Ammonia showing up or not?
- Thread starter Finthusiast
- Start date
both need to be treated with a water conditioner with like Seachem Prime
What’s the proper way to treat the water? I have seen someone demonstrate doing a water change by adding tap water directly to their tank and then treating it is this safe?
You add at least 50% of the water conditioner to the tank, dosing for the whole tank volume. Add water to the same place, and then add the last 50% of the dosing before halfway through the fillup. You always dose for the whole tank volume, no mater how much water is changed if adding new water directly to the tank.
Chloraminated water is almost as toxic as chlorinated water, it is safe for humans to drink, but burns out fish gills almost as easily as chlorine does.
Using a dechlorinator with a sodium, or calcium sulfate base will almost immediately neutralize it.
There are liquid and dry forms you mix up.
With only a couple tanks, the liquid form is practical.
I had @ 1,000 gallons of tanks, and two ponds, totalling another 2,000 gallons, so I used the dry stuff, much more economical in the long run, so i would buy 5 gallon buckets of dry, and mix it because of my every other day 40% water change schedule.
Using a dechlorinator with a sodium, or calcium sulfate base will almost immediately neutralize it.
There are liquid and dry forms you mix up.
With only a couple tanks, the liquid form is practical.
I had @ 1,000 gallons of tanks, and two ponds, totalling another 2,000 gallons, so I used the dry stuff, much more economical in the long run, so i would buy 5 gallon buckets of dry, and mix it because of my every other day 40% water change schedule.
Oh wow more great info thank you guys! How do you keep your fish safe during this process? Is the Dechlorinator toxic like say if the fish swim in it while you were doing a water change?
Also how long until the fish starts being affected by the chlorine?
Also how long until the fish starts being affected by the chlorine?
Recently I lost fish to the same situation. Tap water had always tested ammonia free then one water change not so much. I started using prime to dose tank and have not had issues since. Readings on tap still show ammonia present. I drain tank. Dose for 150 gallons then just add water right from tap. Fish handle it without any problems. Usually change 75% of water one to two times weekly.
so this whole time my water has been bad and I didn’t know it? I ordered seachem prime. To be Sure are there any negatives to using this? I just want to know what Precautions to take if any with prolonged use?
I wouldn’t say your water is bad. It’s just treated differently than some other places.
my town uses the same as yours chloramines. My tank is 135 gallons and I use seachem prime and treat for 150g of water during my water changes. (Regardless of how much water I a changing)
when I do my water changes I drain the water, add all my pre-measured prime directly to the tank, then adjust the temperature of my tap water I am filling up with and start the filling.
my fish have swam through the prime and have not been too affected, maybe some twitching or scratching after a water change but always went away and wasn’t incessant. I also try to spread out the prime and not place it all in the same place in my larger tank.
would using an airstone to bubble the water be more effective in removing the chloramine?
