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FAQs on Tap/Source Water Use for Marine Aquariums, Treatments by
Brand, Manufacturer Related
Articles: Treating Tap water for Marine
Aquarium Use, Water Purification
Using Reverse Osmosis,
Related FAQs: Treating Tapwater 1,
Treating Tapwater 2, Treating
Tapwater 3, & FAQs on New Water Treatment:
Rationale/Science, Chemicals (Chlorine,
Chloramines, Trihalomethanes...),
Filtrants, Techniques/Tools,
Testing, Troubleshooting,
DIY Treatment Chemicals/Tools, &
Reverse Osmosis Filtration, Specific
Gravity, Water Purification Using R.O 1.
RO/DI 2, RO/DI 3,
Nitrates, Water Changes, | 
All life is thereby affected
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Seachem Prime, SW use, and RO waste water as well
12/21/08
On my freshwater tanks i always use prime in my 24
hour aged water prior to conducting a water change.
<A good practice>
For my saltwater tanks i also use prime prior to mixing my salt for
partial water change. I now have a RO filtration system fitted, and
would like to know if i need to continue to use the prime.
<Mmm, not
necessary. For browsers, this product desc.:
http://www.seachem.com/Products/Conditioners.html>
I have started to
use the RO water for drinking and for topping up my sump. Can i continue
to use my tap water plus prime for my partial water change on my salt
water tanks, or is it best to use the RO water.
<Mmm, really depends
on the nature/constituency of your source/tap water...
and your
goals in using the RO... but if using tap, I would use the Prime>
It
seems to be a very slow process waiting for the trash can to fill with
RO water, and the waste involved is very high.
Regards
Alan
<Mmmm, I would think about ways to use the vented "solute water"... I
have run out to my pond before and/or to a cistern to in turn water my
garden.
There's really not "that much" different than the tap... so,
you might very well be able to simply collect this "waste water" and use
in on your freshwater systems. Bob Fenner>
NovAqua dechlorinator question 11/30/08
Hi. You have
the BEST website for fish. I am absolutely stunned by the amount of
information you have available.
<Ah, good>
Anyway, I have a 125
gallon saltwater FOWLR tank with a 30 gallon sump. I use tap water for
my water changes and to top off. I usually use NovAqua plus to
dechlorinate the water. What do you think about this product?
<Is a
fine, tried and true formulation... extremely useful and safe>
This
product is supposed to produce a Slime Coat for fish. I am thinking that
there is no point to have extra chemicals when the slime isn't
necessary. What do you think?
<Not a worry>
Should I use a plain
dechlorinator
<Dechloraminator actually in these days and times>
with no extra additives? (I know the best thing to do is to use RO
water, or alternatively leave the tap water out for a week or so). But
which dechlorinator would you recommend?
<This one is fine... there
are a few others that are very similar... check the ingredients (esp.
PVP)... John F. Kuhns is not the only one who found/makes "a better
mousetrap>
Furthermore, regardless of whether I should use NovAqua
for my display tank, do you think it is a good idea to use it for my
Quarantine tank for new additions?
<Yes>
I figure the new fish
could use some extra coating. But I've also read that some fish (like
angelfish) have a lot of slime naturally, and too much coating can
actually cause them to suffocate. Is this true?
<Not a real concern>
One more question: for top off water, I use dechlorinated tap water. I
don't raise the PH in it (so the PH remains at 7.0). My tank PH is 8.4.
I assume the top off water that I add gets the PH increased from the
live NovAqua dechlorinator question
Hi. You have the BEST website for
fish. I am absolutely stunned by the
amount of information you have
available.
<Ah, good>
Anyway, I have a 125 gallon saltwater FOWLR
tank with a 30 gallon sump. I use tap water for my water changes and to
top off. I usually use NovAqua plus to dechlorinate the water. What do
you think about this product?
<Is a fine, tried and true
formulation... extremely useful and safe>
This product is supposed to
produce a Slime Coat for fish. I am thinking that there is no point to
have extra chemicals when the slime isn't necessary. What do you think?
<Not a worry>
Should I use a plain dechlorinator
<Dechloraminator
actually in these days and times>
with no extra additives? (I know
the best thing to do is to use RO water, or alternatively leave the tap
water out for a week or so). But which dechlorinator would you
recommend?
<This one is fine... there are a few others that are very
similar... check the ingredients (esp. PVP)... John F. Kuhns is not the
only one who found/makes "a better mousetrap>
Furthermore, regardless
of whether I should use NovAqua for my display
tank, do you think it
is a good idea to use it for my Quarantine tank for
new additions?
