How long should i wait to add chlorinated water

[guitarman023]

Hey guys, I've got a quick question. I am getting ready to add about 75 gallons of water back into my pond, and it's been sitting for two days with an air stone in it. do you think that's long enough for the chlorine/chloramine to evaporate? I was also curious about a cheap source of chlorine eliminator, because the tiny bottles at walmart just aren't big enough, and they're pretty pricey. What do you guys use to remove the chlorine?

 

[fishin4cars]

48 hours with a air stone should be fine. If the pond is more than 300 gallons capacity and your adding 75 gallons it is no problem. Adding water by allowing it to drip in is perfectly safe, also Aqua safe for ponds is cheap and works great. a $10 bottle is good for 3500 gallons. Available at most pet stores and walmart. There are cheaper declorinators out there but that is the most readily available and cheapest I know of to the everyday consumer.

 

[koiguy1969]

ebay has a good selection.....powders are the cheapest...you mix your own jugs. i normally use ANJONS DECHLORNATOR. 1 oz per 1000 gals...2 drops per 25 gals 5ML PER 125gals i like using KORDONS AMQUEL PLUS EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE TOO. it eliminates chlorine, chloramines, heavy metals, ammonia,nitrites ,and nitrates..(it also nuetralizes pheromones if memory serves.)

 

[Waterbug]

Chlorine would be long gone using air stones,

Chloramine is another story. I've never read a case of someone measuring chloramine and ammonia levels to see if any of the suggested methods actually work. I think most suggestions are for chlorine. For example people commonly say boiling removes chloramine because that was a method to remove chlorine. But boiling has been proven to not remove chloramine. Boiling worked for chlorine by speeding up out gassing. Since letting water set for a long time and adding air is basically the same, letting chloramine out gas, I have my doubts it works. I've also never run into any info from a water company that said anything like "water must sit for X hours".

So not much in the way of good info...lots of people saying stuff of course, but that's always the case.

Only one way to tell, test for chloramine and for ammonia.

 

[guitarman023]

yeah, I haven't found a specific formula for volume vs. time. I definitely know that my water company primarily uses chloramine too, so I guess I should just treat all the water. When I first set the pond up, it sat for a week, then another week with just plants, then I added fish and everything went fine.

 

[Mmathis]

I was wondering about this, too.

BTW, I bought a bottle of de-chlor stuff from HOME DEPOT for about $7. Compared to a similar size bottle from a pet store for $12-$16 (don't recall exact price). I know that the "pet store" bottle was a stress-coat-type formula, but don't know about the HD bottle.

 

[Mmathis]

ebay has a good selection.....powders are the cheapest...you mix your own jugs. i normally use ANJONS DECHLORNATOR. 1 oz per 1000 gals...2 drops per 25 gals 5ML PER 125gals i like using KORDONS AMQUEL PLUS EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE TOO. it eliminates chlorine, chloramines, heavy metals, ammonia,nitrites ,and nitrates..(it also nuetralizes pheromones if memory serves.)

Pheromones? So does it inhibit spawning?

 

[mrsclem]

I have started using Vanish powder that I get from Webb's Water gardens. 2lb container treats192,000 gallons for $18. They also have 8 oz- treats48,000 gal. for $6. We have very high chlorine and this has worked well.

 

[Waterbug]

Adding plants would help give the chloramine something to react with. Or adding pond water to the tap water tank. Hopefully you are aware that ammonia is left after the chloramine breaks down.

 

[guitarman023]

yup, been dealing with it for my aquariums for years. lol My biological is in great shape to get rid of the ammonia.

 

[Waterbug]

Do you know if the ammonia test registers ammonia when it's still bound to the chlorine? Meaning, do you measure ammonia right out of the tap? I read one case where that seemed to be the case but haven't been able you find good info.

 

[guitarman023]

no I don't measure ammonia until I treat the water with a neutralizer. Yeah I have found zero info about the evaporation rate of chloramine.

 

[guitarman023]

sorry waterbug I worded that wrong, the ammonia only shows up after you neutralize the chlorine.

 

[Waterbug]

Thanks.