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LarsB

LarsB

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There are two things I want to address and then we will see where the thread leads.
First, many of us have seen that post somewhere about "they are adding more chlorine to the water now..." in the US. This is a common thing for spring thaw and after, but I am sure there is heightened awareness for a reason. The more chemicals in the water we expect our fish to use, living in a glass box, that we control all parameters and conditions. We may have to adjust the amount of time and conditioner, to allow these things to balance . . .
I prefer to age water, conditioned and healthy bacteria added at least 48 hrs before adding to an established aquarium.
But I also tend to be a minimalist, and will look for a natural neutralizer (driftwood to soften, quart stone/crush coral for hardness, etc...)

Another thing many newbies are not aware of here, is that water Softeners for your home are NOT good for your fish! I wonder how often these "failure to thrive" tanks are often caused by this very issue?

What are you doing differently, or plan to change?
I never claim to be any type of expert, but I now what works for me... tell us what works for you! What is your favorite trick or habit that you feel is the best way to achieve your goals?
 
There is no need to add bacteria when doing a water change.
Personally I don't add anything to may tank water because I use RO. I do filter it a week before I use it. Actually all I do is refill the containers. One of the tanks gets added minerals and I do this immediately before putting the water into the tank.

The pond is slightly different because that gets tap water. Today I did a 90% post winter water change. Since that means 6000 litres of water mixing it in a bucket is not practical. So I mixed the dechlorinator powder in a litre of water, added that to the pond and turned on the hosepipe for 6 hours :fish: .
 
Aging water works fine for chlorine, but not chloramine and as @seangee pointed out, it's not necessary to keep adding bottled bacteria in spite of the (marketing genius) instructions on the bottle.

Hmm...differently....
--> I have high nitrates in my well water so I pre-filter water for water changes using a repurposed API Tap Water Filter filled with API Nitra-Zorb.
--> 4 tanks in the basement have a LOT of fish so they get 50% water changes twice a week.
--> For my 110g stock tank I have an experimental 40g sump with 2 anoxic biocenosis clarification baskets (Dr. Kevin Novak) along with 2 baskets filled with red lava rock (and growing water sprite like crazy).
20200408_073648.jpg
 
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Well with my tank before adding chemicals i tested both hot and cold water pH 7.6 and ammonia and nitrite in both taps 0 but the nitrite was 5 in the hot water and 20 in the cold.

So before i add water i use Tetra aquasafe besides API zyme and also Stress coat and my fish always seem to do ok.
 
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I'm not familiar with the brands so never picked up on the aloe vera. This is not something that is naturally found in water. More importantly it is not something you want to be coating the gills of your fish. I wold not use this in my tanks.
 
seangee said:
I'm not familiar with the brands so never picked up on the aloe vera. This is not something that is naturally found in water. More importantly it is not something you want to be coating the gills of your fish. I wold not use this in my tanks.
Click to expand...
It's the Stresscoat which contains Aloe vera and coats your fish with slime against infections and bacteria.


It's everyone to their own and how they treat their own tank :)
 
Tez_20 said:
It's the Stresscoat which contains Aloe vera and coats your fish with slime against infections and bacteria.


It's everyone to their own and how they treat their own tank :)
Click to expand...

I suspect this will be taken as argumentative, but it is not intended to be, just factual. This is a scientific hobby, and we ignore the scientific evidence to our peril, or more precisely, to the peril of our poor fish that have no erscape from what we dump in their life water. As aquarists I hope we each recognize the responsibility we have to our fish, and not everyone to their own.

Recent (within the last decade) scientific studies have come to the conclusion that over time, aloe vera in the water does detrimentally affect the gills of fish. As with most things that are long-term problems, even in the sort term the very least we can expect is additional stress for the fish having their respiration made more difficult by something like aloe vera gumming up the delicate gill membranes. [see below]

Aside from the above, the claim that it will somehow improve the fish's natural slime coat and keep out bacteria...where is their proof? Clean water and not "poisoning" the water with unnecessary additives will certainly ensure better fish health, and that means the slime coat too. StressZyme's claim that it somehow reduces the need for regular maintenance (i.e., "water changes") is misleading, and that it eliminates sludge buildup and interferes with the nitrification cycle should raise red flags too.