<Yes>
I figure the new fish could use some extra coating. But I've
also read that some fish (like angelfish) have a lot of slime naturally,
and too much coating can actually cause them to suffocate. Is this true?
<Not a real concern>
One more question: for top off water, I use
dechlorinated tap water. I don't raise the PH in it (so the PH remains
at 7.0). My tank PH is 8.4. I assume the top off water that I add gets
the PH increased from the live rock and the substrate.
<Mostly the
artificial salt ingredients actually>
Do you think I should be
increasing the PH of the top off water to 8..4?
Wouldn't this raise
my overall PH in the display tank?
<Mmm, likely not necessary... your
stated pH is mighty fine>
Thanks in advance.
Eugene
<Thank you
Eugene. Much could be mentioned re these commercial products, the main
points of their chemistry, biological concerns. I assure you, having
used (and sold) many thousands of gallons of this fine Kordon product...
it is very safe and effective. Bob Fenner, who uses nothing nowadays for
his own systems... but time in storage ahead of use>
rock and the
substrate.
<Mostly the artificial salt ingredients actually>
Do
you think I should be increasing the PH of the top off water to 8..4?
Wouldn't this raise my overall PH in the display tank?
<Mmm, likely
not necessary... your stated pH is mighty fine>
Thanks in advance.
Eugene
<Thank you Eugene. Much could be mentioned re these
commercial products, the main points of their chemistry, biological
concerns. I assure you, having used (and sold) many thousands of gallons
of this fine Kordon product... it is very safe and effective. Bob
Fenner, who uses nothing nowadays for his own systems... but time in
storage ahead of use>
Re: NovAqua dechlorinator question, and electrical concern,
Paracanthurus sel. and roasted Nori... 12/1/08
Thank you so much for your help. I now feel confident in using the
NovAqua product. I have 2 more questions to which I couldn't find an
answer after browsing your website.
<Sure>
1) I recently had a
small accident. I accidentally left a hot heater in an empty bucket. The
bucket also contained one of my pumps (I use it to mix salt). The heater
touched the wiring of the pump and burned a small piece of the wiring.
The actual electrical wiring is not exposed, but the rubber got burned.
I am wondering if the pump is still safe to use (the burned wire is
close to the actual pump and would go into the water) or would the
burned rubber release chemicals that would kill my fish.
<The burnt
material should be fine chemically... the chance of an "electrical leak"
can be easily checked with a small electrical meter... placing the
probes in a container of water with the pump in place, plugged in>
2)
I recently bought ROASTED Nori from a local Asian store. The store
didn't have regular dried Nori, but they did have roasted Nori. There
are no other additives, it's just roasted seaweed. Is roasted seaweed
safe for fish?
<Mmm, a qualified yes... the processing of roasting
itself may have involved the use of oil/aromatic/s... You can likely see
if this is the case by placing a bit of the Nori into water... to see if
a "slick" issues forth from it>
The reason I ask is because I just
had a small (2") hippo tang die a day or so after feeding him this
product.
<Mmm, small Paracanthurus do often "die mysteriously"...
A/the reason I am not a fan of folks dealing with such diminutive
specimens of this species. See WWM...>
I only had the tang for about
10 days, and he was always hiding, but he did eat. My water parameters
are perfect, so I assume he died because he was just too young, unless
of course it was the seaweed???
<I doubt it>
Thanks again for your
help.
Eugene
<Welcome my friend. BobF> A follow-up
to "I need help, all my fish died 3/28/07" More on Amquel (and A.C.E. .
) poss. toxicity 3/31/07
Good afternoon Crew,
<Nicole>
I just wanted to add to this question, which Alex answered,
in which someone named Dawn relayed the disaster that her 45 gallon reef
tank experienced.
<Please do>
I myself have noticed this odor
with the Amquel+ product, but when I first bought a bottle of it about a
year ago, it had a similar smell.
The smell seems to have become
concentrated as the product was expended. It leaves a very lasting odor
- an uncapped bottle can quickly smell up a room! This makes me uneasy,
but I do believe it is normal to some extent. Even Prime (in my opinion
the best dechlorinator, the 50 ml dropper bottle makes dosing very
simple - 3 drops per gallon) has a section on the back where it says:
"Sulfur odor is normal."
<Yes>
Prime, however, has a very slight
odor, in my opinion. The Amquel+ product definitely does not! I answer
fish questions on another site, and have seen many cases where an
addition of Amquel+ or A.C.E. . caused major disruption of the
bio-filter, usually nitrites shooting up sky high.
