moneysaving ideas

[christopher1260]

i was just wondering if anyone had any tips or ideas for saving money when setting up an aquarium. personally, the high cost of accessories was the thing that kept me from upgrading for a long time. for example: i use a shop light ($7) and two 40 watt 4' aquarium bulbs ($5 each) from Lowe's instead of $75 for a twin tube on bigalsonline. i think this thread could be very helpful for all of us, especially beginners like me. i am looking forward to hearing about your creativeness and making my tank better at the best cost possible. chris

[OCSupertones]

Here is one of my old posts...

This was one of my first successful DIY Projects...so i thought i would share...i needed a breeder net because my 2 month old fry ate my newborn fry...

i bought some plastic grid from walmart, it was 8"x11" and cost $.24 each...i bought 3

then i needed some fishing line, it cost about $1.18. And about an hour worth of labor $50.00

Total Cost about $1.90

Here is what i did...first i measured the grid and decided how big of a net i wanted...then i cut it with regular scissors.

it then took the fishing line and tied it together at the corners.

when it was all tied and looked like a box, i threaded some more line throught the holes that were near the seams of the box. Then i added some string to the top to hold it upright in the tank, and i'm holding it in the tank using duct tape on the outside.

i still need to refine that holding method because sometimes the duct tape fails...other than that, its awesome.

my other breeder net is about 1/3 the size and cost about $20.00

[cichlid_guy]

YA! i just got that shoplight from lowe's and the bulbs too.
crazy how they jack up prices just becouse it says "AQUARIUM" on it.

another one i read was to copy that Python clean vacuum.

you can go to your walmart or Big K or what ever, and get a Waterbed fill kit, i think they said like $5 it has the same
fill/drain part that the python has. then you get a hose 25' -50' what ever, and conect it to your old gravle vacuum.

I'll try to find the post and get it here.

we should get as many of the DIY "Copycat" - "Cheaper"
ideas in one place! it would be good for all of the new "DIY'ers"

I'll start looking around, and listing what i have done so far.

( i just got done with my 300gal Plywood tank.)

scottie
cichlid_guy

[Richer]

Here's a simple one.

Want a decent substrate? Rocks? Slate? Check out your local landscaping supply place. For 15 bucks (CDN) I bought enough rocks to decorate a 66 and a 70 gallon tank. Slate was slightly more expensive, 15 bucks got me 30 pounds worth.

-Richer

[PhilInForum]

As we all now, the hoby can be an expensive one. Here are some cost cuts that I used:

A length of hose, with the bottom of a coke bottle silasticed to one end, as the gravel cleaner.

The old ice cream container with fly-screen and styrafoam as a fry grow out thing.

This one takes time but if you buy some good lights you can make that money back (sorta) by not buying as many plants as you would have.

It was much cheaper to make the hood and stand myself, that saved like a few hundred bucks.


Well nothing revolutionary but every dollar counts.

[cichlid_guy]

another one is saving on gravel.

you go to lowe's etc... and get natural pea gravel.
its about $2.50 a 50lb bag.
a 5lb bag at a lfs is $2.50 !!!!

i saved $113 getting 250lbs the gravel for my 300gal at lowe's

scottie

[Decz]

Originally posted by cichlid_guy
another one is saving on gravel.

you go to lowe's etc... and get natural pea gravel.
its about $2.50 a 50lb bag.
a 5lb bag at a lfs is $2.50 !!!!

i saved $113 getting 250lbs the gravel for my 300gal at lowe's

scottie


what is a "lowe's" is it like a local hardware type store? equivilent to our "home depot's" ??

just curious where to look, because that sounds like an awesome money saving idea!

[Bremer]

Lowe's is a competitor of Home Depot. They are very similar stores and, at least around here, you often see a Lowe's in the vicinity of a Home Depot.

[Cichlid Woman]

Hmmmmm ... can we hear more about building that water-change python thing?! I'm all ears.

-- Pat

[cichlid_guy]

OK, i can't find that post i read, and i can't remember what forum it was in.

it kind of gose like this:

you go to like walmart, big K, ... etc
and find a Waterbed refill kit (i think they said like $5)
it has the fill/drain part in it. you hook it to your sink, and with a valve you can ether fill or drain you tank.

then you get a hose (like $7 at like a doller store)
(some think it might not be good to use hose but thats how i have been doing it all this time) and if you have a old gravel vacuum. you can cut the end off the hose and clamp it on the old gravel vacuum.

