Ask An Expert
Why use Neutralizers & Conditioners
21st April, 2008
Why is chlorine in the water?
Water goes through a significant change when put through a council water plant or recycling plant. To achieve acceptable standards for human health the council will treat the water for excessive salinity, hardness, heavy minerals, bad taste, odours, iron or magnesium, algae, organic material and high levels of bacteria. There are many additives introduced to kill or alleviate these impurities from tap water and the additives are not suitable for aquarium inhabitants.
Especially Chlorine, Chlorine is used to kill bad bacteria, unfortunately in the Aquarium it so kills good bacteria, it is also harmful to fish. Often people tell me there fish are sick and dying for no apparent reason yet when I ask if they use a Neutralizer or Conditioner they often replay no. Why do do many people go to the trouble of correct fish keeping only to neglect the first part of the process. Conditioners also nuetralize Chlorine but they can also rid the tank of heavy metals and other impurities so they are the safest way to treat you tap water. So not only do the fish suffer but the good bacteria suffer as well. If you do not understand the imporance of good bacteria in the aquarium see the care sheet for ‘The most important thing to know' under ASK AN EXPERT.
Chloramine is also toxic
As well as Chlorine some water authorities are changing from chlorine to using chloramine. Chlorine gas is injected into the water supply followed by ammonia. The result is chloramine, relatively stable compared to chlorine, lasting several days in water even when exposed to sunlight.
Chlorine neutralizer neutralizes the chlorine and chloramine therefore it detoxifies the product and makes the water safe for fish and eliminates the harm to good bacteria
What happens to the fish?
Both chlorine and chloramine are deadly to fish. Chloramine can kill fish in several ways.
- It can break down to ammonia and chlorine, both of which are toxic to fish
- It can combine with amino acids and protein in aquarium water to form even more toxic organic chloramine.
- It can pass through the gill membrane of fish, where it enters the blood stream and penetrates the red blood cells causing eventual destruction of the cells.
Symptoms of Chloramine
Fish that are affected become lethargic; go off their food, rest on
the bottom and then after about 4 days, they die suddenly. A fish that was sluggish an hour before, but still swimming, will be found dead at the surface, floating belly up. Of course elevated levels of chloramine would result in a quicker death.
What else can happen with water changing from its natural environment to tap water?
It may adjust the PH to extremely high or low levels, fluoride treatment, alum treatment for algae and water clarity, sodium silicate to keep iron and magnesium in solution and avoid staining.
Water in its passage through the pipes to your tap might pick up iron, copper, zinc, aluminium. Even cement and plastic pipes can have an effect on the passing water.
So unless you use tank water or lake water it is always advised that a Chlorine Neutralizer or Water Conditioner is used after all it is better to be safe than sorry.
POSTED BY: Jennifer Hilker
AQUARIUM EXPERT
'THE PET COMPANY'