<Yes>
I
cannot say that it is due to the product alone, but it certainly was a
catalyst. Although both Novalek and Jungle do offer other fine aquarium
products - these particular ones, I would never recommend to anyone.
<Me neither>
Thanks for reading this, and for all that you do each
day for hobbyists worldwide!
Nicole
<Thanks much for coming
forward... with this lucid, useful input. Bob Fenner>
Bubble
Tip Anemone and Prime – 3/11/07
Bob,
<Hi Cindy, Brenda here>
I have a question about a Bubble tip. My husband got this guy on
Thursday. He put Prime in the tank today.
<Why? Prime is used to
remove chlorine and ammonia. It is also used during cycling to reduce
ammonia, nitrate and nitrite toxicity. You should be using RO or RO/DI
water. An anemone should not be added to a tank until it is well
established. It is recommended to wait six months to one year before
adding an anemone.>
Now the Anemone is sucked back until it is very
small and looks a little jelly like.
<It is not unusual for an
anemone to deflate from time to time. It needs to expel waste. If it
looks like it is melting or decaying, it is dead. Need to remove it, do
a large water change and monitor your water parameters closely.>
What could be wrong with this guy and is there anything we can do to
help him?
<Without more information on your tank such as equipment,
age, water parameters, and as to why Prime was added, I can’t offer much
help.>
He did try to feed him today but he wouldn't eat.
<That
is not unusual for a newly introduced anemone.>
Cindy
<Sorry,
need more information. Brenda> PRIME (SEACHEM) 3/11/07
How are you all doing?
<Good thanks.>
I have a question about
the product PRIME from Seachem. I have a little system made to dispense
Freshwater (R/O) from a 26 gallon trash can and a saltwater mix (1.023)
that is in another 26 gallon. I have heaters in both and have power
heads in both. My question is when I make new fresh water with the R/O
maker, can I just implement the PRIME in the freshwater trash can? <Not
necessary with R/O water, it removes the chemicals Prime treats.> Or
when I'm ready to mix new saltwater and add it to my saltwater trash can
should I put the PRIME in the saltwater mix? Where do you think the
Prime would be more effective or does it even matter? <Unnecessary.>
Sorry but two more question my tank has been cycling for two weeks now
and I have been doing 5-10% water changes so far at the end of each week
( Only two so far).
However, I also have real fine sand in the tank.
Do I need to siphon the sand too. <I would not unless it has algae
growth on it.> Or can I just pick up the die off from my LR with tongs
and not have to stir up the sand. <Would work fine.> Because as you know
if you suck to close to the sand you end up sucking up sand as well and
I don't want to do that. The last question I have is my tank has already
gone through a phase where I had brown algae and now it has turned green
in the tank is this normal? <Yes> I believe it is from all of the books
and forums I read on this web site. Also can you all give me a good web
site to go to that has detailed info on how the Nitrogen cycle works and
the steps your tank goes through from beginning to end and also charts
and pictures of what it looks like in these stages. <Don't know of one
with everything you are looking for. Can start here
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwestcycling.htm and see
where it leads you.>
Thank you for all of your
help!
Jeff
<Chris> Chlorine
Poisoning? (12/24/2003)
Dear Crew, <Steve Allen tonight>
I did
a search on your website and found an article on chlorine poisoning but
it didn't quite answer my question. My question is - can a fish recover
from exposure to excess chlorine? <sometimes> After acclimating a newly
bought fish by slowing adding tank water to his bag, which was floating
in the quarantine tank I netted him out of the bag and put him in the
tank. After about 2-3 minutes he turned upside down and sank to the
bottom. I quickly netted him out and put him in one of my established
tanks. Twenty-four hours later he is still alive but just barely. He
lies on the bottom not moving unless I gently touch him with the
net. <Not very hopeful> If the damage to his system is permanent I
will put him out of his misery, if he could recover from this insult I'd
leave him alone and let him heal. <Impossible to predict with
certainty.>
I am positive it is from chlorine. If it is of any
importance I can explain why in another email, but for now, please
assume it is from chlorine <okay, but this sounds mysterious. You're
sure it isn't something else like ammonia?> and if you are able to
provide an answer to my question I would be most appreciative. It is my
fault that this fish is suffering and if there is no hope for him, the
least I can do is to end it for him.
