Dechlorinator Question

[Luca Brazzi]

When adding new water to a tank we all know that youve got to dechlorinate somehow. Usually we add dechlorinator as we add the water (1 drop/gal or whatever). Is it possible to overdechlorinate today, in anticipation for adding water over some period of time? For example, add enough dechlorinator today to dechlorinate 20 gallons, then slowly add the 20 gallons of chlorinated water over a week without adding more dechlorinator? In otherwords will the excess dechlorinator added on day 1 simply wait around in the tank until more chlorinated water is present?

[wetmanNY]

What's your plan now, Luca?

Begin by finding the active ingredient in dechlorinator. Use www.google.com to identify it.

[NJ Devils Fan]

I don't think so. I would imagine that it would dissolve and then become toxic because of how much is in there.

[Sharyl C]

I would guess its not good to do that for a couple of reasons - the first being Sodium thiosulfate (active ingredient in most dechlors) binds with chlorine so well...what's to stop it from binding with other stuff that's similar. i'm not a chemist or anything...but I recently had a problem with goiter (enlarged thyroid) in a group of fundulids and when I stopped using dechlor and just allowed the chlorine to off gas from the tap water over night, I no longer had the problem.

Also, you can OD on sodium thio. I bleached and big tank (1000gallons) once and wanted to dechlor the water a little before sending it down the drain. I through in a couple of handfuls of crystal dechlor in and a yellow parcipitate formed and a sulfur "egg smell" permiated my workplace for the rest of the day...thank goodness for good ventilation, open doors, and breezy days.

a final thought...its not that difficult to add a couple of drops to dechlor the water as you add it...is it?

[Luca Brazzi]

Thanks for the info.

wetmanNY... I sell no wine before its time.