Is there a test that a hobbyist can purchase to test for chlorine or chloramine? I think my local water dept. may be able to provide this info but I want to make sure. I'm looking at discus and I need to figure out how I need to treat the water.
chlorine/chloramine test?
- Thread starter dax29
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Fishyfanatic
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yes there is a test for Chlorine, not sure on Chloramine. But I did see one on Saturday for Cholrine. They were the strips though. I couldn't find any on Big Al's, but I did see some at the lfs.
TomK2
Aquarium Advice Addict
Well, chlorine should not be too much of a worry. Just add dechlor or aerate the water and the chlorine goes away. Chloramine, however, remains as ammonia after dechlorination, and does not go away with aeration. Fortunately, there is an easy way to test for chloramine. Your liquid reagent test kit measures ammonia by the amount of chloramine it can be converted into. The first bottle of the test adds chlorine, so that any ammonia in it will be converted to chloramine, then the second bottle adds the indicators that turn color with chloramine. Thus, if you run an ammonia test on your tap water, any detected "ammonia" or color change is likely to be chloramine if it comes from a municipal water supply.
So yes, run an ammonia test on your tap water, if it turns color, you likely have chloramine. For more info on test kit chemistry, check out:
http://home.comcast.net/~tomstank/tomstank_files/page0018.htm
So yes, run an ammonia test on your tap water, if it turns color, you likely have chloramine. For more info on test kit chemistry, check out:
http://home.comcast.net/~tomstank/tomstank_files/page0018.htm
malkore
Aquarium Advice Addict
minor correction Tom,
Chloramine treated with a proper chlorine/chloramine remover (like Prime, among many others) leaves behind ammonium, not ammonia. Ammonium is a much safer form, less toxic, and doesn't destroy the fish's gills.
Chloramine treated with a proper chlorine/chloramine remover (like Prime, among many others) leaves behind ammonium, not ammonia. Ammonium is a much safer form, less toxic, and doesn't destroy the fish's gills.
BillD
Aquarium Advice Addict
If you want to test for chlorine, you can get a test kit from any pool place, very inexpensively. The kit will also test for pH in the 6.8 to 7.8 range. It is interesting to see the range of chlorine levels throughout the year, but not really all that important. It could be of help in determining how much water you can add while doing a water change, without dechlorinating.
TomK2
Aquarium Advice Addict
Malkore-
Isn't the amount of ammonium (NH4) dependent on the pH of the solution? IE:
NH3 + H20 = NH4 + 0H , where the more acidic the pH, the more NH4 ?
One would also need to take into account the type of dechlorinator. Thiosulfate would leave the NH3 free to equilibrate with NH4 and hydroxide, but amquel, ammolock, and bio-safe also have "aliphatic amines" or Methane-solfonate molecules that are supposed to "bind" the ammonia making it non-toxic, and therefore unable to participate in the reaction above. However, the NH3, in whatever form it is in, still needs to be dispatched by the biologic filter. So as far as nitrification is concerned, it is still an ammonia load on the biofilter.
Isn't the amount of ammonium (NH4) dependent on the pH of the solution? IE:
NH3 + H20 = NH4 + 0H , where the more acidic the pH, the more NH4 ?
One would also need to take into account the type of dechlorinator. Thiosulfate would leave the NH3 free to equilibrate with NH4 and hydroxide, but amquel, ammolock, and bio-safe also have "aliphatic amines" or Methane-solfonate molecules that are supposed to "bind" the ammonia making it non-toxic, and therefore unable to participate in the reaction above. However, the NH3, in whatever form it is in, still needs to be dispatched by the biologic filter. So as far as nitrification is concerned, it is still an ammonia load on the biofilter.
The best info I've received yet on this topic. You all are tops!Similar threads