Thank you, Judy
<Judy. You
mentioned nothing about whether this is FW or SW or what kind of fish it
is or anything else about the size of or conditions in your tank. This
makes it more difficult to answer your question. Suffice it to say that
a fish that has been lying on the bottom for >24 hours and only barely
responds to touch is highly unlikely to live much longer. On the other
had, it doesn't really sound like it's suffering so you could wait it
out a bit. I jut hope you didn't introduce some pathogen into your
display tank by plopping him in there. Hope this helps.>
"Prime" smell
Hello, I have a question about "Prime"
dechlorinator manufactured by Seachem. I've read on here that
dechlorinators that have a formalin smell are not to be used. I don't
know what the smell is, but Prime has a pungent odor. Also, it says
that it provides a slime coat. I also read on this site that a
dechlorinator that causes a slime coat is not necessarily a good
thing. Is this a good product? I like the way it doesn't cause my
protein skimmer to go nuts like Amquel does. Thank you, and I look
forward to hearing from your advice. Gary <Hey Gary, my experience with
dechlorinators is the cheaper they are the better they are. Dechlor is
a great one and it's very cheep. I don't think Prime is going to bother
your tank, but from now on go for the cheap stuff! Good Luck,
LinearChaos> <<A note re DeChlor... this sodium thiosulfate (aka
hyposulfite) product is ONLY useful for chlorine... it will NOT detoxify
chloramines (which almost all municipalities utilize)... nor do anything
else. RMF>>
Rotten Egg smell from Novaqua and Amquel Plus ?
Hi Crew,
<Mario>
Back in January, I purchased online a bottle of
Amquel plus and Novaqua by Kordon. I used them for the first time on a
routine water change on Wednesday (Mar. 16), and did not notice any
smell then.
But, when doing another water change today (Mar 19), I
notice both bottles after being opened had a rotten egg- like smell that
also filled the room.
<Don't use these... They have "gone bad"...
should be returned to your dealer, ultimately to Kordon/Novalek for
testing....>
Also, when I put the lid back on the bottles the smell
was still on the bottles, but an hour later the smell has diminished
from the bottle with the lid on. But, if I open them the smell is there
again.
<Yes... biological, microbial in origin... "Critters" are
living on some of the organics in the products>
I keep both bottles
in a cool place in the bathroom with the others, away from any heat or
drafts. In the past I used Start Right by Jungle, and this product did
not have any smell. There is no expiry date on the bottles. I noticed
the drops that I add to the replacement water does not make the water
smell. In other words, I have not odor coming from the water.
Is this
smell normal? Even if the smell is not in the replacement water can it
do harm to the fishes or plants? Should I continue using them if the
smell continues?
Thanks,
Mario D.
<Not normal, Dangerous,
should NOT be used. Should be returned to manufacturer through your
source. Bob Fenner> Dechlor?
Hello
Bob,
I have enjoyed your book and have found it very informative.
Thank you very much for taking the time to help all of us wanna bes out
here.
<A pleasure, and an honor to do my part>
I am currently
setting up a reef tank and had a question about the product DeChlor for
removing chlorine from tap water. I just purchased a R/O system and
intend to us it religiously. Anyway, I accidentally added too many drops
of DeChlor per gallon. When squeezing the bottle to get drip a small
stream briefly came out into about 10 gallons of water. Almost,
impossible to know how much. I was mixing the salt in the tank, again
starting a new tank. There isn't any life in the tank yet. I was leaving
the salt water to circulate for a couple days before adding the live
rock and sand. Should I drain the tank and start over? Thank you in
advance.
<Not to worry... this product is water and sodium
thiosulfate (aka hyposulfite) (by Weco Corporation if memory serves)...
and has a very wide range of safety... Want to mention a few things
though... the sanitizer in use almost everywhere in the U.S. is not
chlorine (which "DeChlor" does render harmless) but chloramine(s) which
are not treatable with this product... And, your Reverse Osmosis unit no
doubt has an integral inline carbon contactor... and otherwise will
exclude most all sanitizer... At all lengths, what I'm trying to say is
1) don't worry about the current circumstance... even if there were
livestock present, 2) No need to use this product or actually anything
if your source water is running through the R.O.... 3) And most
important to mention: do read over the "Treating Tapwater for Marine
Use" section and accompanying FAQs posted on my site:
www.wetwebmedia.com re a protocol for pre-mixing synthetic seawater.
