How to get rid of chloramines for drip system?

Ulu

Potamotrygon
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When I test my tank vs tap I can't see any difference in the amount of chlorine. I use prime currently.

But switching to a drip system today and I am.making a diy inline activated charcoal filter for it.

No chance to age water with a drip.
It is totally possible.

You drip into and out of an open vessel that continuously ages the water.
 

philipraposo1982

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Feb 21, 2016
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Yeah I guess that could work. I never really thought about doing that.

Since my tank is on the main floor, I wonder what kind of pump I would need.

Either way I am connecting directly to a main cold water line with a rainbird regulator down to a 1/4 inch line through a diy carbon filter and to the tank using a drip emitter. I am not sure of the flow rate yet but will fine tune it.

For the drain I am drilling the tank with a 1" bulkhead and going down to a 1/2 inch garden hose to a laundry tub.

Pretty simple setup.

The main reason for me switching to this method is to avoid super saturated water which I have a big problem with. I could age the water in the basement then get a big pump to come up to the tank but that just seems like a lot of work and messing around.

Plus we are travelling alot and would be nice to not have to worry about the tank.

Since I am very understocked with my single festae my nitrates barely move as it is. So I am not really worried.

Excited to get it running tomorrow.
 

Ulu

Potamotrygon
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The problem is you never know when the city will shock-treat the system. They do it here, and levels of chlorine spike.
 
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fishdance

Redtail Catfish
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Activated carbon will definitely remove chloramine. The ammonia freed will be captured by your biological filter. Higher grade activation will remove better than low grade.

Use a slow constant (continual) drip to waterchange as the slow flow rate allows long dwell time in your carbon filter. This helps with temperature differences over winter too. I have very high chloramine levels in my water supply with the occasional but unpredictable extremely high spike of poor water quality which may last several days. The constant water drip is your best safeguard for this as only a slow rate (relatively low volume) occurs if poor water does come through. If you are worried initially, set a very slow rate of exchange. At say 3% of water volume each day, you would only have 21% of water after a week which is fine for chloramine without any carbon filter at all. I typically use 10% daily on broodstock and up to 35% daily on grow out.

You can re-activate your carbon with heat/oven if your very keen. I pack my own carbon filters for better quality control but I run a high number of tanks so it's worth the effort to me.
 

Hendre

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Activated carbon will definitely remove chloramine. The ammonia freed will be captured by your biological filter. Higher grade activation will remove better than low grade.
It does not always, I would definitely not rely on it.
 

duanes

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I checked the Woodstock regions report, it appears only free chlorine is used there.
It's site was much clearer about water parameters.
So free chlorine will off gas quickly, and carbon will be very effective.
Water is moderately hard with a great buffering capacity ( alkalinity over 200ppm).
Nitrate was a little high in some areas, up to 6 ppm, so those wells must be in much more agricultural area, where fertilization is in high use.
Depending on what filtration you use, if a sump, running a drip direct to the sump (instead of the tank) and into an area where the water is agitated might be very effective enough with off gasing the small amount of chlorine residual.
 

philipraposo1982

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Thanks for taking a second look!

I live near lots of farms and that why it's high in nitrogen nitrates. But to my understanding from my high tech plant keeping days, this is not harmful to fish in the same way our nitrate buildup is.

I run fx6s so no sump. I will be closely watching my fish and my water for any signs of distress
 
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