Do I Actually Need Water Conditioner?

[Curiosity101]

After checking my water board results and doing some adding up I have... (The bit in brackets is the actual name and mg/l value from the site)
Chlorine - 0.15ppm (Residual chlorine - free 0.15 mg/l Cl2)
Chloramine - 0.04ppm (Residual chlorine - total 0.19 mg/l Cl2)
Heavy metals - 0.1ppm (Added up the microgram values of Aluminium,Iron, Manganese, Copper, Lead to get a total of 0.108 mg/l)

My water conditioner at the mo is API Stress Coat which apparently removes....
3.0ppm Chlorine (Presumably this include Chloramine as that's what it says in the write-up)
0.3ppm Heavy Metals

I was thinking of switching to Seachem Prime
1.2ppm Chloramine
3.3ppm Chlorine
Couldn't find a heavy metal value, but lets presume it's at least as high as API Stress Coat


So anyways...this has made me think. Is it even worth me using conditioner at every water change. I was thinking of switching to adding conditioner once a fortnight, once every 3 weeks, once a month...something like that.
My theory being that I need such a low dose it's not really worth adding it at each waterchange as with seachem prime it works out for a normal dose I'd be using 0.1ml - 0.2ml per waterchange (waterchanges from 24-48l)

Opinions?

 

[england]

well with my smaller tanks i just sit water up in large 5litre bottles and old milk containers,which sit for usually a week, and dont bother adding anything, with my large tank i add water into a 10 litre straight from tap and add three or four drops, never had a problem,however not up on scientific side off it

 

[Spishkey]

i'll put my hands up and admit to not using any water conditioner. but i do let my water sit in buckets/water butts before water changes

 

[glolite]

If you leave your changing water to stand for 24 hours before use, I believe most of the harmful chemicals disappear. Having said that, there was a discussion in another thread, where someone mentioned that water companies sometimes dump a whole extra load of chemicals in if they get a high reading on their bacterial testing.

Personally, I wouldn't be brave enough to trust my tapwater and prefer to play safe, however, I'm sure other members will be along to discuss this.

 

[Curiosity101]

Well the only reason I would be using conditioner (at the 2week, 3week or monthly period) would be to eradicate heavy metals + chloramine.

 

[drobbyb]

If you leave your changing water to stand for 24 hours before use, I believe most of the harmful chemicals disappear.

Except chloramine...it sticks around for longer, and of course any heavy metals won't be removed/neutralized.

 

[meguro]

I think there have been some posts in older threads saying chloramine ends up being broken down by the filter or some such.

edit: And that chlorine more or less escapes the water upon being poured. Not sure about the heavy metal content though.

 

[JoolsA2]

I think its best to add it.

 

[indigoj]

I guess it comes down to 1) how confident you are in the consistency of your water supply and 2) what you are comfortable with.

Personally I'd add it for my peace of mind. I agree though, for such small doses it could be as safe.

 

[aaronnorth]

may help:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=261519

i am not sure what levels are dangerous to fish, so see if you can find anything.

The other option is to allow dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to build up so it binds to heavy metals.

 

[fatheadminnow]

Some or most water conditioners contain trace minerals that are beneficial for the fish.

So if you don't use the conditioner to neutralize harmful contaminates, then you should probable use it just to add extra minerals to the water for the fish.

Like API stress Coat contains aloe vera, which is good for the fishes slime coat, in helping with electrolytes.

-FHM

 

[raptorrex]

After checking my water board results and doing some adding up I have... (The bit in brackets is the actual name and mg/l value from the site)
Chlorine - 0.15ppm (Residual chlorine - free 0.15 mg/l Cl2)
Chloramine - 0.04ppm (Residual chlorine - total 0.19 mg/l Cl2)
Heavy metals - 0.1ppm (Added up the microgram values of Aluminium,Iron, Manganese, Copper, Lead to get a total of 0.108 mg/l)

My water conditioner at the mo is API Stress Coat which apparently removes....
3.0ppm Chlorine (Presumably this include Chloramine as that's what it says in the write-up)
0.3ppm Heavy Metals

I was thinking of switching to Seachem Prime
1.2ppm Chloramine
3.3ppm Chlorine
Couldn't find a heavy metal value, but lets presume it's at least as high as API Stress Coat


So anyways...this has made me think. Is it even worth me using conditioner at every water change. I was thinking of switching to adding conditioner once a fortnight, once every 3 weeks, once a month...something like that.
My theory being that I need such a low dose it's not really worth adding it at each waterchange as with seachem prime it works out for a normal dose I'd be using 0.1ml - 0.2ml per waterchange (waterchanges from 24-48l)

Opinions?

well, i admit i don't use it. but i keep water changes to, 25%. i feel much more than that, may, adversely affect my fish. but for the cost, and the peace of mind it offers......... why not use it?
I "gas" off the chlorine, by holding my finger over the tap outlet, as i fill the container. i don't, however, do anything else with the water.

 

[mooey65]

I use 1/2 what the bottle says. ie. 5ml to 50. I use 2.5 to 50.

 

[Curiosity101]

Lol, just did some more maths...and even with a large water change of 48l (almost 40%) And using the 0.2ml it'd take to cancel out levels in my tap water.
I can get 50ml Seachem Prime for £5.50
Works out at 250 water changes...so 5 years or so worth of conditioner....think I can probably stretch to that.
Just means I need to buy a smaller syringe.

I would've given it a go if I'd found enough info to suggest that tiny bits of chlorine wont cause harm. But too many things say it can cause problems, which at the prices above...really not worth the risk.

 

[matchstickman47]

i use conditioner every wc...

london water is fulla crap