Chlorine Help

[CHOMPERS]

The chlorine is pretty high, but so is the sodium. It doesn't mention if these are elemental or in compounds. If they are elemental or ionic then they will easily convert to salt so that has me thinking they are in compounds. Ammonium, chloramines, and organic compounds were not tested. Therefore, it can not be known if chloramines are present. Chloramines will show up in OTO chlorine tests as part of the chlorine total. It requires a DPD or equivalent test to separate the free chlorine from the chloramine total.

Since the tests were likely measuring compounds with the target element present, and since the chlorine content is pretty high, my guess is that there is a better probability that chloramines are present.

Since it was not tested, take a sample of your tap water and neutralize the chlorine. Then test it for ammonia. If ammonia is present, then your water has been treated with chloramines.

 

[CHOMPERS]

My brain is stuck in neutral because it is 2:00am here. I made an error in translating the chart. I had assumed that the max and min were the allowances, but I saw that the last collumn is the National Health & Medical Research Council's Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. The collumn 'mean' clued me in that this is statistical sampling.

Through out the month of January, of all of the sampling done, the max and min sample results are listed. The average of all the samples taken through the month are reported as the mean.

Also, ignore the comment about the Na+ and Cl-. The mean results for these are not close enough in proportion to draw that conclusion.

However, both Cl and Na do not exist in water in their elemental form. Chlorine is diatomic and exists as Cl2 in gas form but in aquious form it reacts with the water to form hypochlorous acid (what we test for as chlorine). Elemental sodium reacts violently with water and forms sodium hydroxide.

Still, the tests report that both elements were tested as Cl and Na which indicates that each element was actually participating in a compound at the time of the test. Thus, the conclusion that the probability of having chloramines in your water still holds.

The only sure way to know is to do the test.

Btw, it is odd that they didn't test for arsenic or mercury considering their abundance and toxicity.

 

[fishbait912]

Just so you know you can buy super-concentrated de-chlor solutions for ponds, much cheaper than the aquarium stuff. I actually use it for my aquariums - one jug costs about $30 and lasts me for 2 years or so.

how does this work in a home aquarium?

 

[CHOMPERS]

Since it is a stronger concentration, you just take the dosing recommendation and adjust it to your tank size.

pond dose/pond size = tank dose/tank size

or

tank dose = pond dose x (tank size/pond size)

 

[gonnelro]

I agree, prime is not expensive and it treats a lot of water. I think off the top of my head for 1000 gallons you'll only need to dose 20 teaspoons of prime. You could buy one of those big jugs of prime