The following is cited from one study of various brands of water conditioner.

Water additives that form a protective ‘‘slime layer’’ will contain apolymer (often PVP or carboxymethyl cellulose[CMC]) or colloid (Table2). Some additives contain aloe extract from leaves of the Aloe vera plant. Manufacturers of these products claim that the Aloe vera extract promotes healing of damaged tissue. One potential drawback to water additives that contain Aloe vera extract or CMC is the addition of organic waste load that can reduce the water quality and oxygen levels in a closed system. This may not be an issue, depending on the density of fish, length of time fish are held, and oxygen content of the water. However, the effects of these substances on gill tissue are unclear. Taiwo et al. (2005) tested the survival and behavior of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) exposed to different concentrations of aqueous extract of A. vera for up to 96 h. One hundred percent of tilapia exposed to 50 ppm A. vera died within the duration of the experiment. Fish used in this experiment exhibited severe depigmentation and destruction of organs (including gills). The evidence of the toxic effects of A. vera on fish solidifies the need to empirically test water conditioners, and their chemical components, for potential negative effects on fish.

Harnish, Ryan A., Alison H. Colotelo and Richard S. Brown (2011), "A review of polymer-based water conditioners for reduction of handling-related injury," Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 21, pp. 43-49. The paper is available free at:
 
Byron said:
I suspect this will be taken as argumentative, but it is not intended to be, just factual. This is a scientific hobby, and we ignore the scientific evidence to our peril, or more precisely, to the peril of our poor fish that have no erscape from what we dump in their life water. As aquarists I hope we each recognize the responsibility we have to our fish, and not everyone to their own.

Recent (within the last decade) scientific studies have come to the conclusion that over time, aloe vera in the water does detrimentally affect the gills of fish. As with most things that are long-term problems, even in the sort term the very least we can expect is additional stress for the fish having their respiration made more difficult by something like aloe vera gumming up the delicate gill membranes. [see below]

Aside from the above, the claim that it will somehow improve the fish's natural slime coat and keep out bacteria...where is their proof? Clean water and not "poisoning" the water with unnecessary additives will certainly ensure better fish health, and that means the slime coat too. StressZyme's claim that it somehow reduces the need for regular maintenance (i.e., "water changes") is misleading, and that it eliminates sludge buildup and interferes with the nitrification cycle should raise red flags too.

The following is cited from one study of various brands of water conditioner.

Water additives that form a protective ‘‘slime layer’’ will contain apolymer (often PVP or carboxymethyl cellulose[CMC]) or colloid (Table2). Some additives contain aloe extract from leaves of the Aloe vera plant. Manufacturers of these products claim that the Aloe vera extract promotes healing of damaged tissue. One potential drawback to water additives that contain Aloe vera extract or CMC is the addition of organic waste load that can reduce the water quality and oxygen levels in a closed system. This may not be an issue, depending on the density of fish, length of time fish are held, and oxygen content of the water. However, the effects of these substances on gill tissue are unclear. Taiwo et al. (2005) tested the survival and behavior of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) exposed to different concentrations of aqueous extract of A. vera for up to 96 h. One hundred percent of tilapia exposed to 50 ppm A. vera died within the duration of the experiment. Fish used in this experiment exhibited severe depigmentation and destruction of organs (including gills). The evidence of the toxic effects of A. vera on fish solidifies the need to empirically test water conditioners, and their chemical components, for potential negative effects on fish.

Harnish, Ryan A., Alison H. Colotelo and Richard S. Brown (2011), "A review of polymer-based water conditioners for reduction of handling-related injury," Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 21, pp. 43-49. The paper is available free at:
Click to expand...
We still need an informative reaction. I miss when we did. Go byron!
 
This is another case of hobyists falling victim to the marketing machine of the large corporations. The marketing is convincing. "Stress coating" is one example, but there are many others. And once well meaning hobbyists buy in, they tell others how great it is, reinforcing the myth. :dunno:
Sometimes, although it may not be appreciated, we have to stand up and tell the truth...and unlike the sellers of these products, we're not making money to do it!
 
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