Where does chlorine go?

[corbypete]

The cholorine from tap water, in our tanks, needs to be removed. However, we add 'safe water' etc. to our tank to get rid of chlorine, but this doesnt push chlorine up into the air in a puff of smoke, no, its still in the water.

so, as what exactly. it must be converted into another safer chemical, what is this chemical?

these products wern't around 50 years ago, so what did they use back then?

Is there anything else that could be used from household natural means?

Does anyone have a bottle close by so they could read out the chemicals in the safe water products?

does anyone disregard this process altogether, and think the whole thing is another scam to take our hard earned cash? if its good enough for us, its good enough for fish?

i dont believe that the chlorine is so high in our water that a) it cant be reduced naturally, and B) no bacteria can survive, otherwise why would you need to keep adding it to water in your swimming pool? why does food rott in tap water?

exactly....

 

[jflowers]

Chlorine is a gas and does dissolve into the air, thats why it needs adding to a swimming pool regularly. Airating tap water for a couple of days should have the same effect as adding dechlorinator, but thats not the only chemical added to tap water and good tap water conditioners take care of those too. I am not a chemist so can't answer all your questions and I may be wrong in what I have said, but thats my understanding.

Jon

 

[bunjiweb]

When Filling up my large container that i use for water changes I use a power-tap that we have downstairs. Its so powerful that it creates alot of bubbles and you can literally smell the chlorine coming off. I have done tests and the chlorine content is much higher in the water if i run the tap slowly than if i turn it right up to make the water foam.

There is no real way chlorine can be naturally removed properly. And the Chlorine is in fairly small ammounts.

It all really depends who your water is provided by and where you live in the world as Tap water varies so much in quality.

I get my water from Thames Water and they sent me a chart (on my request) telling me what exactly was in the water and in what ammounts. Theres a lot of stuff in there before filtration, and to an extent alot of stuff in there after, but it is in so minute parts (we are talking parts per million) that it really does not matter. Most fish are hardier than they'd like you to think

Ben

 

[NeveR]

Whenever I add AquaPlus water conditioner to my water, I let it sit for a few minutes in the bucket. It is at this time that the surface of the water begins to foam lightly (a few millimetres deep) and you can actually hear the fizzing.

Could this be the release of chlorine?

 

[Dorkhedeos]

well, ammonia goes in the air too. NH3

 

[steelhealr]

Hi...chlorine exists as a greenish gas, Cl2. When 'broken apart, it is Cl- or chloride, half the make up of table salt, NaCl. Chlorine as you know is added to water to kill bacteria and is added to our tap water to 'disinfect' it or kill harmful bacteria. Unfortunately, it is toxic to fish. The many additives we add to the tank during a water change include the chemical sodium thiosulfate pentahydrate and this neutralizes chlorine as follows:


2 Na2S2O3 (5 H2O) + Cl2 = 2 NaCl + Na2S4O6 = salt + sodium dithionate

Chloramine is also an disinfectant and is NH2Cl. Chloramine is formed when chlorine combines with water, forms hypochlorite and then with ammonia:
combines with ammonia:

Cl2 + H2O -> HOCl-(hypochlorite) + H+ + Cl-



NH3 (ammonia) + HOCl-(hypochlorite) -> NH2Cl (monochloramine) + H2O

Chloramine is neutralized by the same thiosulfate reaction (S2O3-):


S2O3-- + 4NH2Cl + 5H2O à 2SO4-- + 2H+ + 4HCl + 4NH3

Note that ammonia is released when we dechlorinate. If your pH is high, alkaline, it remains as ammonia and your biological filter should handle it unless your water is REALLY high in those chemicals. If your tank runs acidic, the ammonia is converted to ammonium (NH4+) which is less toxic.

You had to ask? SH

 

[Dorkhedeos]

i dont feel like doing homework right now, but wouldnt the sulfate, sodium, and hydrogen still be in the tank? sodium and sulfate dont evaporate so this would be an harmful aqueus solution? and i dont think those chemical equations are balanced cant somebody just find a catalyst for speeding up chlorine decomposition??

 

[corbypete]

I have looked on the web, they suggest just leaving the water in a warm place in direct sunlight will eventually release the chlorine.

this suggests to me then that cycling a tank for three weeks would have released quite enough of the chlorine (not that there was much in the water anyway)

are the remaining chemicals really that lethal?

I'mnot convinced they harm. any biological tests been done on this or have we been brainwashed by the products...?

 

[Mr Miagi]

There is a chemical known as Chloramine aswell as chlorine that is added to our water. So when u look on your bottle make sure it says "removes chlorine AND chloramine".

I add dechlorinator to remove other harmful's as someone else brought up. There are other "badies" in our water too. But my fish seem to be doing good.

Once i forgot to add the dechlorinator and they wernt looking too flash, so i learnt my lesson.

 

[squeeker]

I'mnot convinced they harm. any biological tests been done on this or have we been brainwashed by the products...?

I am originally from a very small town. When I was a kid, we kept fish and used water straight from the tap for water changes with no additives, with no problems.

I moved to Ottawa, Ontario, for university. I got a tank and set it up, and killed 6 goldfish in 3 days, and I couldn't figure out why. They were healthy and active, but would die in hours. THEN I found out there was chloramine in the water and I had to use water conditioners. I have been using them since and haven't lost a fish.

So, all I can go by is my own experience, but I do theink the conditioners are necessary, and what ever by-product is produced when the chlorine is broken up can't be nearly as bad as chloramine (and chloramine can NOT be removed from water by agitation. That's one reason why the water companies use it now).

Plus, fishkeeping is already an expensive hobby, what's a few more dollars for conditioners?

 

[steelhealr]

....chloramine will not disappear by leaving the tap water stand. SH

 

[Inchworm]

Fish are not the only organisms living in the aquarium.

Don't forget about all the beneficial bacteria that you worked so hard to cultivate when you started your tank. They are not as strong as fish and most likely cannot withstand a dose of chlorinated water from the tap. After all, the reason the water company adds chlorine is to kill bacteria.

 

[steelhealr]

Hi..in response to Dorkhedeos, the byproducts of dechlorinating your tank are much less toxic than the chloramine and chlorine. The end products, eg, dithionate or sulfur compounds, should come right out of your tank with your WEEKLY WATER CHANGES!. Hence, another reason to keep up with your tank work. SH

 

[philbozz]

What I always do before a water change of any size is boil the water up then let it cool to tank temperature (obviously) and before I add it in I sprinkle some 'aquaPLUS' or something similair in it.

 

[corbypete]

Ok, I think the forum's swaying towards the use of them then.

I have purchased a tub last night for 200 gallons, should keep me going.