Chlorine and dechlorinator query

[Ch4rlie]

Hello

I have a query regarding chlorine and perhaps chloramine from our water supply / taps.

I have been reading online on a different forum that chlorine dissipates very quickly, especially if you agitate the water and there is no need for dechlorinator for water changes.

Thiere is a person on this forum that says his tank is heavily planted and does only 25% weekly water changes and has never used dechlorinator and apparently was told by a professor that chlorine dissipates very quickly anyway in agitated water.

Now I am very sceptical of this as I’ve always believed chlorine takes time to gas off, usually over 24 hours to fully evaporate. Or boiling the tap water will quickly dissipate the chlorine and that’s being the fastest method that I know of.

Is there any truth at all in saying chlorine dissipates so quickly using a hose straight into a tank causing lots of agitation will dissipate the chlorine and no need for dechlorinator?

I’ve always used dechlorinator for weekly water changes as believe this helps to prevent heavy metals and other harmful or toxic substances for aquaria livestock as well as for chlorine obviously.

I am certainly no scientist and am having trouble finding any scientific links or papers to see that chlorine can dissipate so quickly.

Does anyone know if there is any truth to this?

Thanks

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Have a look here https://aquanswers.com/how-long-does-it-take-for-chlorine-to-evaporate-from-tap-water-entirely/
you will find the below

1. HOW LONG for Free Chlorine to Degass from Tap Water
2. Getting Rid of Chlorine and Chloramine THROUGH BOILING
3. Chlorine VERSUS Chloramine
4. CHART for Evaporation Times
5. TESTED Ways to Remove Chlorine from Water:
   • Campden Tablets
   • Sodium Thiosulfate
   • Moving Water
   • UV Light
   • Activated Carbon
6. Setting up a DIY Dechlorinator

 

[Ch4rlie]

Have a look here https://aquanswers.com/how-long-does-it-take-for-chlorine-to-evaporate-from-tap-water-entirely/
you will find the below

1. HOW LONG for Free Chlorine to Degass from Tap Water
2. Getting Rid of Chlorine and Chloramine THROUGH BOILING
3. Chlorine VERSUS Chloramine
4. CHART for Evaporation Times
5. TESTED Ways to Remove Chlorine from Water:
   • Campden Tablets
   • Sodium Thiosulfate
   • Moving Water
   • UV Light
   • Activated Carbon
6. Setting up a DIY Dechlorinator

Thanks TTA

I found that site a little while ago as well but was unsure if that was reliable or not.

Think you may get away without dechlorinator because if one does only 25% or less weekly water changes and perhaps if chlorine levels are lower and thus less damaging for livestock, but I reckon the livestock WILL get affected by chlorine regardless of how long it takes the chlorine to gas off no matter what you say.

That’s my opinion anyhow.

I’ve no idea how you test your water for chlorine levels but going without dechlorinator it’s not a gamble am willing to take to be entirely honest unless it’s conclusively proved, then maybe.

 

[fishorama]

There's a big difference between chlorine & chloramine. Back in the day we either used sodium thiosulfate or let the water sit (without aeration or anything) for a week or so until the next water change. BUT our water company used chlorine. If you're on public water it should be easy to find out either on a website or with a phone call. Depends on the concentration of chloramine or chlorine your water co. uses (often ~1ppm) but they may "flush" their system higher at times without warning. And I don't have buckets of aging water sitting around my house anymore, lol.

Now we have chloramine treated water & the chlorine takes a long time to break from the ammonia with just aging, I don't know how long it may take. I just use Prime, it dechlorinates & keeps the ammonia in the safer NH4 rather than the more fish harmful NH3. Sodium thiosulfate I think just removes the chlorine & leaves ammolnia in the more harmfu NH3 form.

I have lots of plants & few fish but I'm not willing to risk fish damage to save a couple bucks. I'm not sure how fast ammonia can harm fish or how fast plants use may use it (mine are mostly are slow growers). It's just not worth the possibility of ammonia burning gill tissue even if they heal...week after week? NO!

There are chlorine tests at pool supply stores, they may even test it for free...But what a hassle & how accurate are they? I don't know...

I do larger & more frequent water changes these days than we did 40 years ago...but we also have more disposable income than on a college student budget I do buy Prime by the gallon, I haven't lost all penny pinching ways

 

[dougall]

Aquarium companies, Sera for example, make chlorine tests too.

Some municipality water sources use chlorine on a regular basis, but will flush their lines periodically with chloramine too.

Some folks will have automated water changes done right from the tap... I want to say that some will use coconut filters. You would have to look them up, Rusty Wessel comes to mind.

personally, from a cost perspective, the lives of the fish are worth more than I spend on prime (or whatever) so it makes sense to use it from my perspective.

My anecdotal information is that chlorine will convert to gas and gas off, if unaerated. in about 24 hours, less if agitated with a circulation pump or airstone. But between having that much water sitting around and convenience, water conditioner wins every time for me.

I have no idea where people are cutting corners in the hobby, but a water conditioner would not be my first choice.

 

[fishorama]

Oh, I haven't researched the coconut fiber thing. If anyone does please post links, I don't have time right now.

dougall, I agree with the chlorine off gassing, but it's much different with chloramines...Ch4 needs to know what "he" has...

 

[dougall]

Sigh.. I know about chloramines.. too tired to type properly I suspect.

I choose to not take the chance and treat assuming I have both. Just easier that way.. and there is no saying that it will not change during the year also .

 

[TwoTankAmin]

SeaChem Safe will take care of chlorine, chloramine and ammonia. Plus will detox nitrite and nitrate. They suggest 5 gm treats 4 ppm of chlorine or chloramine and 4 ppm of ammonia in 450 gals. I would bet you could get away with 1 gm/100 gals. The below assumes you will change 50% of the water every week

One kilo (1,000 gms) costs $33. At 1 gm/100gal. you can treat 100,000 gals. Now if you have 15 x 100 gal. tanks (1,500 gals) that will last you about 67 weeks. If you can add the Safe to the changing water you need to treat only that. So the safe will clear your 15 x 100 gal tanks for 133 weeks. The cost for your 15 tanks per water change is $0.25/week and .0166 cents/tank. or 0.00016 cents/ gal.

Now if all you have is 100 gals to handle that means your $33 will buy you 50% weekly water changes for 1,988 weeks or 38 years.

Somehow i do not think the cost/water change really matter if you use safe. Of course the more gals you have and the more water you change means the more often you will need to rebuy. And it you change more water more often or have to treat higher levels than 4 ppm, the cost/ week will rise and that reduces how many years the kilo of Safe will last.

Now we do not fill our tanks to the max. level possible. We also usually have substrate and decor that displace water. Most of us do not have filters that hold more than a gallon or two of water. So the above calculations actually overstate the cost for most tanks and underestimate how long the kilo will last.

All this math is giving me a headache and I have well water and never use dechlor of any sort nor an ammonia detoxifier. I have a bottle of Amquel and of Prime for when I did weekend events that involved some use of the hotel tap water. I also may use it after I bleach dip plants.

 

[NoodleCats]

I think I know who that "dechlorinators are bad, and only small water changes" person hahaha.

Nice to confirm that you are indeed the same Ch4rlie from the other place. Thanks for the help and support you gave me with the hand sanitizer incident. Glad to see a friendly face here as well!

(Edit: it's that same person why I left that forum, he kept harassing me over my water change routine and just generally being rude there and got away with it constantly. Had the nerve to blame the hand sanitizer incident on my water changes being more than 25%)

 

[FJB]

Important to remember that some towns add chloramines intermittently or periodically, not all the time. If one is on city water, better assume you have them.