chloramine is not harmful to fish, so for small water change, it is fine not to treat.

 

[jonstinton]

UV light reacts with chlorine causing it to be bound into other compounds. With a pond there is plenty of sunlight to remove the chlorine present in your water very quickly.

So are you saying Roger that a UV light is bad for the water quality as we have just bought a new tank ad it has a UV light in it and the guy in the LFS said it is a better light than a flouresent or normal bulb.

Does it mean i have to treat the water more often. We add Filter start when we change the filter and a dechlorinator when we do a water change.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Jon & Liz

 

[tkos]

No UV light makes the Chlorine bond to other substances and makes it inert I believe he is saying.

I add a dechlorinator as I don't knwo if they have started with the chloramine yet. I do not add one that "provieds help with the fish's slime coat with all natural herbal compounds." My fish have plenty of natural slime as it is with coating them in aloe vera.

 

[Fruitbat]

jonstinton....

I think you may be confused about what the guy at the lfs told you. I think you probably have a fluorescent bulb with that new tank...it may be one of the compact fluorescent units with an Actinic bulb (which gives off a bluish-colored light). I seriously doubt whether you have an ultraviolet light as the standard bulb in your lighting unit. If you do....run like hell back to your lfs and beat the salesperson over the head with it until he is unconscious!

 

[jonstinton]

LOL!!

Well it is a long tube light, like a flourescent, but, like you say, it gives off a bluish coloured light. I think you are right and I'm confused :s LOL.

Thanks guys!

J&L

 

[tabitha]

i ALWAYS treat my tank... if i actually had the resources to let the water sit for 24 hours i would do that AND treat it... just to be safe.. i just dont want my fish to be in ANY kind of pain especially if it is my fault.. i would feel so bad...

i know some people dont and if your fish are fine then thats great, i just feel its better to be safe than sorry