Can I filter out chlorine?

[duanes]

We used a column of activated carbon to remove chlorine, and chloramine in the lab, for water that needed to be free of sodium-thiosulfate (our normal way of declorination) .
A slow stream would be run thru a 2 ft X 2 inch carbon filled tube, the slower the drip the longer the carbon would last (we used about 3 liters per day of the carbon filtered water,) .
The DPT chlorine detection test method regularly checked the efluent to determine the efficacy of the carbon, and usually ended up replacing used up carbon about once per month.

With the DPT method the darker pink the sample turns, the more chlorine present.

Above, before running thru carbon, below after


Below a swimming pool type test

For aquariums, the test strip is probably more practical because it also gives ballpark info on other parameters like pH, hardness, and nitrate.

 

[johnnymax]

I did a water change and added the dechlorinator to the tank and added water. I did water changes in 3 tanks. All went well.
I guess loosing that fish just spooked me.

Tank you!

 

[Rocksor]

I did a water change and added the dechlorinator to the tank and added water. I did water changes in 3 tanks. All went well.
I guess loosing that fish just spooked me.

Tank you!

If you have chlorine, sodium thiosulfate crystals are the cheapest option for you.

In the lab I'd mix up Sodium Thio in DI water, with a magnetic stirrer, and stir bar, making a liter at at a time, which lasted a decent amount of time.
But using an air stone would work fine (just take a little longer.
The link below is a good way to determine how to make different volumes
Jonah's Aquarium Sodium Thiosulfate Crystals Instructionshttp://www.jonahsaquarium.com › JonahSite › dechlor

 

[Krismo962]

I used it for the first time this week (sodium thiosulphate) and I'm pretty sure I have chloramines in my water as well. I tested the water a few hours after did the WC and I had no detectable ammonia,i think my BB took care of it.

 

[Rocksor]

I used it for the first time this week (sodium thiosulphate) and I'm pretty sure I have chloramines in my water as well. I tested the water a few hours after did the WC and I had no detectable ammonia,i think my BB took care of it.

A positive ammonia test from a sample of your tap water can confirm that you have chloramines.

 

[johnnymax]

Is sodium thiosulfate harmful to fish at all?
How much do you use for an aquarium?

 

[Krismo962]

55 lb's for $65.00

1 pound will treat approx 30,000 gallons of chlorine treated tap water. (@ 3.75 ppm chlorine) So unless my math is off, for $60.00, the 40lb bucket would treat approx 1.2 million gallons of water.

Perhaps 2-3 million gallons depending on the level of chlorine in your tap water. For most hobbyists, even those with large fishrooms, a single pail would most likely last you a lifetime. For those with smaller set ups, split a pail with a few friends.

Recipe:
Make a solution consisting of 4 ounces (1/4 lb) Sodium Thiosulfate crystals dissolved in 1 gallon of distilled or deionized water. Use 5 ml (1 teaspoon) of the solution for each 10 gallons of makeup water to neutralize up to 3.75 ppm chlorine. One cup can be used for each 500 gallons. (The entire one gallon of solution will treat about 7500 gallons of tap water.) The shelf life of the solution is about six months when stored in a cool location. The crystals will keep for several years if kept dry.

Is sodium thiosulfate harmful to fish at all?
How much do you use for an aquarium?

 

[duanes]

I used it for the first time this week (sodium thiosulphate) and I'm pretty sure I have chloramines in my water as well. I tested the water a few hours after did the WC and I had no detectable ammonia, i think my BB took care of it.

Sodium Thio only removes the chlorine part of chloramine molecule, it does not detoxify ammonia.
My water provider in the states used chloramine, but I still used only Sodium Thio.
When adding replacement water I always sent new water to the sump first (as opposed to directly to the tank), in that way the beneficial bacteria had first crack at the ammonia.
At most my ammonia test (on a photospectrometer) after a water change averaged 0.02 ppm, running new water to the sump first

Left vial aquarium water after a water change = 0.02 ppm
middle a 2 ppm standard ammonia solution
right, a DI blank
These 2 knowns were used for each group of samples (I usually ran 6 unknown (aquarium water) samples to assure accuracy)
the DI blank (0.00ppm), and 2 ppm ammonia standard were needed to calibrate the spectrometer with every set of a certain parameters samples.

 

[Krismo962]

Sodium Thio only removes the chlorine part of chloramine molecule, it does not detoxify ammonia

Which is why I said -

,i think my BB took care of it.

 

[RD.]

For those who don't understand the process, or have new set ups where the tanks bio is not fully mature, and/or the pH is high, and/or they keep their fish in warmer water, and/or they don't have tanks full of plants, or your local water supply uses higher levels of chloramine during certain times of the year, there is a caveat to what Duane posted.


Exposing fish to NH3, free ammonia, is like exposing an infant to second hand smoke. There is no "good" amount or value, to a fish.

NH3 (free ammonia) is toxic, to all fish, even small amounts of NH3, and even for short durations. The higher the pH of the tap water, as well as the higher the water temp, the more toxic it becomes. A good article on that subject can be found on the Krib.

https://www.thekrib.com/Chemistry/ammonia-toxicity.html



HTH