When to Dechlorinate Water?

I have been boiling my water then adding dechlor treatment to it before using it.  I wondered if there was some less complicated method or if I am making too big a production of all this.  I do know our water here is LOADED woth chlorine because of a bacteria problem with our system.  The pet store recommended using more than the usual amount of treatment medium to make sure it worked.  I didn't feel real comfortable doing this so that is why I started boiling the water. 

Okay, so now give me some answers, folks.   

I really would like to know what the best course is to take.   ???

 

I add my dechlor as the fresh water is going into the tank. If boilng helps with peac of mind, then continue doing that, but the dechlor should take care of the chlorine in your water. You can't overdose on dechlor, although I would not recommend pouring it into your water first and then adding the water. I have heard if your fish swims into the dechlor before it mixes well in the water, it has made some fish ill. Mine mixes while it is going into the tank.

 

mine is an instant thing, it removes chlorine chloramine and "heavy metals" and I put the water in the bucket, then add the dechlor. I do that before the water change, so it has a few minutes to "soak in". and I top off my tank with ro water.

 

Thanks for the replies. I don't put my dechlor into the tank. I have plastic milk jugs that held distilled water from back when I still mixed distilled with the dechlored. I mix the water in them and them sit them in a sink with warm water to bring the temp to a normal kind of temp for the boys. That way I can shake the stuff up before hand. Now that I have 5 the water changes have become more frequent and I have been afraid to dump unprepared water in on them.

I use Stress Coat and it doesn't say anythong about waiting, so I am going to try to jetison the boiling and just give the dechlor a little while to work after I mix it.

Thanks again.

Shalom and Happy and Safe Holidays!

Rose

 

I add it to a bucket of water, then pour the water in. Sometimes I stir the water before pouring, sometimes not. I probably add a little bit more than needed, but I don't want to add too little. Whenever I start using my python, I'll add it as I am refilling.

 

I probably add a little bit more than needed, but I don't want to add too little.

I add a little more sometimes too. will too much be bad for the fish anyone know?

 

the tap water conditioner I use says add one drop per gallon for chlorine and 3 drops per gallon for chloramines.I add 2 drops per gallon fill up the container and then add another one drop per gallon.after i've added all the water and salt I add stress coat also.I know you can't add too much stress coat but i'm not sure about anything else I don't think a little more than recommended would hurt anything.

 

That Tap Water conditioner is like mine Dano. When I have the bucket of new tap water I add it to that give it a litte stir then add to the tank. I don't ad any stress coat however I every now and again add Pura-water which has good bacteria and removes ammonia and nitrites

 

I don't think I'd have the time to boil so much water for every change (about 7 gallons for each water change), and I only have a 30g. tank. I can't imagine boiling water for changes in tanks such as 60 gallons and up!

What I do is I simply fill a large bucket with as much tap water as I need for the change. The water in the bucket is the same temperature as the water in the tank (this way the fish don't experience any sudden temperature changes). Then I add the approximate amount of dechlorinator necessary for my amount of water. I use AquaPlus dechlorinator - it says on its bottle to add 1 capful per 5 gallons of water in order to remove both chlorine and chloramine (to remove just chlorine, 1 capful per 10 gallons is enough). But I assume my tap water contains both chlorine and chloramine, just to be safe. I may be well adding too much of the dechlorinator.

Anyway, it seems to be working great for me. I also noticed that every time I add fresh water, the fish start getting crazy and seem very happy and hyper, lol. They come out of their hiding spots and swim fast and all over the tank. Maybe they love fresh water? All this applies to my neons however; the angels stay relatively indifferent during the water change, lol. Going back to adding the dechlorinator - after I have added it to the water in the bucket, I stir and mix it well. Then it's ready to be added to the tank

 

my danios go crazy when I pour fresh water in, they all dart at lightspeed back and forth under the flow. they love it!

 

Emma, lol, then maybe it isn't the "fresh" water that my fishies like, but the strong current created when I'm pouring the water in, haha ;D

 

my other method was leavin the water in big bottles 4 like a week just in my room

C W

 

oho! so we've got him posting more in the fish sections now! mwahahaha...

 

Apparently the local hardcore hobbyists here in CincinnatI do not use any declorer at all. I have spoken to and have read many posts on the local website stating that with the city water, it wasn't necessary. I don't have city water and do use it. Better safe than sorry!

 

CincinnatI must have very good water because I have never heard of a city water system that does not add chlorine to their water, but the petshop owners would have to use the dechlor if the water had chlorine in it. I sure wish I lived there I hate the taste of the water here because it has so much chlorine in it. You all are lucky!

Rose

 

I just use two 2 liter coke bottles. Fill them up with water at roughly the same temp as the tanks, ~78. Pour in a few drops drops of Amquel+ in one, a few drops of Aquasafe in the other (received both bottles as a gift a while back). Shake up the bottles, take off the caps (since I once read that conditioner makes the chlorine escape the water as a gas - is this true?), and let the water sit. For the mollies, I'll also put in a 1/2 teaspoon of salt in one bottle. Then I go off and vacuum out a gallon from each tank. This gives the salt time to dissolve. When I'm done, pour in the new water. I think the conditioner bottles generally say they work instantly. Right?

The mollies and the danios both seem to like the new water and become very active.

 

My tap water is so full fo chlorine that you can smell it - sometimes it's so strong it makes my eyes sting!

putting dechlor in makes the smell disappear within 2 seconds, so if you ask me, it's pretty much instant

 

get the product called start right...its really cheap and reliable at walmart....believe it or not...its like 4 bux for 8-10 oz....that's a great deal