Tap Water Chlorine

[HarryL]

For people that use tap water for their tanks, what is your order for treating the water? For my smaller 10G, I mix the water with Seachem Prime in a 1G bottle right before adding the water in.

I've seen a lot of people using pythons to add tap water straight into their tank. AFAIK, the chlorine in the water won't kill the Beneficial Bacterial immediately because the concentration is too low, but I wonder if it's more harmful to the fish and the invertebrates? Is it okay to just add Seachem Prime into the tank and then fill with tap water?

 

[*Ci*]

I have always squirted dechlorinator (I use sodium thiosulphate) directly into my tanks and pond and then add tap water. Never noticed any negatives to this approach.

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

Is it okay to just add Seachem Prime into the tank and then fill with tap water?

This is what I do, I just use Safe instead because it lasts WAY longer.

 

[HarryL]

This is what I do, I just use Safe instead because it lasts WAY longer.

Good to know, I will switch to it once I used up all the prime. Probably will last me another year at least since I only have two tanks!

 

[vinzphua]

Had the same question long ago and the answers I got are:
1. For refilling by bucket, dose each bucket according to bucket volume and mix before adding the water to the tank.
2. For direct refilling with hose, dose the tank for the total tank water volume before adding water.

On a related note, Prime has contents that promote growth of fish slime coat. With Prime, I think my Arowana over produced his slime coat and had thick clear mucus hanging of him. I switched to AquaVitro Premier and the problem went away.

Seachem says Premier doesn't have the slime coat stuff and leaves the ammonium (from chloramine) available for plants. Although they also say Prime leaves the ammonium bio-available to plants.

 

[HarryL]

For direct refilling with hose, dose the tank for the total tank water volume before adding water.

This is exactly what I was hoping to do with the new 25G, since the water hose is right next to it and filling it will be so much easier with it.

On a related note, Prime has contents that promote growth of fish slime coat

I never knew that's a property with Prime. I only have nano fish and never really noticed any extra slime production.

 

[SkaleyAquatics]

This is what I do, I just use Safe instead because it lasts WAY longer.

I do this as well.

 

[Pepere]

I once forgot to add the dechlorinator while doing a water change and I lost a lot of fish from it.

Now, before I even grab the Python, I take a quart mason jar and fill it with warm water and add the dechlorinator to it along with CaSO4 and Epsom salts. My tap water is very soft and I need to add Calcium and Magnesium to it. In addition to dechlorinator.

The mason jar sits next to my tank ready to add. I have a length of rigid airline with flexible airline attached. When I am ready to fill with the python, the rigid airline is in the mason jar and I start a siphon so the mason jar water trickles into the tank next to the python flow.

Why do I fiddle with adding it slowly? I never did until I ran out of Fritz complete, and got a bottle of Aqueon dechlorinator at local Petco. I added it directly to the tank after draining water and starting to refill. The Aqueon is a thicker more viscous liquid. It promptly killed 3 cories that were near where I added the dechlorinator and it was a horrid torturous death. After that I have taken to always dilute dechlorinator in a quart of water and instill it slowly as I refill the tank. I also promptly trashed the Aqueon dechlor and never bought another Aqueon solution to add to a tank.

Is my practice overkill? Maybe, but both losses were distressing, knowing that I was resposible. Doing it this way makes me feel better, at least until the next time I screw up…

I use Fritz complete and used to pay $16.99 a pint. I recently discovered I can buy a gallon on Amazon for 79.99 which works out to roughly $10.00 a pint.

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

I once forgot to add the dechlorinator while doing a water change and I lost a lot of fish from it.

You’re not alone here. I did it and when I went to add it, I had none left. It was awful to watch.

@vinzphua Seachem states that slime property is only produced with Prime, if you use Safe it doesn’t have that added “slime coat” additive.

@Pepere I’d also try Safe, it’s very cost effective for WC’s in the long term.

 

[Pepere]

I’d also try Safe, it’s very cost effective for WC’s in the long term.

Yes, but the amount to add seems inconvenient for smaller tanks due to the concentration. I like using a pump bottle that dispenses a ml of Fritz complete, 1 pump per 10 gallons.

Weighing out in milligrams seems a pain to me.

 

[SkaleyAquatics]

I have a set of 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32, and 1/64 tsp(from Amazon) I use to dose with the safe. Safe can be dosed at up to 4x the concentration based on there label. 1/4 dose does 300gal, and 1/64 basically does 20gal. I usually just dose by 10gal and under a 1/64 tsp. I have never had a problem. I bought a 1kg container for like 25 bucks and have maybe used a quarter of it, and I was doing weekly water changes for over a year on 800gal of water. It is extremely cost effective.

 

[Phish Tank]

I squirt prime in the sink attach of end of my Python, then attach it to the faucet and fill. My hope is that it mixes a bit with water as the python tube fills up.

 

[Joel Armstrong]

I use 2 of these


I hook it up to the kitchen tap, straight into tank