I'll kep looking for the post. I'm sure it was a little better said then what i just said!! :)

scottie

[redwing]

Thanks for the python idea, I was going to put it on my christmas list. I've used the pea gravel idea also.

[OCSupertones]

before i bought my python, i shopped around...the same diameter tube that python uses was $1.25/foot. The 50' python was only $40

Make sure its the same size...and check python prices first

[Ozalie]

Here are a couple things I do to save money ; Instead of getting a tank divider at the pet store,I went to walmart and got the plastic canvas people use for needle craft's for around $2.I bought a peice of plexi-glass instead of buying a new all glass top when a peice broke , I've heard of people using poly fill from craft departments for media and I also have those great shop lights!

[Ashes]

I second the poly-fill cotton batting idea, instead of buying filter floss. I've been using that one for awhile.

[Dabbler II]

If you want some marble call your local head stone manufacture or granite supply store chances they have a whole bunch of broken pieces, chances are that you could get them for free or at a real cheap price.

[christopher1260]

this is awesome. there are some great ideas here. i just wanted to post another one. personally, i would never buy them at the LFS. they end up raping you there. i use sandblasting sand and hypoallergenic kitty litter as a substrate. i got the kitty litter at wal mart and the sand at a local hardware store. it cost me a grand totoal of $8 to do the substrate in my 75G. lets keep this thread going to help everybody out.

[BigOh]

For Sand Substrate:

If you want coral based go with SouthDown Play Sand @ Home Depot. It costs about $3 for a 50lb bag as compared to $20 for a 20lb bag elsewhere.

Regular Play Sand can be used as a substrate as well. However, it needs alot of washing.

I really like Pool Filter Sand as a substrate. The larger sized grains make it easier to wash and use. Alot less washing than Play Sand. Costs a tad bit more ... but still alot cheaper than LFS .. etc.

Home Depot also has a HO lighting unit. I think its around $40-$50 or something like that. An HO lighting unit purchased elsewhere will run you ALOT more than that. \

Never buy rocks from the LFS. Either go collect them yourself or get them from a quandry or Landscaping place.

The same is true for wood.

I know of some people who use cinder blocks and plywood as stands. They just cover it with a sheet or something similar. They've even used this setup for larger tanks like 100g +

Another money saver for those into breeding. You can use the Large Plastic tubs as holding/grow out tanks. Rubbermaid has sizes from 15g - 100g+. Those Plastic Tubs have a ton of uses ... including sumps and for central filtration.

[val]

I've never tried this, but in Confessions of a Fish Doctor the author, Scott Brodie, tells that he uses african violet potting soil as a substrate for growing plants. It needs to be soaked first, but this potting soil has no vermiculite (those little white plasticy looking dots you find in some potting soils). The next time I build a tank from the ground up, I'm going to use this tip...

Val

[latazyo]

BigOh-

excellent advice, I have four tanks in my room

the brackish tank has pool filter sand in it...the sand is beautiful, it is a great color of brown sand and black sand...it was a little dusty, but it settled in a few days, with some water change

in my 75g I have sandblasting sand from Menard's
it was 2.50 for 50lbs and it looks exactly like beach/desert sand, it is absolutely gorgeous

in my other tank I have black sandblasting sand, 3.47 for 50lbs, also from Menards

and I also built the particle board/cinder block stand for my 75g

the stand is 36 inches tall, 2 feet deep, and 49 inches wide

total cost: $51.37...beats the hell out of the pet store's price for a stand

[BigOh]

Another big money saver for all those people interested in raising their KH and GH. Especially good for AFrican Rift Lake cichlid keepers.

For raising KH = baking soda
For raising GH = epsom salt

;)

Compare the cost of the above listed items with "cichlid buffers" .. etc. ;)

[Darkangel]

I am surprised that no one has mentioned joining or at the least looking up a local tropical fish club. They have yearly auctions, most have monthly ones as well at their monthly meeting. Great deals can be had by attending these events. Garage sales are also a great place to pick up used stuff cheap. You can also get good prices on fish and plants at these auctions.

[125gJoe]

Originally posted by christopher1260
i was just wondering if anyone had any tips or ideas for saving money when setting up an aquarium. chris
How about going to Aquabid.com?

