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Dechlorinator concept = sham?


myster619

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I have this theory that the whole dechlorinator concept is just a bogus marketing thing to get us to buy them. I have read somewhere a while ago that the way that chlorine is dissolved in water, it does not harm the fishes.

I have some questions I thought more knowledgeable people can shed some light on.

The chlorine dissolved in the water, how harmful is it to the health of fish and bacteria? Are there any scientific articles that can prove this?

Have you ever tested your tap water for chlorine? Have you tested the water after adding dechlorinator? Does it completely remove what it says?

Have you kept fishes in tap water for long periods of time without conditioning it? Did you notice any significant change in health or reproduction?

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Sydney water has chloramine added which requires a quality water conditioner to break down. I figure for the small amount it costs to treat the water there's no harm in doing it and very little financial imposition. Plus there are much bigger bogus marketing schemes in the world to worry about!

Sydney Water have a fact sheet which they publish specifically for protecting fish: - https://www.sydneywater.com.au/web/groups/publicwebcontent/documents/document/zgrf/mdq3/~edisp/dd_047549.pdf

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I am not a scientist, but here's my take on it.

Chloromine is added to water to kill germs and make it safe for human consumption. If it's killing germs, it's probably killing bacteria.

I have kept fish with and with out using de-chlorinators for years. I didn't notice any difference between the two of them. In saying that it has been dependant on which fish I was keeping. Wild caught always got and all other fish I was keeping at the time got it.

When it was chlorine added I was aging water in barrels and never used it as aeration would remove it.

I guess it personal choice. I still believe it is better to use it then not.

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Checked google scholar. There are journal articles (cited) that would state otherwise. Chlorine is detrimental to aqautic life and systems. Dechlorinators/water agers 'bind' to their target making it non-toxic/inert, chamge the chemical composition.

Off topic a bit but it would be amusing to pour heaps of dechlor in the local swimming pool. It burns my eyes when I swim there.

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Trace amounts, while present, can stress fish and cause limited damage to gills. Its kinda like smoking cigarettes. It doesnt kill you straight away, you dont get sick instantly but the damage is slowly being done.

The chlorine gases off quickly from the water until it is introduced again. Each time its added a little more damage can be done to the gills.

Studies are still being done relating to the toxcicity of chlorine in drinking water and health issues in people.

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I always err on the side of caution. The amount of chloramine added to our water is not always constant due to enviromental factors such as increased rainfall and algal blooms.

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  • 2 weeks later...

All good info so far.

A good thing to consider is the type of species that you are keeping.

I never used to bother with dechlorinaters until I started with Tanganyikan's. Species such as Alto. calvus are really susceptible to chlorine.

They are synonymous for breathing heavily with fully spread gills during and after a water change. This is due to even the smallest amounts of chlorine which is what our water is dosed with.

If the smallest amounts force a fish to breathe heavily think about the damage being done over time to all fish.

The better shape their gills are in the better the fish will do in general. No matter the species.

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