Be chatting, Bob Fenner>
Dan Hutchings Dechlorinators
I have read through your information on the web site, and I can't figure
out if the stuff I use is pseudo or not. I use Kordon's AmQuel - which
does say it removes Ammonia, Chloramines, and Chlorine in "one step,"
but it doesn't smell like formaldehyde (I don't think). I couldn't find
any reference to poly-vinyl compounds. I have used it to remove Ammonia
and have tested afterward, and it did remove the ammonia according to
the test kit. I am just worried because it says "one step" on it and I
don't want to hurry my tank inhabitants.
Thanks,
Steve
>>
Hmm, well this Kordon/Novalek product is "the real thing"... no
formalin, formaldehyde... and does contain PVP. Use it and enjoy.
Bob
Fenner Water Conditioner
Bob....
Good morning!! I
have another question. I have been using a product called Nova Aqua
<sic, Novaqua by Kordon Corp.> to treat my tap water for water changes
in my reef tank for the last 2 years or more. I noticed last night that
this product claims to neutralize iodine.
<Yes, all halogens>
Isn't it true that corals need to have iodine??
<Yes.>
So, does
this mean that I have a great iodine deficiency going on??
<Possibly, do you have a test kit for iodine/iodide?>
Should I use a
iodine additive, and switch to another water conditioner that won't
neutralize the iodine??
<Not necessarily... much could be stated
here... I would instead change protocols to just storing, aerating new
synthetic seawater instead of using any dechloraminator... the others
sold in the trade do this same thing, some in different ways>
How
much iodine should be added and how often?? I have a 37 gallon tank
approximately 1/3 full of live rock.
Thanks,
Pat Marren
<As you
can appreciate... the amount to add varies with products, concentration,
format, your biomass, water chemistry... I urge all to administer iodide
only once a week or so on an ongoing basis (perhaps more frequently in
treatments, new livestock... specialized filtration...), and to use a
test kit to ascertain about how much this should be... Many more
organisms are harmed from I2 overdose than lack. Bob Fenner>
Re: Water Conditioner
Bob...
Okay, I will try setting up water
before I do a change, but can you tell me how long it takes for the
chlorine to dissipate?? I'm putting it into 5 gallon buckets. Would it
be ok to just put the water into the buckets, and mix the salts into it
before I do the change??
Thanks again,
Pat Marren
<Stated
before... please read through the seawater prep. sections on the
website: www.WetWebMedia.com
Bob Fenner> Re: Water
Conditioner
Bob...
If I can get spring water to use (there's a
lot of that around here), would that be a good substitute instead of
setting of water?? Pat
<Not necessarily... many possible problems...
have you had this tested for your use as in drinking, cooking, bathing?
I would use the municipal water and treat as I've sent you to on the WWM
site... Bob Fenner> Amquel
Do you have an opinion on the
use of Amquel?
<Yes>
I have been using Novaqua as a dechlorinator
but it is driving my skimmer crazy with the stress additive. I am
considering just using Amquel since it does not contain the extra stuff.
What do you think? Thanks for your help! :)
<Am a big fan of this
fine Novalek product... have used many hundreds of gallons over the
years for dechloraminating tapwater, acclimating livestock. Bob Fenner>
Elizabeth K. Birdwell PolyFilter
Hey Bob,
<Steven Pro
here this morning.>
Thanks yet again for your timely answers to my
questions, you're an amazing help to the neophyte aquarists out there.
I've been using well water for my tank as it tested with acceptable
levels for everything when the tank was set up, that is to say there was
no ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, chlorine, or any other substances of note
over acceptable levels (including those which should be 0ppm), granted
starting off with small amounts is a hindrance over using distilled or
R/O water. I still treat the water for chlorine just in case though.
Recently however, my tap water has tested quite high for nitrates,
between 50-100ppm.
<Ughh!>
Distilled water isn't an option unless
I distill it myself due to some issues with the local stores in the
remote town I live in,
<Distilled water is never an option to me, too
much of a risk of metal contamination.>
and since this isn't my
house, an R/O unit or de-ionizer seems to be out of the question as
well.
<RO and DI units made for the aquarium industry are completely
portable. I can see no problem with either one of these.>
I've got
live rock and good circulation, which keeps the nitrate at around 50ppm
steady, and so far everything in the tank seems to just be acclimated to
high nitrates since presumably it went up over the time between when I
started the tank and now.
<Not necessarily. It takes a long time for
most problems to manifest themselves and in some instances once you see
a reaction it is too late.>
I'm currently toying with building a
denitrification coil. I understand that they can require a lot of
adjustment but that's something I'm willing to take time out to do daily
if it will.
