for those that add the water directly to the tank during water change, is it best to add the dechlorinator to the tank before you start filling or after it is done filling? Is here an active time on the chemical. Like, does it only work for a minute once added? If so it would probably be wise to add prime after done filling. If I can add it before I start filling and the prime to continue its job until i finish filling. hmmmm. Anyone know???
conditioner and dechlorinators
- Thread starter turtlepower
- Start date
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I had some super cool idea, or so my pea brain told me to feed prime into the water stream as I added it back; thank Goodness I tested first.
I have a water line ran to my tank to refill it during water changes, I though hey lets put a venturi and hook it up to my bottle of prime. The Ideal was I would have a bottle with the exact amount of prime I needed +5ml, and put the suction end of the venturi into the bottle. I though hey this will siphon out the prime into the flow of incoming water.
Perhaps this could have worked with greater flow, but what happend was, there was not enough suction to lift the prime out of the bottle, it only made it about half way up the tube. Then the problem happend the tube started to flow water back out of the tube into the bottle of prime.
Luckily for me I decided to put the prime in the tank first, and then use a prime bottle with just water in it to test.
I have a water line ran to my tank to refill it during water changes, I though hey lets put a venturi and hook it up to my bottle of prime. The Ideal was I would have a bottle with the exact amount of prime I needed +5ml, and put the suction end of the venturi into the bottle. I though hey this will siphon out the prime into the flow of incoming water.
Perhaps this could have worked with greater flow, but what happend was, there was not enough suction to lift the prime out of the bottle, it only made it about half way up the tube. Then the problem happend the tube started to flow water back out of the tube into the bottle of prime.
Luckily for me I decided to put the prime in the tank first, and then use a prime bottle with just water in it to test.
I would put it in before. Putting the conditioner in afterward opens up your fish to momentary gill burn from chlorine.
It depends on two things:
1 - The quality of your tap water
2 - The acceptable level of stress you want your fish to endure
1 - If you have very bad tap water (i.e., nitrates, ammonia, high level of chloramine) you should pre-mix the water and conditioner in a storage tank and then pump it in. If you have well water or public water that draws mainly from springs, then you can add the conditioner anytime; before, after, during.
2 - If you have no problem stressing your fish a bit; possibly affecting color, activity, and lifespan then you can add conditioner anytime. Plenty of people smoke, say it doesn't bother them, and accept the possibility they may die earlier than the average life expectancy.
1 - The quality of your tap water
2 - The acceptable level of stress you want your fish to endure
1 - If you have very bad tap water (i.e., nitrates, ammonia, high level of chloramine) you should pre-mix the water and conditioner in a storage tank and then pump it in. If you have well water or public water that draws mainly from springs, then you can add the conditioner anytime; before, after, during.
2 - If you have no problem stressing your fish a bit; possibly affecting color, activity, and lifespan then you can add conditioner anytime. Plenty of people smoke, say it doesn't bother them, and accept the possibility they may die earlier than the average life expectancy.
If you're bored and feel like doing some homework on the subject:
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=213384
They talk a lot about the importance of premixing your water and storing it for 24 hours in that thread. That's a nice theory, but I don't have room to store close to 400g of water for all my tanks water changes.
After reading that thread I figured the best route would be to just put the Prime in first and fill my tank slowly. I did this up until I got my 450g. To refill 225g slowly takes quite awhile though...and since getting the 450, I've gotten a python, which in the directions says that the python aerates the water giving it some dechlorinating help.
So now I just dose with prime, add a little extra, and turn the python on high and hope for the best. So far so good.
Also - here's another thread discussing the topic - there's a video that shows prime in action in the first vid:
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=269158
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=213384
They talk a lot about the importance of premixing your water and storing it for 24 hours in that thread. That's a nice theory, but I don't have room to store close to 400g of water for all my tanks water changes.
After reading that thread I figured the best route would be to just put the Prime in first and fill my tank slowly. I did this up until I got my 450g. To refill 225g slowly takes quite awhile though...and since getting the 450, I've gotten a python, which in the directions says that the python aerates the water giving it some dechlorinating help.
So now I just dose with prime, add a little extra, and turn the python on high and hope for the best. So far so good.
Also - here's another thread discussing the topic - there's a video that shows prime in action in the first vid:
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=269158