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Chlorine and chloramine (a compound of chlorine and ammonia) are used
to treat public water supplies in most cities. These chemicals are intended to
kill harmful bacteria. As a side effect, they will kill all bacteria and other
aquatic life, including fishes. Unless you are certain that your water supply
comes from an untreated well, you must remove the chlorine before adding the
water to your aquarium. The easiest way to do this is to use a water
conditioner/dechlorinator. A myriad of products are available for this. The
active ingredient in these products is sodium thiosulfate. Any of the commercial dechlorinators should work if used at
the recommended dosage. You can add the dechlorinator before you put the water
into the aquarium or add it along with the clean water. If you add it as you add
the water, never add more than one half of the volume of water that is still in
the tank. This will be equal to a one third water change. Here's an easy way to
calculate the portion -
Use a ruler to measure the height of the water in the tank above the gravel.
Measure from the top of the gravel to the surface of the water along the outside
of the tank. Divide this number by three. The result is the amount of water in
inches that you will remove to perform a one-third water change. For instance,
if the height of the water is 15 inches, 15 divided by 3 is 5. Remove five
inches of water from the tank. If you refill this five inches of water with
clean water, you can add the dechlorinator while you add the water because the
volume you're adding is only one half of the volume that is already in the tank.
If you remove more than one third of the water from the tank, measure the height
of the water after you have removed as much as you want to. Take the height of
the remaining water and divide it by two. The result is the height you can add
to the water that is already in the tank. For instance, if you have 10 inches of
water in the tank (above the gravel), you can add 5 more inches, for a total of
15 inches in the tank. Once you add the five inches of water and the
dechlorinator, wait 5 to 10 minutes for the dechlorinator to mix in and destroy
the chlorine. Then repeat the procedure with another half portion of what is now
in the tank - 15 divided by 2 equals 7.5 more inches of water, or to the top of
the tank, which ever is less. Don't forget the dechlorinator!
If all that seems too complicated, just mix the dechlorinator with the water
before you add it to the tank. You will need a mixing container, such as a five
gallon bucket for this. Always make sure the water you are adding to the tank is
the same temperature as the water in the tank. Use a thermometer to measure the
temperature of both.
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