Chlorine/Chloramine

[russrimm]

I'm not sure if our water source uses chlorine or chloramine, but....

How soon after filling a bucket of tap water and adding the drops of dechlorinator is it safe to pour the water into the tank? Does the dechlorinator work immediately or do you have to let it sit and stir it etc for awhile????????

 

[Cafe Jeff]

I am very keen to know myself.
As I understand it, as the Chloramine burns off it can release ammonia. I wiped out a whole tank this way. Jeff

 

[TankGirl]

I add my dechlorinator as I am filling my tanks, since I use a Python for most of them. So, I would have to assume it works immediately

 

[loganj]

It does work immediately. It will dissipate chlorine and, with most of the products, break the chloramine bond. Ammonia is left over after you break the chloramine bond. If you're filling a new tank, this is an issue. With water changes though, there isn't enough ammonia to cause a problem as the bio filter will take care of it quickly.