Safe not working?

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CarpCharacin

Probation Member
Probation Member
Sep 20, 2014
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Salt Lake City
I set up a 75 gallon tank today, and I added a little under a quarter teaspoon of safe, but the water still smelled like chlorine, so I added some more. I added about the same amount again along with two smaller amounts on the other side of the tank. I thought a quarter teaspoon was supposed to treat like 300 gallons. I have the filter going, now I hope I didn't add too much safe. Do you think the water just needs to move around some more? I always add it when I fill up my other tanks after doing a water change with the python, and it always works. Shouldn't the smell of chlorine go away after the safe is added?
 
I have never used Safe but was curious,does your tap water usually have a chlorine smell?
 
I thought a quarter teaspoon was supposed to treat like 300 gallons.

That depends entirely on your local tap water disinfectant residual. It also depends whether you have chlorine treated tap water, or chloramine treated tap water. See below ....



Directions for 10 g and 50 g

To remove…

Chlorine: use 1 measure to each 130 L (35 gallons*) of tap water (removes 1 ppm)..
Chloramine: use 1 measure to each 100 L (25 gallons*) of tap water (removes 1 ppm).
Ammonia: use 1 measure to each 32 L (8 gallons*) of tap water (removes 1 ppm). Do not overdose!*

For reference, 1 measure = 100 mg. To detoxify nitrite/nitrate in an emergency situation use up to 5 measures to each 40 L (10 gallons). Use fish to gauge toxicity reduction as test kits will still show presence of nitrite/nitrate even when detoxified. May be added to aquarium directly, but is better if added to new water first. If adding directly to aquarium, base dose on aquarium volume. If temperature is > 30 C (86 F) cut dosing in half.


Directions for 250 g and larger

To remove…

Chlorine: use 5 g (1 tsp.*) to each 1625 L (450 gallons*) of tap water (removes 4 ppm).
Chloramine: use 5 g (1 tsp.*) to each 1250 L (300 gallons*) of tap water (removes 4 ppm).
Ammonia: use 5 g (1 tsp.*) to each 400 L (100 gallons*) of tap water (removes 4 ppm). Do not overdose!
 
I think my tap water is just treated with chlorine, but I think they use a lot of it. I let the tank sit overnight with the filter running, and the smell is gone. Since the safe is more concentrated than prime, I think it takes longer to get distributed in a larger tank. I think if I added it while the tank was filling, it would have gotten distributed faster, but I think it got distributed when I let the tank sit overnight.
 
I would expect it to take awhile for the odor to clear but it shouldn't linger.

I recommend getting a total chlorine test. I tested Prime and Hikari Ultimate and discovered that the recommended dose of Prime only removed 25% of the chlorine compared to the recommended dose of Ultimate. I expect the test of Safe to be equally disappointing.
 
I smelled the tank again, and I think it still has a slight chlorine smell. What should I do? I just don't want to add too much safe.
 
I smelled it again, and now I don't smell the chlorine, I just hope that the chlorine didn't use up the activated carbon in the new filter.
 
Unreacted dechlorinator can lower oxygen levels. Some dechlorinators react with oxygen more than others. I suspect Safe/Prime might be one of those hence the 5X lower dosage. I have a dissolved oxygen meter so it's on my list of things to test.

Then it's a balancing act. Too little and you don't neutralize all the chlorine. Too much and the unreacted dechlorinator reacts with oxygen.

If it's been 24 hours, another single dose of Safe should be...safe.
 
It hasn't been 24 hours, I added more than one does of safe last night because it still smelled like chlorine after adding the first dose.
 
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