[karfixer]

I'm saving this thread! I was looking around @ Home Depot last night, they carry MH bulbs and accessories, and lot's of clear plasitic tubeing. I've used plexi for tank covers and never spent more than $4.98 for a bulb. I was intrigued last night when I found the white Mercury Vapor "security" lamps (175W) for under $26-ballast, mount, reflector, bulb :cool: one of those with some 4' shop lights over my big tank should give me plenty of light. They also carry pond equipment-$98 for a filteration system for a "small- under 400 gallon" system

[nvision]

how about something for an effective algae scrapper?

use an unused (or overused for that matter) credit card. it works great on glass. i've collected tons of them from solicitations in the mail.

[mollie]

Not so much a money saver, but still a tip.

When using cinder blocks or another form self made stand that you want to hide, instead of using a sheet or other cloth to cover it, use a towel. This way you always have something handy to dry your hands on when fixing up the tank.

[125gJoe]

^^^^^^^^^^^^

[Decz]

I was trying to make myself a python, according to the "money savings idea's", but, after going to a number of hard ware and other type stores, I was unable to find the "waterbed refill kit" or anything else similar. I went to Walmart, Zellers, Home Depot, Revy, Canadian Tire, Home Hardware and a private hardware place as well-nothing! No one had even heard of it! I even tried to explain that they MUST be able to at least special order it in, because it is easily available at Walmart, just across the border!

Anyway, I then decided that maybe I should just check out the LFS and see if they have replacement Python parts. After hitting 6 stores, I finally found one that carries the sink attachment part. I can now, easily hook up my indoor hose to it and I have myself a Python.

This part cost me a total of $11 CDN. The waterbed refill kit was supposed to cost around $5 US, which translates to $40 CDN.. lol... So, in the end, I basically spent the same amount of money, and I didn't have to spend the $50 CDN (minimum) on the entire python setup.

Here's a great link for setting up your own homemade version!


http://www.vatoelvis.com/diy_python.html

btw, If any of you Canadian's out there DO find somewhere on this side of the border that sells the waterbed refill kit, or something similar, let me know!

Decz. :)

[tyler]

wow...didn't realize the canadian exchange rate was so low...


anybody mention the lights of america shop lights and outdoor fixtures? 6500k bulbs at 65 watts with fixture for 25 bucks and replacements are $7. i've seen the outdoor fixtures at wal-mart, home depot and menards. i've never seen the shop light though. i heard it might have been pulled from the shelves because people were using them to grow more than just aquatic plants...

[Unome]

Originally posted by tyler
Anybody mention the Lights of America shop lights and outdoor fixtures? 6500k bulbs at 65 watts with fixture for 25 bucks and replacements are $7. I've seen the outdoor fixtures at wal-mart, home depot and menards. I've never seen the shop light though. I heard it might have been pulled from the shelves because people were using them to grow more than just aquatic plants...
NO...you don't mean...surely not......uuuhhh...what were we talking about here....:p

[tyler]

i don't remember, man, but i could sure go for some cheetos...and pizza...and water, lots of water...;)

[Shiftaltumlock]

Originally posted by tyler
wow...didn't realize the canadian exchange rate was so low...


anybody mention the lights of america shop lights and outdoor fixtures? 6500k bulbs at 65 watts with fixture for 25 bucks and replacements are $7. i've seen the outdoor fixtures at wal-mart, home depot and menards. i've never seen the shop light though. i heard it might have been pulled from the shelves because people were using them to grow more than just aquatic plants...

You mean these?????

http://webpages.charter.net/shiftaltnumlock/shiftaltnumlock/cubelight1.JPG

No, I have never seen them. :cool:

[Shiftaltumlock]

Decz:

How the hell do you fill or drain a friggin water bed up there? If you need a kit, I will buy it and send to you. Just let me know.

[Shiftaltumlock]

More money saving ideas.


Dont buy aquarium salt. Use table salt instead. Please dont say "You cant use table salt in an aquarium" I and many others have done it for years.

Dont waste money on those stupid carbon inserts. If you feel the need to use the stuff, cut open the insert at the top and refill with carbon or whatever and then stitch it shut with fishing line or thread.

Tired of paying big bucks for that tiny box of Diatomacious Earth, Buy a 50 lb bag from a pool supply store for $10.00

If you keep your house at a reasonable temperature(75 to 77, Hey! I like it warm), dont buy the AQ heater. It is not needed.

Dont want to shell out alot of money for a background. Paint it on the outside of the back of your tank. Unless you are looking for something pretty, this works well. I painted 1 of mine black and 1 midnight blue.

[Decz]

LMAO! I really have NO IDEA!! I don't know anyone with a waterbed, so, no one to ask... I just bought the python adapter part, thanks for the offer tho! (remind me to cross the border and shop more often!)


