Water conditioners
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[edit] Water conditioners
Water conditioners are an essential part of the aquarium hobby. Whilst there are a great many different types of 'water conditioners', this article is about the use of chemical removers from tap water.
Tap water is where most hobbyists get their tank water and this is often treated by the water supplier to prevent harmful bacteria getting into the home.
Two chemicals Chlorine and chloramine are used in the vast majority of cases to kill bacteria.
It is important that you find out which one your local water supplier uses as chloramine is more toxic and is harder to get rid off than chlorine.
- Tip: Also ask them if they plan to switch to chlormaine in the future. Most are.
Once you've discovered the chemical type you need to choose the water conditioner which is right for you. Most conditioners can be seperated into three types.
- Those that remove chlorine.
- Those that remove chlorine and breakup/neutralise/remove chloramine. But leave ammonia behind in breaking up chloramine.
- Those that remove the two chemicals and also remove the ammonia caused by the break up of chloramine.
If yout tap water has chlorine you need any one of these types.
If you have chloramine, then you need the third type. Here's why.
Sadly not all conditioner manufacturers who make the second type tell their customers that they may also need to use a second product that removes the ammonia released from the breakup of chloramine. This often comes to light when the customer tests their water for the presence of ammonia and finds a high quantity in the water after a water change.
[edit] Chemicals used in conditioners
Whilst some manufacturers keep their chemicals secret from their consumers. It is often stated in their safety sheet if someone accidently swallowed a quantity of it.
The most common chemical used in the industry to remove chlorine is Sodium thiosulfate (Sodium thiosulphate).
Chloramine is more difficult to remove as Sodium thiosulphate will break chloramine into its two component parts and only remove the chlorine. The ammonia has to be removed by another chemical. Such chemicals are Aliphatic Amine salts, hydrosulfite salts or sodium hydroxymethane sulfinic acid.
[edit] Additives
Many conditioner companies try to promote their brand over another by adding extra chemicals that claim to do something extra for your money.
[edit] Chelating metals
They add a chemical (usually tetrasodium EDTA) that renders any dissolved metals that may be in the water into a harmless type. This is actually a useful additive as tap water quality varies enormously across the world and some people have their tap water coming from a local well which is probably got a low level of copper or zinc in it. This may be safe for people to drink. But may be too high a level for their aquatic pets.
- See Chelated.
- See Metal poison disease.
[edit] Nitrate or nitrite removers
Some companies add chemicals which also remove these two troublesome chemicals. This is a useful additive, but in a correctly cycled tank, with proper, regular water changes or with a planted aquarium should never require the forced removal of these. Best kept for an emergency.
[edit] Slim coat protection
These are various chemicals, some natural other not so that claim to add a protective layer around the fish skin. But these will also cover the fish's gills and some aquarists say it may reduce the animals ability to breath. In any case, the animal is prefectly able to provide its own mucus to cover any possible wounds in its body. Typical chemicals are Allantoin (Comfrey plant extract) or Aloe vera.
[edit] Aloe vera
This is appearing in conditioners for some reason. It is cactus juice which numbs the nerve endings in human skin so making the material coated with it to feel extra soft and provides a moisture environment. Useful if you've got a minor injury. Quite why fish need this as it doesn't adhere to their body we're not told.
[edit] Electrolytes
Electrolytes are formed when a salt is placed into water. This will alter the osmotic pressure of the water and provides a similar effect as adding a quantity of normal everyday Salt to the tank water.
Common salt is sometimes added in low amounts to a tank to reduce stress on an aquatic animal moving from one water type to another or to improve the uptake of oxygen by the gill of a fish if the animal is ill. Quite why you need to buy an expensive variation of common salt is not given. Also not explained is why you need to stress your non-ill fish by altering the water chemistry (osmostic pressure) of the tap water they are probably already used to. Perhaps useful if your animal is ill. But ordinary salt is far cheaper.
[edit] Anti-Bacterial agent
Some conditoners add a bactericide. The thinking goes along the lines that you've performed a water change and therefore there may be bad bacteria churned up from the substrate. One such chemical added is often Formaldehyde.
[edit] Fluorine agent
This is claimed to remove the chemical fluorine. This chemical is often present in tap water in the ionic form fluoride which is used to decrease tooth decay in people. No evidence has been found that fluoride is harmful to aquatic animals at the normal dosages (0.7-1,2ppm) from tap water.
[edit] Herbal extracts
Quite how adding oils from leaves is suppose to help fish is never explained. This is getting more popular over the last few years. But often no research references on benefits are forecoming. Believed to be introduced because of the rise of homeopathy medicine.
[edit] Chlorine removers
Typical chlorine only removers are:
[edit] Chlorine and Chloramine removers
- These leave ammonia behind after any chloramine is 'removed'.
- Kordon - NovAqua+
- Waterlife - Haloex
- Kent - Chlorinex
- Nutrafin - Aquaplus
- Jungle Lab - Start Right, Ammonia Clear Tank Buddies, Bag Buddies Fish Bag Tabs, Blue Holdex, Insto Chlor.
- Wardley - Essentials Chlor Out
[edit] Chlorine, chloramine and ammonia removers
- They remove all three chemicals or convert the chemicals into harmless versions.
- API - Stress Coat (latest version does (middle to end of 2007), older ones don't).
- Seachem - AmGuard, Safe, Prime
- Kordon - AmQuel, AmQuel+, EZ4U, BettaTabs, GoldfishTabs.
- Kent - Ammonia Detox
- Tetra - AquaSafe, Ammonia Detox
- Marineland Labs - Bio-Safe
- Nutrafin - Goldfish Bowl Conditioner.
- Jungle Lab - Ammonia Chloramine Eliminator (ACE),
- Wardley - 3 in 1 Water Conditioner
[edit] Links
- Skeptical Aquarist on Conditioners.
- The Tropical Tank - Water Conditioners and Dechlorinators review (last updated 2003).
- FDA Advises Dietary Supplement Manufacturers to Remove Comfrey Products From the Market
- Allantoin by Wikipedia
