See post #84 above
Corydoras wont stop dying
- Thread starter bianca_m35
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bianca_m35
Fish Fanatic
Yeah when they do It they grab to much air and end up floating for a bit then are fine
Bruce Leyland-Jones
Fish Aficionado
I'm so glad you switched on the sub-titles.
JazzyV
Fish Crazy
Then hmmm there’s nothing on the market that I’m aware of to test these chlorine or chloramine for this hobby beyond commercial so I doubt that it tests chlorine or chloramine. I’m not saying they couldn’t have but I’m pretty sure there’s nothing during the time frame you are describing. Hobbyists been looking for more tests and some of those just aren’t available for our hobby.
JazzyV
Fish Crazy
Even if it did…tolls like that had to be stored a certain way and if it didn’t for years it may not work an parts to get it replace is not common. You would have to buy the whole thing again and calibrate it. Then you would need the liquids. So I really doubt your pen tests these levels.
This kind of tester does exists and are expensive but not in the form of 'pencil' :
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Years ago (some three or four decades) there were tests for chlorine manufactured by maybe API, but doesn't matter. I had one in a combo test kit but I threw the kit out long ago as it was so old. In reality, there really is no need for a chlorine test anyway; if one is using city water it is simple enough to find out if they add chlorine, or chloramine, or not. They have to tell you, by law, if they are adding "x" or whatever. So one can assume chlorine or chloramine will have to be detoxified if it is being added.
The level of chlorine may be so low you do not need a conditioner, though I doubt this is relevant today with all the bacteria issues we face. But during the 1980's when I lived in Victoria, hobbyists including myself never used dechlorinator because the level of chlorine was so minimal, and for several years no one had problems. But the day came one summer when bacteria levels in the reservoir water increased, and, naturally, so did the level of chlorine added by the municipality. Many of us lost fish that weekend after a water change. We learned our lesson.
The level of chlorine may be so low you do not need a conditioner, though I doubt this is relevant today with all the bacteria issues we face. But during the 1980's when I lived in Victoria, hobbyists including myself never used dechlorinator because the level of chlorine was so minimal, and for several years no one had problems. But the day came one summer when bacteria levels in the reservoir water increased, and, naturally, so did the level of chlorine added by the municipality. Many of us lost fish that weekend after a water change. We learned our lesson.
Absolutely.
@bianca_m35 it is enough to let tap water stand for 72 hours/3 days and there will be no more chlorine or chloramine.
Are you certain about the chloramine? I know chlorine will dissipate out of standing water in roughly 24 hours, but I have always been advised that chloramine must be detoxified (using a conditioner). I don't have chloramine fortunately, so never looked into this, but just thought it worth mentioning just in case.
Advice from @Colin_T
I'm positive that @Essjay has said that while chlorine will air off over 24 hours or so (particularly when the water is aerated) that chloromines will not air off, so a water conditioner needs to be used for water containing chloromines.
Hopefully she can come here and let us know for sure, and since she has degrees in chemistry, her word on water chemistry is something I trust.
Edited to fix typo
Last edited:
@bianca_m35 Hi again, sorry I didn't return to the thread earlier after advising the water change, had an emergency of my own. I'm very concerned after reading through the thread though... I don't mean this to sound bad or judgemental in any way, but you don't seem to be quite grasping how serious the problem in your tank is. Your fish were suffering from chemical burns, and while the water change helped, there's still a lot to do to save the remaining fish you have! Let alone adding more. They're not in the clear and safe after one or two water changes.
What I suspected was happening in the beginning of the thread was ammonia spikes, from cleaning the filter in chlorinated tapwater, crashing your cycle in a tank with incompatible and stressed out fish. You said yourself that you have been cleaning the filter in hot water, and replacing cartridges every month. Every time you do either of those things, you're killing off the good bacteria that process the fish waste, and cause rising ammonia levels. These might not have risen high enough for you to see them on tests - especially if you're not testing regularly, but were still enough to kill the fish and weaken the survivors.
I didn't suspect you weren't using water conditioner... glad others caught that! Each time you did a W/C without a declorinator, to put it into simple terms for chemistry dunces like me - you basically flooded the tank with weak bleach. The cories were reacting to the burning of their gills (as @Byron said) and the other fish would have felt that too, even if they didn't show it so clearly. At the same time, the chlorinated water was also killing off the beneficial nitrifying bacteria, causing even more problems.