Originally posted by Shiftaltumlock
Decz:

How the hell do you fill or drain a friggin water bed up there? If you need a kit, I will buy it and send to you. Just let me know.

[tyler]

that your grow box shift?

what did those cost you, where did you find them, and how are they working for you? i want to use one, but i need to fine a use for them first...

[Shiftaltumlock]

Yeah, they are mine. I got them at Home Depot. Too bad they dont sell'em anymore. Atleast not here in Ft Worth. They dropped the full line of "Lights of America" security lights.

For the bulb and fixture, they cost $26.00 each.

They are 65watt, 6500K. I forgot what the CRI was, but it was in the 80's (very good)

You can still order them direct from "Lights of America"
The model # is 9266 I believe.

BTW: they work wonderful, I wish I had more of them. I think I will buy a couple more. Thanx!!!

[tyler]

they still have the security lights at the wal-mart, menards and home depot here, but they don't come with the fancy housing. maybe if i fashioned a reflector for them...

[Skippy]

There's a list of places that carry then at http://www.lightsofamerica.com ;)

I'm going to check Sam's today and a couple other. since I plan on building a hood soon for my 100 and it would make a good way to get 250 watts of CF over it for under $150.

[jtrei]

Isn't table salt bad for fish?

I've always heard even minute amounts of iodine (like in iodized table salt) were harmful to fish.

[latazyo]

don't you add trace amounts of iodine to a reef tank to benefit the inhabitants?

[Shiftaltumlock]

Originally posted by jtrei
Isn't table salt bad for fish?

I've always heard even minute amounts of iodine (like in iodized table salt) were harmful to fish.

I asked ya not to say that. Geez!!! :p


Here, read this!!!


http://www.tomgriffin.com/aquamag/salt.html

BTW: Good article RTR. I just realized you wrote it.

[goldfish freak]

Agreed, that was a good article. Thanks RTR.

[brackishwannbe]

For the Ebay scavengers, I just bought 3 brand new TRONICS heaters. 2x 50W and a 100W for less than $35 inclulding shipping. It's a good place for brand name items at a cheaper price, but like always use caution. .. my two cents.

[Matak]

I haven't got one yet, but I've heard that Walmart sells cheap digital thermometers with a remote water-proof probe for only a few measly bucks. Has anyone got one of these?

[marsupialvomit]

For those of you who are like me and a pressurized CO2 system is just too expensive, here is a great way to inject CO2 into your planted tank. You will need:

a 2 liter soda bottle
2 cups of sugar
1/4 teaspoon of yeast
airline tube
super glue (or silicon, either will work)


First, fill the soda bottle half way with warm water. Next, add your 2 cups of sugar and your 1/4 teaspoon of yeast. (*) Use something like a drill or screwdriver to make a whole about the size of the tube in the bottle cap. Put some super glue around the top of the cap to make sure no air leaks from around the hole. Attach the other end of the tube in the tank to either a powerhead, a canister or power filter, or an airstone. Within an hour or so, you should see bubbles in your tank, that is the CO2.(**)

(*) I used to say to shake the mixture at this point, but I have found out that if you don't, the mixture will not ferment as fast and therefore, there will not be a very large burst of initial CO2. It will also make it last longer.

(**) Sometimes, it might be too cold for the mixture to ferment. If this is the case, put your bottle(s) in a small bucket of water with a small heater. This will keep the mixture hot so it can ferment.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This is one of the most effective ways of dissolving Carbon dioxide into your tank. You will need:

Gravel tube made by Python Products or something similar. (part #13-D)

powerhead

aqua Clear filter sponge or something similar.

BioBalls (your choice)*

super glue (or silicon, either will work)



Drill a hole the size of the CO2 tubing into the top part of the gravel tube. Place the CO2 tube in that hole and put super glue around the top to prevent leaks. Put the Aqua Clear sponge in the bottom of the gravel tube. Make sure it fits snuggly. Attach the gravel tube to the powerhead output. That's it, very simple.



*You can put some BioBalls in the gravel tube before putting the sponge in to help break up the bubbles.



The final product should look something like this. I tied it to the powerhead to keep it still.

[spinjector]

i use sandblasting sand and hypoallergenic kitty litter as a substrate

Be careful with sandblasting media - it might not be "sand". A common compound is pure aluminum oxide, which would raise holy heck with aquarium health.

