How do I top off the pond with city water?

[mrsclem]

Our tap water smells like bleach so bad we can't drink it. When doing water changes I use Vanish powder and dose at 2x the amount of water being added. Have not had any problems in over 5 years.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Also, Who here rinses their filters in tap water to clean them?

I bet most don't as they don't want to kill off the good bacteria with the chlorine found in the tap water.

If your adding water to your pond from the tap without dechlor are you not risking your biofilter that way?

The simple answer to that is No! The water from the hose will have a higher percentage of Chlorine by volume than the pond water plus the water from the hose Chlorine will not have had a chance to disassociate as it would in the pond,

 

[Mucky_Waters]

This is the best way to do water changes. No dechlorinator necessary.

 

[tbendl]

As long as he's not using the term "sleep with the fishes", you should be OK.

No that's what he says, my mistake. Then he tries to get me to try on these concrete shoes...

Oh and I ran the hose through the bog for about 10 minutes yesterday to top off the pond, fish are good this morning.

 

[EricV]

Anyone know if this drip irrigation top-off method is different for chlorine or chloramine? I'm hoping to use this method, but I know my city uses chloramine.

I assume it's just going to neutralize itself on anything biological in the pond and not be a problem, but...

 

[Mucky_Waters]

He mentions chloramine in the video, it essentially comes down to the same thing, by using the drip method the chlorine and chloramine levels (if present) will neutralize be for they can ever build up to detectable (never mind harmful) levels.
Not only is this the safest way to accomplish water changes, it's the simplest way.
If you have a large pond (2,000+ gal) and you aren't using this method (or some other automated system) you probably aren't changing your water as much as you should.

 

[EricV]

It appeals to me for another reason. I travel quite a bit and will simplify what I ask of someone who looks in on the pond.

 

[Mucky_Waters]

It appeals to me for another reason. I travel quite a bit and will simplify what I ask of someone who looks in on the pond.

I've been using this method for 4 years with our current pond and most of the time we had our last pond. It's basically a set and forget sort of thing. The other nice thing is your pond water level stays exactly where you want it all the time, which is helpful if you have a skimmer or marginal plants that live right at the shoreline.
There are only two things that could go wrong: The emitter could get plugged, in which case you would eventually notice the water level in the pond may drop. Once you are use to using this drip method you become very sensitive to any changes in water level changes in your pond because you are use to seeing it exactly the same all the time. In any case it's a simple fix, either unplug the emitter, or install a new one. The other thing that could go wrong is the emitter head could pop off and you'll get a faster stream of water until you notice it. This could be a problem if you have a smaller pond and chlorine in your tap water. For this reason it's good to make sure the emitter is very secure (they have little rings that fit over the 1/4" hose and help the drip emitters stay connected better), also it's good to put the emitter in a location that is easy to check visually.
I have never had either of these things happen to me.

 

[EricV]

Where do you have your emitter? I was figuring I would just plumb mine into the skimmer sump.

 

[Dave 54]

The only time that I use a dechlorinator is when filling a pond for the first time or when refilling after a complete clean-out. Since I don't advocate water changes, that scenario is never presented. There are several reasons that I follow this practice-
-Chlorine dissipates quite rapidly when exposed to sunlight. (difference between a pond and an aquarium).
-Most municipal water suppliers use different levels of Chlorine depending on need. These levels are normally considerably below the LC50 toxicity levels for Carp and Goldfish. These suppliers will at times "Shock' the system with very high doses but this is usually done in the wee hours of the morning to minimize human contact.
-No where can it be found exactly what concentration of Chlorine a dechlorinator is effective on. As a result, even the recommended dosage found on the label is a 'shot in the dark' as to effectiveness.
-Any Chlorine that is added to the pond, while already in dilution, will be diluted even moreso, greatly reducing the mg/L readings and toxicity.
-There has been some evidence presented that Sodium Thiosulfate, the usual compound used in dechlorinators, can be an irritant to fish resulting in overproduction of mucous.

Chlorine is present in any tap water but not chloromines here in the South West of the UK they refuse to use it .
Its down to each water authority however one must always treat the water before it goes back into the pond I did the same as Maria for 22 years with no harm at all to our koi .
Meyer my friend that may be where you reside but its a known fact that chlorine is added at peak times which is why I always do my water changes on a Saturday or Sunday to aviod these peak times.
Nowadays we use a water filter its far easier than adding Dechloinator/chloromines all the time.
If your worried about washing your filters I wouldnt worry about it :-

http://www.koi4u.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=24&Itemid=191


@Tula koi are about the only fish that grow past the surrounds they are in , it takes one hell of alot of bad treatment to stunt them
However I suggest you read this before you think abot not using dechlorinator/chloromines its something I saved off sometime ago now

http://www.lenntech.com/processes/disinfection/chemical/disinfectants-chloramines.htm

http://www.lenntech.com/processes/disinfection/chemical/disinfectants-chlorine.htm

I hope this settles things over the issue of chlorine/chloromines , dont treat it your in danger of loosing your fish if its used in your area
Its also amazing where you can find Chlorine OMG !!!!.............

Dave

 

[max384]

I always test my pond water during a water change, and then treat as needed. I've only ever had chlorine register when I did greater than 10% water changes, which is VERY rare for me.

My city water uses chlorine, not chloramines.

 

[Tula]

@Dave 54 , I always use a de chlorinator when I add water and have for many years now. When I first started ponding, I followed the fish hatchery's advise to let the hose over flow the pond and de chlorinator wasn't necessary....which is why I worried I may have stunted my koi's growth.

I do not use pond water to clean my filters...and according to the link you provided, that is ok. Honestly, I would never get them clean enough in pond water. I do not have chloramines, but rather chlorine, in my township water.

 

[Dave 54]

@Dave 54 , I always use a de chlorinator when I add water and have for many years now. When I first started ponding, I followed the fish hatchery's advise to let the hose over flow the pond and de chlorinator wasn't necessary....which is why I worried I may have stunted my koi's growth.

I do not use pond water to clean my filters...and according to the link you provided, that is ok. Honestly, I would never get them clean enough in pond water. I do not have chloramines, but rather chlorine, in my township water.

That is so true Tula just using pond water would for one be impratical uless I bought a pressure washer that works from a water butt.
So I do what I've always done direct tap water with no harm to my koi or the bacteria in the filters .


Dave

 

[Dave 54]

This is the best way to do water changes. No dechlorinator necessary.

.
@MuckyWaters drip irrigation is a good method . I even know a couple of koi keepers who still prefare to use it but I think its down to each to their own way of doing things as nowdays its little used

Dave

 

[Meyer Jordan]

That is so true Tula just using pond water would for one be impratical uless I bought a pressure washer that works from a water butt.
So I do what I've always done direct tap water with no harm to my koi or the bacteria in the filters .


Dave

Now I am confused. It is not OK to expose Koi to chlorinated water, BUT it is OK to expose your filter bacteria. The links that you provided attest to the fact that the typical Chlorine levels found in tap water are sufficient in eliminating/reducing bacteria colonies. Washing the filters with tap water exposes these bacteria to the full Chlorine dilution rate whereas topping of one's pond with tap water or using it, untreated, for small water changes will result in a dilution rate that is well below any established level of toxicity for Chlorine.
I don't see where

this settles things over the issue of chlorine/chloromines

. at all.
Chloramines, bring a much more stable compound, should be considered with a higher level of caution, but only because of the Ammonia involved.
Granted, there is a level of toxicity to any compound or element. The key is being able to determine what those levels may be.