chloramine

[Mark]

Hi All

Brand new to AP and to this site, this site is chock full of info, thank you!

I put my system together yesterday 40 gallon tub for the fish tank and 25 gallon tub for the grow bed, using Affnan's bell siphon(the siphon worked first time no problems, thank you Affnan)

I find out today that my water has chloramine in it, so how to get rid of it?

I have read some about Vitamin C and that it might be able to remove it?

Since I have not added any grow media yet, what would be the downside to trying the Vitamin C method.

If the Vitamin C removes it, will the Vitamin C at some point dissipate from the water so not to affect bacteria growth?

If not the Vitamin C method, would using bottled water be an option?

Any recommendations on a test kit for chlorine?

Mark

[TCLynx]

I'm not terribly well versed on Chloramine I've herd that vitamin C may not be fully effective.

An aquarium shop in your area may have a test kit.

Testing for chloramines. If you're testing for chloramines, make sure the test kit you've borrowed is testing for "total chlorine" or "combined chlorine," not for "free chlorine." A test for "free chlorine" would misleadingly read zero in chloraminated water.

Skeptical Aquarist

sodium thiosulfate is actually what you want to use to treat for Chloramine unless you can pass your water through a good activated carbon filter very very slowly.

If you are not in a hurry, you might be able to get rid of chloramine by pumping and bubbling the water around in the sun for a few weeks.  (Chlorine will go away in a few days that way.)

When you treat for chloramine, you will have ammonia left in the water which if you are planning to fishless cycle, could be counted as a good thing but if you are getting fish right away, it won't be so good.

[Mark]

So I need to make sure the kit will check for chloramines.

I wonder if sodium thiosulfate is safe for eating in plants or maybe it will dissipate from the water.

My system is in the basement so no access to the sun.

What is your thoughts on replacing the tap water with bottled water?

Thank you for your help

TCLynx said:

I'm not terribly well versed on Chloramine I've herd that vitamin C may not be fully effective.

An aquarium shop in your area may have a test kit.

Testing for chloramines. If you're testing for chloramines, make sure the test kit you've borrowed is testing for "total chlorine" or "combined chlorine," not for "free chlorine." A test for "free chlorine" would misleadingly read zero in chloraminated water.

Skeptical Aquarist

sodium thiosulfate is actually what you want to use to treat for Chloramine unless you can pass your water through a good activated carbon filter very very slowly.

If you are not in a hurry, you might be able to get rid of chloramine by pumping and bubbling the water around in the sun for a few weeks.  (Chlorine will go away in a few days that way.)

When you treat for chloramine, you will have ammonia left in the water which if you are planning to fishless cycle, could be counted as a good thing but if you are getting fish right away, it won't be so good.

[TCLynx]

Bottled water  (as in spring water) might be ok but costly.

Distilled water is not ok to use for fish without adding back in necessary minerals.

The left over results of using sodium thiosulfate would be the safest for a food system than most of the aquarium water conditioners that have other extra stuff added that may not be safe to eat.  I believe they use sodium thiosulfate in some wine making so a brew and wind making supply place might be an appropriate place to get the product but then you have to do some extra research to figure out how much to use.  That link I supplied probably has some of the info you would need or might be able to lead you to where to find it.

[Mark]

Thank you.

This project is going to take some time just to get to the starting point :)

TCLynx said:

Bottled water  (as in spring water) might be ok but costly.

Distilled water is not ok to use for fish without adding back in necessary minerals.

The left over results of using sodium thiosulfate would be the safest for a food system than most of the aquarium water conditioners that have other extra stuff added that may not be safe to eat.  I believe they use sodium thiosulfate in some wine making so a brew and wind making supply place might be an appropriate place to get the product but then you have to do some extra research to figure out how much to use.  That link I supplied probably has some of the info you would need or might be able to lead you to where to find it.

[David Hart]

I've been using sodium ascorbate to treat chloramine, for about 2 years . It doesn't effect the PH....I've heard ascorbic acid does.

I'm not familure with sodium thiosulfate...'?'

 

 

 

[TCLynx]

And it is worth listening to people who actually deal with treated water.  I just have to deal with liquid limestone coming out of my well.

So, David has been doing this a few years so if you can pick his brain it would be worth it to you.

[Mark]

Will do, thanks

TCLynx said:

And it is worth listening to people who actually deal with treated water.  I just have to deal with liquid limestone coming out of my well.

So, David has been doing this a few years so if you can pick his brain it would be worth it to you.

[Mark]

I looked this up and it appears to be a vitamin supplement, is this correct?

Also could you tell me how much per gallon of water to use.

David Hart said:

I've been using sodium ascorbate to treat chloramine, for about 2 years . It doesn't effect the PH....I've heard ascorbic acid does.

I'm not familure with sodium thiosulfate...'?'

 

 

 

[David Hart]

You are correct Mark.....it is a vitamin supplement.

It takes very little. Of course you'll want to test this for yourself....I use about an 1/8 of a tsp per 50 gals.

 

 

[Mark]

Thank you, I will get some and give it a try.

David Hart said:

You are correct Mark.....it is a vitamin supplement.

It takes very little. Of course you'll want to test this for yourself....I use about an 1/8 of a tsp per 50 gals.

 

 

[TCLynx]

Hay David, How would one test it?  Do you use a chlorine test or something?

Do you know what your aprox chlormaine levels are (according to your utilities water test reports?)

I'm curious about this since many people ask but I really haven't had the need to learn this myself.

[Raymond Nunez]

What are the effects to plants and or fish 

TCLynx said:

Hay David, How would one test it?  Do you use a chlorine test or something?

Do you know what your aprox chlormaine levels are (according to your utilities water test reports?)

I'm curious about this since many people ask but I really haven't had the need to learn this myself.