Should I treat water to top off my tanks?

Hello, I have to top off a couple of my tanks every 2/3 days due to evaporation. I add about 2 litters of water to each tank which isn't much. I usually treat it with Prime but is it really necessary? They are 29 and 16 gallon tanks, 2 litters is very little compared to what it in the tanks. Am I really hurting my fish if I don't treat the water? I just don't want to use Prime unnecessarily, plus I guess I can always keep a bucket of water that has sat for a day or two and use that but then I have to have a bucket of water sitting around lol. Thanks

 

I do but others don't. I don't put any untreated water in any of my tanks no matter how much or little it is.

 

I would say yes- you should always treat your water (if tap) you are using for your fish. Chlorine may gas out after a while but chlomamine does not so easy. googling very quickly brought up this- https://aquanswers.com/how-long-does-it-take-for-chlorine-to-evaporate-from-tap-water-entirely/

 

We used tap water for 20 years without one issue.
Now I use prime. Seachem owes this forum big time!

 

Thanks everyone, I will continue to treat. Oh how I love the smell of sulfur lol

 

Thanks everyone, I will continue to treat. Oh how I love the smell of sulfur lol

Once a tank is cycled any of the many water conditioners designed to remove both chlorine and chloramines will work just fine. I continue using Prime only because it takes so little of it to get the job done.

 

Once a tank is cycled any of the many water conditioners designed to remove both chlorine and chloramines will work just fine. I continue using Prime only because it takes so little of it to get the job done.

Thanks, I switched to HikarI Ultimate because it has zero smell, but it takes 3 times as much to treat the water. I will most likely keep the little flip top cap the Ultimate came with and switch back to Prime and replace the cap. We will see lol, if I can get 3-4 months out of the Ultimate I'll probably keep using it, my fish don't seem to mind the change.

 

One capful of Prime treats 50 gallons.
I use just under a capful each time. So I waste some. I do have measuring droppers but it’s easier to waste.

 

I use two different conditioners, one small dropper bottle of dechlornator and one super concentrated formula. The former is for top offs because it is 2 drops to every gallon and the latter is for WC because it is 1 ml for 20g.

 

If the chlorine in your water is low, you can probably get away with topping off without treating. But I always do, because the chlorine in my water is very high. Like, I can smell it when I turn on the tap. Last time I checked it was 3ppm, which is on par with what we keep our hot tub at!

 

I never use any water treatments in my aquariums.....but then I only use bottled water since I refuse to use the tap water unless for doing the laundry, dishwasher & bathroom cos it smells terrible, tastes gastly and if I won't drink it then I absolutely refuse to punish my fish & amphib by forcing them to swim in it

384 litres of bottled water in 2 litre bottles lasts me about a 7-8 weeks for 4 aquariums and my own needs and no expensive bottles of treatment anywhere. The only "treatments" in my aquariums are an air powered hybrid secondary filter with UV in each aquarium and Evolution Aqua gel balls if my ammonia alerts tell me there is an issue to be dealt with

 

I have a question for you.
Instead of just adding a little water and using prime, why don't you just do a 50% water change every week and then add the prime.

 

I can smell the chlorine in my tap water as well, so I always treat top off using prime.

 

I have a question for you.
Instead of just adding a little water and using prime, why don't you just do a 50% water change every week and then add the prime.

I actually do the weekly 50% water change but still top off my tanks mid week. My tanks are all open top so there is quite a bit of evaporation. I usually have to add at least a gallon of water mid week. I will have to add more or do it more often when summer finally gets here.

 

I have a question for you.
Instead of just adding a little water and using prime, why don't you just do a 50% water change every week and then add the prime.

I can't get through the week, my spray bars are setup for a certain water level in my tanks, I can go about 3 or 4 days before it gets a little turbulent lol, really its no big deal to top off I use a small container and I'm done takes a min

I picked up one of these from Amazon for measuring, especially since I need 3 tsp. to treat 30 gallons of water.

 

I can smell chlorine in my water as well. I drink it and cook with it. Year after year our water supply is rated excellent. Our fish have never complained either. Like I said above, we used this water for years with no additives. This includes major water changes.
The fish would response very well to it and they seemed to really like the new fresh water.
We have been successful.
Since I joined this forum, I have started to use Prime every time. I also perform more water changes as well.
"Prime really owes this forum" big time.

 

I top off my tank with tap and then treat the water. Others do this differently but first treating the water and then topping off your tank with new fresh treated water is always treated, also, this process is different for any other fish, depending on the kind of fish you choose to keep.

 

I top off my tank with tap and then treat the water. Others do this differently but first treating the water and then topping off your tank with new fresh treated water is always treated, also, this process is different for any other fish, depending on the kind of fish you choose to keep.

I treat the whole tank in contrast to treating each bucket of top off water. It’s easier and Prime is not real expensive.

 

I treat the whole tank in contrast to treating each bucket of top off water. It’s easier and Prime is not real expensive.

This is one more of the "one size doesn't fit all". We each have to do what we are comfortable with. In most things with this hobby there is usually not a right or wrong way of doing things. I choose to add Prime to each bucket of water before pouring it in my tank. Others such as yourself add Prime first and then add water. I believe that is how those that use a python type system do it. Should I ever get to where I can no longer handle the buckets that is the way I will do it.

 

I treat the whole tank in contrast to treating each bucket of top off water. It’s easier and Prime is not real expensive.

Yep, I do treat whole tank after adding water to the tank first. I got my Prime for like £11.60 on Amazon. Arrived just yesterday after purchasig it on Sunday. Really happy with it.

 

I too treat the water before I add it to my tank. Like mattgirl said, there is certainly more than one correct way. What’s important is that tap water gets treated