How To Know If there Is Chlorine And Chloramines?

[AbbeysDad]

It's likely you have chlorine OR chloramine, but not both. Chlorine was used for decades but it readily off gases making it less effective than chloramine. Often levels of chlorine were increased to better ensure it's effectiveness down the pipeline. Chloramine is a combination of chlorine and ammonia and it is much more effective because it remains stable longer. But Chloramine is much harder on the aquarium. Water conditioners break the bond of chlorine and ammonia, and neutralize both. HOWEVER, this ammonia, now ammonium, is left for plants and/or beneficial biology to deal with. This means that a large water change with water treated with chloramine could result in much higher than expected NITRATES!
Count your blessings if you have untreated (eg well water) or just chlorine and not chloramine. If you have chloramine, you may opt for reduced volume partial water changes with lots of fast growing plants.
And as needed, always use a good conditioner.

 

[GaryE]

It's likely you have chlorine OR chloramine, but not both. Chlorine was used for decades but it readily off gases making it less effective than chloramine. Often levels of chlorine were increased to better ensure it's effectiveness down the pipeline. Chloramine is a combination of chlorine and ammonia and it is much more effective because it remains stable longer. But Chloramine is much harder on the aquarium. Water conditioners break the bond of chlorine and ammonia, and neutralize both. HOWEVER, this ammonia, now ammonium, is left for plants and/or beneficial biology to deal with. This means that a large water change with water treated with chloramine could result in much higher than expected NITRATES!
Count your blessings if you have untreated (eg well water) or just chlorine and not chloramine. If you have chloramine, you may opt for reduced volume partial water changes with lots of fast growing plants.
And as needed, always use a good conditioner.

If you read the thread, he/she has just chlorine.

 

[jaylach]

If you read the thread, he/she has just chlorine.

I saw that but would still use a conditioner that deals with both.

 

[GaryE]

I like to keep it simple - no use adding a chemical that targets something that isn't there. It's really hard to get a simple dechlorinator and at the moment, I'm stuck with Prime, which is not great. But the original poster doesn't give location, so maybe there's something easily available where they are with just sodium thiosulphate .

 

[Essjay]

API Tap Water Conditioner is available in many countries and is just about the simplest water conditioner out there (short of buying thiosulfate powder and making your own). It contains just two ingredients - thiosulfate to remove chlorine and EDTA to bind metals. It does not contain aloe vera, or anything to detoxify ammonia or anything to detoxify nitrite & nitrate.

 

[AbbeysDad]

If you read the thread, he/she has just chlorine.

Yes but the thread presented the opportunity to point out the potential perils of chloramine that many, if not most, hobbyists may not be aware of...and Chloramine is likely the future for many/most municipal water supplies as it's more effective at lower rates than chlorine.
The days of larger partial water changes to combat high nitrates, along with the increase in nitrates in agricultural areas, may be threatened.
There was a time that activated carbon was a very common filter component where in the future, resins that adsorb ammonia and nitrates may be a requirement to keep fish healthy....Just thinking 'out loud'.

 

[Alice B]

You check with the water supplier where you live. If you're on a well, no problem.

community wells in subdivisions often have more chlorine than city water, at least in North Texas. Good chlorine tests seem to have vanished, API used to make one, but chlorine kills a fish in 20 minutes so if your fish are alive there isn't any in your aquarium

 

[GaryE]

community wells in subdivisions often have more chlorine than city water, at least in North Texas. Good chlorine tests seem to have vanished, API used to make one, but chlorine kills a fish in 20 minutes so if your fish are alive there isn't any in your aquarium

I would question that @Alice B . I started dechlorinating again about 6 months ago, after about 10 years of letting chlorine gas off by pouring it vigourously from a hose. Through that entire period when I used no dechlor, I lost no fish and had no slowdown in breeding projects. I've bred well over 200 species, and many were in that long stretch. Cardinal tetras lived 7 years and up, etc (I had one groupI lost at 7 due to a natural event hitting the power - but they had lots more mileage on them). I changed water and fish bred, as always. I dechlorinated for any change above 25%.

In heavy concentrations, chlorine kills. In any working concentration, chloramines are killers. I think it's really important for aquarists to understand the dangers, but also to know the difference.

I admit, I have only ever dealt with one well, for 2 years when I was around 20, and all the rest of my fishkeeping has been with city water that was chlorinated. Chloramines may be the future, especially in areas that have allowed their water tables to become polluted. Where I live, you aren't even allowed to take a canoe or kayak onto the lakes that supply city water, let alone to farm on the banks or otherwise endanger the sources. The use of land around water sources is very regulated here, and that does colour my view of water.

I think the original poster is stressing over a very minor danger, and can just relax, dechlorinate and enjoy the aquarium.

 

[Alice B]

North Texas city water has chloramine. It does not gas off. I took home a goldfish someone put on my counter when I worked at Petsmart years ago, had closed that night and was tired. I made a mistake, put goldfish in a cup of tap water and forgot dechlorinator, 20 minutes later belly up.

I deal with multiple subdivision wells in semi-rural areas for pond customers, one dumps so much chlorine in, I assume it's chlorine, we can't get a water report on it, to the run the pH up over 9. There is no detectable calcium or magnesium in the water so ph support isn't from calcium carbonate.

I agree poster is very unlikely to have chlorine in the aquarium

 

[Rollxr]

Any place with older pipes has lead. It was standard for decades. If you read the whole report, you'll see it is in the usual guideline amounts.

So, back to the question - just chlorine. Treat the water, and all is good.

Also, my fish were living in this lead water for 14 days/2 Weeks. And I get a proper water condtioner today, but can my fish get permanent damage from living in that lead water for 14 days!? It will be treated todasy since thats when the proper conditioner comes.

 

[jaylach]

I would just treat new water for chlorine and forget about the lead. How do you know that the treatment for lead might not be even more harmful?

 

[Essjay]

Almost all water conditioners bind heavy metals.