I would suggest you make sure it's plain old quarry sand. I would feel safer using sandbox sand instead, because you know with all the lawsuits these days, if it's safe to put the kids in, it's probably safe to put the fishies in. :D

[spinjector]

I've heard of people using poly fill from craft departments for mediaI second the poly-fill cotton batting idea, instead of buying filter floss. I've been using that one for awhile.
I'll third that with a helpful suggestion: make sure you get the stuff with NO fire-retardant chemicals in it. I actually asked the little old lady in the fabric dept at Walmart (never underestimate the power of the little old lady in the fabric dept - the force is strong in those ones :D), and she said look for "hypoallergenic" and that is the stuff with nothing but the polyester floss and no treatment chemicals.

[katfood]

What an awesome thread. Good job everyone.

[Kasakato]

Whoo This trend is 3 years old!

[Jallen]

Another great glass cleaner is a plastic stone scraper from "Pamper Chef". It has a point on one end and is tapered along the edge. I use it on my freshwater and my saltwater. It scrapes off salt creep on tank and pumps.

[lousybreed]

ok here is my contribution: 110W of intense lighting for $60.

Go to lowes and buy sylvaina electonic ballast that powers 4 T-8 32W bulbs (4 footers) for $30. Wire according to this thread, just read the first couple posts
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=175
buy a decent 2 bulb T-8 bulb strip light with good reflector $16, pull out ballast that came with it, slap in the sylvania electronic ballast, wire according to above thread
buy 1 T-8 32W phillips natural daylight 5000K bulb $6 and a 2 pack of phillips T-8 32W daylight deluxe for $6 and use one. The color from 1 5000K and 1 6500K is absolutely amazing for fish color and plant growth.

total cost 58 bucks plus tax so about 60 bucks for the equivelent of 110W of PC lighting. replacement bulbs cost $9 total, to change 2 55W PC's you are looking at $40. by far the cheapest high intensity lighting you can buy hands down......

[Matak]

LB, I could kiss you. Could someone verify this as workable & safe?

[tyella]

LB, I could kiss you. Could someone verify this as workable & safe?


Kissing is quite safe.
However, beware of thumpers in Kansas .... unless the kissers are the opposite sex.

[Matak]

Kissing is quite safe.
However, beware of thumpers in Kansas .... unless the kissers are the opposite sex.Cute. Very cute.




:rolleyes:

[lousybreed]

LB, I could kiss you. Could someone verify this as workable & safe?


You make me laugh, I have been doing this for a week and no heat problems at all. I emailed the guy that started this thread on plantedaquaria.com and if you look that thread started over 2 years ago and he had been using it for another 2 years. As long as everything is wired right and you properly ground the wires it is safe. I only overdrive my bubls 2x, you can go all the way up to 4x and then they get very hot. if you only overdrive 2x i can't see any problems. but don't sue me if your house burns down!!! :D

I too wanted to kiss the person that posted the thread, the money you can save is unreal.

[Matak]

Well, Yowsa! This one is bookmarked and will be used.

:)

[ScottoMacD]

Make your own water conditioner.

Sodium Thiosulfate is used to treat chlorine. Up here in Montreal a pound costs $5.00 plus taxes. You can pick it up in most good camera stores. It is used for developing film. One pound will treat roughly 800 000 gallons of water.

Mix 15 ml of thiosulfate in a bottle 500 ml of tap water shake until dissolved and then use 1 drop per gallon to treat tap water when doing water changes.



Sodium hydroxymethanesulfonate is the main ingredient in Amquel and Prime and can be used for making dechlorinator for water supplies that use chloramines.

It can be bought online. Off of memory it is something like $15 a pound plus shipping. The amounts are the same as the the thiosulfate. 1 pound treats rougly 800 000 gallons and is made the same way. 15 ml in 500 ml of tap water and then 1 drop per gallon.

[Matak]

Scotto, agian, thanks. I saw a thread on this topic a few months ago and couldn't find it. Good timing too, I'm just about out. 1 question though. If either of the two chemicals you listed don't help protect the fishes slime coat, will that be a problem?

[ScottoMacD]

Scotto, agian, thanks. I saw a thread on this topic a few months ago and couldn't find it. Good timing too, I'm just about out. 1 question though. If either of the two chemicals you listed don't help protect the fishes slime coat, will that be a problem?

I assume that you are talking about the whole Aloe thing.

We have been using the thiosulfate at the store since we opened. No ill effects at all.
Same thing for me at home. If a fish has a scrape or cut that is small I leave it. If it seems like it may cause problems later I use the mercurochrome and vasoline method. Which has worked like a charm for me for years.

