If you’ve figured out that you need to add a water conditioner to maintain your aqua buddies, you might also want to know why. So, in a nutshell, a water conditioner is often referred to as a solution that is added to the aquarium to make tap water safe for your fish.
Tap water is considered safe for drinking purposes because there are chemicals present in it to kill bacteria and viruses. In simple terms, tap water is treated with chlorine or chloramine, which is a chemical compound of chlorine and ammonia.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tap water contains approximately 0.2-1 mg of chlorine. Now, the main problem is that these chemicals can not only harm your fish but also kill the good bacteria present in your aquarium. Which, of course, a big problem. To solve this, a water conditioner is added, that works by neutralizing these chemicals, making your fish fine and fit.
Water Conditioners: What, why, and how?
We will be going over what, why, and how regarding water conditioners. Many aquarium hobbyists may be confused when it comes to the element. However, keep reading to discover the matter of each section!
What is a Water Conditioner?
Water conditioners, as mentioned earlier, are designed to be added in tap water, which reduces chlorine to chloride, which is comparatively less harmful. As clear from the name, it changes the condition of tap water and makes it safe for your little fish to swim.
Water conditioner neutralizes unwanted metals, chlorine, and breakdowns chloramines making the aquarium a safe place for fishes. Therefore, a water conditioner is necessary for the aquarium! To ensure extra safety, you should add carbon and prime to detoxify the toxins and ammonia present in the water.
Why use a Water Conditioner?
Here is a list of why to use water conditioners:
- It helps to keep the water clean.
- Dissipates the chlorine in the water.
- Removes harmful metals.
- Helps in neutralizing ammonia.
- Remove the copper.
How to use a Water Conditioner?
Here are some steps to follow while using a water conditioner:
Step No. 1: Decide how often you need to clean your tank.
Step No. 2: Discard the old water (you can do it in portions too).
Step No. 3: After refilling water in your tank, add the prescribed amount of water conditioner.
How Often Should you use a Water Conditioner?
You might be wondering how often you should add it to your aquarium. A good rule is to add a water conditioner whenever you are changing the water of your aquarium, which is at least once a week. Typically, water in the aquarium is changed partially for good quality freshwater. If your fish gets sick because of inappropriate water parameters, change it daily. And at that time, add a water conditioner.
Usage Instructions of Water Conditioners
As you know, there are various brands of water conditioners, all of them vary somewhat in instructions. Even if we sound like we’re begging you, please read all the directions and manufacturer warnings before using the Chlorine remover fish tank. We’re serious! Through one to two drops per gallon are okay for a standard aquarium. Always go with what the direction says. After initially treating the water, you will need to use a chlorine remover fish tank while adding a new batch of water.
Is a Water Conditioner Suitable for a Saltwater Aquarium?
The answer is no. A water conditioner is only suitable for freshwater aquariums because it does not remove chloramine and all the heavy metals present in the water. It just neutralizes them, making them harmless for your fish. They still exist in the water. Therefore, using reverse osmosis/deionization (RO/DI) water for saltwater aquariums is recommended rather than using a chlorine remover fish tank.
How Long do They Take to Work?
This is the confusion: how does an aquarium water conditioner work, and how long does it take? Generally, a water conditioner that dechlorinates the water takes about two minutes, and the one that deactivates chloramines takes about five minutes. Depending on the brand that you are using, time may vary.
Types of Water Conditioners
To make it easier for you to choose, three main water conditioner types are:
- Dechlorinators
- Chloramine neutralizers
- Complete conditioners
Dechlorinators
These are the most basic ones. A chlorine remover fish tank gets rid of chlorine in a matter of minutes, but only chlorine.
Chloramine Neutralizers
Then there are chloramine neutralizers that help you to get rid of chlorine as well as ammonia in your tap water. Some of the chloramine neutralizers also detoxify heavy metals.
Complete Conditioners
Can you guess their function from their name? They completely condition your water by dissipating the chlorine in water, taking care of heavy metals, neutralizing the ammonia, and clearing out the copper. In short, all in one!
What do you Need to Know About Dechlorinating?
You need a chlorine remover fish tank because chlorine attacks the fragile membranes of your fish, especially the ones in gills, and the exposure might succumb to the tiny creatures. Most of the liquid de chlorinators are made up of sodium thiosulphate, a chemical. Sodium thiosulphate reduces chlorine to chloride, which is pretty remarkable. These de chlorinators are non-dangerous for fish unless you are keeping a check on the dose.
Benefits of Water Conditioners
Using water conditioners has many benefits, both for your household and for your fish! Here are some of its benefits.
- Water conditioners are convenient to use and particularly inexpensive to install.
- Water conditioners make aquarium water protected for your freshwater fish and flowers by disposing of ammonia and chloramine except impacting the pH stage of the water.
- Some aquarium water conditioners assist to support fishes’ shielding slime coating.
What to Look for When Buying An Aquarium Water Conditioner?
There are a few matters to appear out for when choosing an aquarium water conditioner:
- a system that includes protection from chloramine, chlorine, ammonia, nitrites, and heavy metals
- a product that is appropriate for use in freshwater and saltwater tanks (if applicable)
- a conditioner that boosts slime coat production
- a method that provides electrolytes to the water to stimulate appropriate growth and wholesome fish.
You also need to read the product label cautiously to see what chemicals the formula works with. To grant complete water care for your fish, you may also want to use an extra treatment.
Can you add a Water Conditioner With Fish in the Tank?
Yes, it’s not harmful. Add water conditioners to the aquarium before refilling with water, it works instantly and will not harm the fish. It neutralizes the chlorine and chloramines typically found in tap water, making it safe for fish. You use a water conditioner every time you change the water in your tank or top it off.
Can you put too Much Water Conditioner in?
The short reply is yes. You can over saturate your water. The longer reply is that it is hard to do. Unless you dump a whole bottle of conditioner in your tank, your fish will be fine. Conditioner truly gets rid of the damaging effects of chlorine and chloramines from each day faucet water to be protected for fish. However, overconsumption is a moral crime, and you should measure the amount of conditioner you use for every go.
How Much Water Conditioner?
There’s no rule of thumb for dosage tiers of water conditioners. How much to use relies upon the company and the nature of the product. Always comply with the manufacturer’s directions for dosage, and use the unique pipette or measuring cup provided with the product to accurately measure the conditioner.
Do’s and Don’ts of an aquarium
If you are a beginner, you might be facing difficulties in how to set up your fish aquarium. These are the dos and do nots of maintaining an aquarium:
Do’s:
- Test your tap water’s pH, alkalinity, nitrate, and phosphate and make certain it is acceptable for aquarium use.
- Run your aquarium for 2-3 days before inserting fishes.
- Inspect the fishes’ health on a regular basis.
- Buy the largest aquarium as the larger space is more stable and easier to maintain.
Do Nots:
- Do not completely tear down your aquarium to clean it as it will disrupt the biological balance.
- Don’t leave the aquarium light on 24/7 as this can cause excessive algae growth.
- Do not place your aquarium near a sunny window.
- Don’t allow store water to enter your aquarium when adding new fish.
Conclusion
Before including tap water in your fish tank, you ought to take steps to neutralize detrimental chlorine, chloramine, and heavy metals. We hope that you found our guide to aquarium water conditioners useful and informative. Now, armed with that expertise and the proper aquarium water conditioning products, you can be assured that your fish can revel in safe and wholesome water.
A good water conditioner neutralizes chloramine and chlorine, detoxifies nitrate and nitrites, makes heavy metals safe, and converts hazardous ammonia into a harmless, non-toxic form. The water’s pH remains unaffected through a good product.