The chloromines are added to tapwater to kill bacteria and make it safe for us to drink. It also kills the beneficial bacteria that we cultivate in our tanks, the good bacteria that process ammonia and nitrites, keeping the fish safe. Along with killing or throwing away the bacterial colonies in the filter when you cleaned it in tapwater or threw away cartridges. It's an even more serious problem than I suspected
ETA: I hasten to add that I'm not blaming or judging you at all! I found all this stuff really hard to grasp as a beginner, and there's still a lot I find confusing and don't quite get yet. There's also a ton of misinformation in this hobby, given by stores, online, and by well-meaning but misinformed hobbyists. So it's easy for people to make these mistakes, we see these problems a lot here because it's so easy to do! So no judgement here, I promise. Would just like to help fix it now
Are you still around? I know the thread has become very long and complicated, but I would really like to help you resolve these issues and save your fish! Once the tank is stable again, we can talk stocking and what potential other fish you could add, and when Please let me know if you're still reading, so I know whether to type more on the subject, lol
What I suspected was happening in the beginning of the thread was ammonia spikes, from cleaning the filter in chlorinated tapwater, crashing your cycle in a tank with incompatible and stressed out fish. You said yourself that you have been cleaning the filter in hot water, and replacing cartridges every month. Every time you do either of those things, you're killing off the good bacteria that process the fish waste, and cause rising ammonia levels. These might not have risen high enough for you to see them on tests - especially if you're not testing regularly, but were still enough to kill the fish and weaken the survivors.
I didn't suspect you weren't using water conditioner... glad others caught that! Each time you did a W/C without a declorinator, to put it into simple terms for chemistry dunces like me - you basically flooded the tank with weak bleach. The cories were reacting to the burning of their gills (as @Byron said) and the other fish would have felt that too, even if they didn't show it so clearly. At the same time, the chlorinated water was also killing off the beneficial nitrifying bacteria, causing even more problems.
The chloromines are added to tapwater to kill bacteria and make it safe for us to drink. It also kills the beneficial bacteria that we cultivate in our tanks, the good bacteria that process ammonia and nitrites, keeping the fish safe. Along with killing or throwing away the bacterial colonies in the filter when you cleaned it in tapwater or threw away cartridges. It's an even more serious problem than I suspected
ETA: I hasten to add that I'm not blaming or judging you at all! I found all this stuff really hard to grasp as a beginner, and there's still a lot I find confusing and don't quite get yet. There's also a ton of misinformation in this hobby, given by stores, online, and by well-meaning but misinformed hobbyists. So it's easy for people to make these mistakes, we see these problems a lot here because it's so easy to do! So no judgement here, I promise. Would just like to help fix it now
Are you still around? I know the thread has become very long and complicated, but I would really like to help you resolve these issues and save your fish! Once the tank is stable again, we can talk stocking and what potential other fish you could add, and when
Please let me know if you're still reading, so I know whether to type more on the subject, lol
Not true with chloramine
How to Remove Chloramines from Water
Chloramines are necessary in keeping public drinking water safe, but they also have some unfortunate side effects according to the New Jersey Department of Health. From skin and eye irritation to a sharp chemical taste, chloramines can leave you with bloodshot eyes after a shower and ruin the...
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That's correct @AdoraBelle Dearheart Chlorine gasses off if the new water is allowed to stand for a few days before use. Before dechlorinators came into use, just about everywhere had chlorine as a disinfectant in their tap water and this is what fish keepers did then. But then water providers started using chloramine instead of chlorine and this does not gas off no matter how long it's left to stand. The only way to get rid of chloramine is to use a dechlorinator.
Chloramine is ammonia and chlorine joined together. Dechlorinators split it up then remove the chlorine part leaving the ammonia part in the water. Many dechlorinators also contain something to detoxify ammonia for around 24 hours, and the good bacteria or live plants will have removed it before it can "undetoxify"
Most dechlorinators also contain something to remove metals from the water.
Because dechlorinators contain a few different things, we now call them water conditioners.
Chloramine is ammonia and chlorine joined together. Dechlorinators split it up then remove the chlorine part leaving the ammonia part in the water. Many dechlorinators also contain something to detoxify ammonia for around 24 hours, and the good bacteria or live plants will have removed it before it can "undetoxify"
Most dechlorinators also contain something to remove metals from the water.
Because dechlorinators contain a few different things, we now call them water conditioners.
Thank you for clearing that up!
It's awesome to have someone who really knows chemistry on the forum! I was always much stronger in biology, but utterly useless with chemistry and physics. This hobby has forced me to learn more, but I still get confused, and you're always so helpful with these sorts of questions! Thank you
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