As far as I am concerned the aloe in any water conditioner is a gimmick. Thats it.
It seems that one company started it as a push then the others like lemmings followed. I have seen no proof that it even has any affect at all.

When I pressured our AP rep about the aloe thing she was evasive it say the least. After some bagering from the other employees. The answer she gave us seemed to cement my belief on the matter.

In a nutshell. The aloe makes up anywhere from 1 to 3 % of the liquid in the bottle depending on the brand.

Now considering that you have to use a capful per 10 gallons of water how much aloe can there be in the tank? Next to nothing. It would be like putting a cup of aloe in a pool to heal your cut. It won't. Aloe works best on cuts when it is pure and place directly onto the cut. Not when it is diluted.

The only thing that aloe seems to do is affect most protein skimmers in saltwater tanks. Makes them over skim.

Heres an exerpt from one article I read:

Question: Do I need a slime coat protector in my water conditioner?
This is an area which has been the subject of some controversy on the net and elswhere, and note that the conditioners detailed above do not all contain the same type of slime coat protector, so the issues raised may or may not apply to specific conditioners. The main questions raised are:
- can they be harmful?
- do they actually work?
- even if they do, do I need them?

One of the main reasons for the first question above is the concept that anything which sticks to the body tissues of fishes might also stick to the gill tissue and inhibit the function of the gills, or even suffocate the fish. I do not know of any definitive evidence to support this claim, and some claim the complete opposite - that substances like aloe vera do not adhere to fishes in water in any case, and therefore do nothing.

Another controversial question originates from the suggestion by some manufacturers that their product stimulates the fish to increase its own slime coat, rather than providing an artificial one. This might be taken to mean that the mechanism is to cause irritation to the fish, like a parasite might for instance, hence stimulating the fish to produce more of its natural slime coat. These claims are vigorously supported or denied, depending on who's opinion you are hearing.

Widespread use of the products would suggest that they cannot be harmful in any obvious way, and some manufacturers claim to have data to demonstrate that these products work (but no references or links to papers published in peer-reviewed journals unfortunately). So if we assume the products are harmless and can protect a damaged area and/or promote healing, should we be adding them at every water change? If you have a tank full of healthy fish, this is certainly debatable.

The whole basis of these additives is that fish are protected by a slime coat, which a healthy fish can produce without assistance! If you have faith that they help when fish are injured or 'stressed' (a vague term often mis-used by manufacturers), then by all means use them when that situation arises. If no problem is evident, then many people take the approach that you should not add any unnecessary chemical or other substance to your aquarium, which there is not a clear need for (an approach I certainly agree with).

One of the important reasons for this approach is that it is difficult to assess the interaction of different elements within a dynamic system like an aquarium. But if adding them "won't cause any harm", then isn't it "better" to just add them in any case? Are there any disadvantages?

Note Kent's comments above with respect to PVP vs Aloe Vera. There is some truth to those statements, in that substances like aloe vera are certainly adding to the organic waste load in a tank (note API's comment that protein skimmers should be turned off for at least an hour after adding Stress Coat, to prevent excessive foaming). Given that protein skimmers, activated carbon and water changes are all means employed to reduce organic load in the aquarium, there is certainly an argument for not adding more, unless it is strictly necessary.

[spinjector]

sodium hydroxymethanesulfonate...can be used for making dechlorinator for water supplies that use chloraminesDoes sodium hydroxymethanesulfonate work only for chloramines? Or chlorine, too? Or would you have to use it 50/50 with Sodium Thiosulfate to make an "all purpose dechlorinator"...?

[ScottoMacD]

Does sodium hydroxymethanesulfonate work only for chloramines? Or chlorine, too? Or would you have to use it 50/50 with Sodium Thiosulfate to make an "all purpose dechlorinator"...?

It works for both. Like Seachems Prime or Kordons Amquel.

The only difference between sodium hydroxymethanesulfonate and sodium thiosulfate is that sodium hydroxymethanesulfonate will also bind to the ammonia that is present in chloramines (chlorine and ammonia) if you use sodium thiosulfate when you have chloramines. The chlorine will be neutralized but the ammonia will be released.

If you have chloramines and use sodium thiosulfate you will also have to use a second product like ammo lock to completely remove them.

Why buy two products?

[Matak]

I didn't check the bottle when I asked about the slime coat stuff, but I am 99% sure that that is what I was reffering to.

Wow, what an answer. Seriously, re-write it in the form of an essay and post it here (at AC) as an article. Good stuff.

One other question: can I get these chemicals at my local druggist? Much more convenient than online.