<Anthony's "Book of Coral Propagation: Coral Gardening
for Aquarists" has a section on denitrating coils and remote DSB's.>
My question is, in the mean time, will the addition of a PolyFilter or
two help reduce the nitrates in the water to acceptable levels?
<Perhaps. They will also help to remove many of the dissolved organics
which are associated with high nitrate levels. Aggressive protein
skimming should help too.>
Some places I've read seem to indicate
they will in fact pull nitrates out of the water, others say the
opposite.
<I would have to defer to the good people at
Poly-Bio-Marine.>
I don't have the option of growing mangroves or
Caulerpa, or the use of a deep sand bed in a sump/refugium as I only
have room for the tank I have now, once again owing to this not being my
house and me not being able to get rid of some of the extra furniture
clogging up good aquarium space. Would it be more effective for me to
tear the tank down and start a DSB as opposed to using the denit coil?
<Your best option is to clean up your tapwater first. Then skimming and
a DSB, IMO.>
I've read through a lot of the FAQ's on your site
regarding tap water, treating water, so on, as well as things on other
sites and none really seem to address what to do if tap water is more or
less your only option and it's high in nitrates.
<It really is never
your only option.>
Any advice would be much appreciated, as frankly,
I'm stumped on what direction to take at the moment. Thanks, Josh Yanny
<You are welcome. -Steven Pro> Removing Chlorine from Tapwater
Bob, I noticed you mentioning pseudo dechloraminators; I'm wondering if
Seachem's Prime is one, or if it's a genuine dechloraminator.
<No,
should be fine.>
My LFS does not stock Amquel, but Prime is common
around here (Sydney, Australia), but your article on treating tapwater
has me concerned, as I don't want to waste money on something that
doesn't work and will cause my fish harm. Cheers, Poe
<The bad ones
are usually super cheap and found predominantly in the pet isle of
grocery stores and such. There are a whole bunch of good conditioners;
Kordon's Novaqua and Amquel, Tetra's AquaSafe, Aquarium Pharmaceuticals
Stress Coat, and many others I am probably forgetting. If you have seen
any of these, you will notice they are all somewhat thick and slimy from
the colloids. -Steven Pro> -New Amquel!-
Hey there Crew,
<Hola, Kevin here> I was at PetSmart today and saw a bottle of Amquel+
with a sign that said "new" on it. <*Gasp!*> The bottle states that this
new Amquel will remove ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and still remove
chlorine and chloramines. Any news/experience with this product?
<Sounds like something handy to have in the event of a tank disaster,
but not something that you should depend on. If your tap water contains
those toxins, then yes, it would be a fine product to use. Good luck!
-Kevin> -More on Amquel plus -
Kevin:
The key point
with the new Amquel Plus is that it supposedly will not drop the pH when
added to a saltwater system the way the old kind did.
<Excellent,
that's definitely a good improvement!>
I learned from bitter
experience that even the recommended dose of the old Amquel causes a
potentially catastrophic decrease in pH (several tenths). It turns out
that it says so in microscopic print right on the label.
<Same thing
that happens when you ship livestock, as the water becomes more acidic
and the ammonia level increases, the low pH detoxifies it.>
The huge
pH drop stresses the already ammonia-affected fish even more and kills
inverts outright-been there, done that. I completely agree with you that
one should not depend on a product like this to control ammonia. It is
an emergency-use product only, not a substitute for maintaining high
water quality by proper tank-keeping methods. I'll keep some Amquel Plus
around just in case, but hope to never actually need to use it. BTW,
AmmoLock 2 allegedly does not lower pH either.
<So something in it
binds with the ammonia to detoxify it; I wonder what it becomes...>
Thanks for your WWM service, Steve Allen.
<You're very welcome, have
a spectacular evening! -Kevin> -Amquel plus: more info-
Kevin:
Since you asked, I checked the Kordon Website & got the
following:
<Oh, very cool!>
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The active ingredient in Amquel is known chemically as sodium
hydroxymethanesulfonate, HOCH2SO3Na. The active part of the molecule can
be graphically represented as:
The hydroxymethane- end of the
molecule reacts with ammonia to form a non-toxic, stable water-soluble
substance which is acted upon by biological filtration.
This reaction
effectively removes the toxic ammonia from solution. Even in water of
low pH (<7.0) the above reaction proceeds to completion. This is because
even at pHs below 7.0 there is always some "free" ammonia (NH3) and the
Amquel will scavenge it from the water. This is why Amquel works faster
at higher pH's and in saline waters.
The substance formed is stable,
and testing has shown that even after weeks in an aquarium without a
biological filter, the ammonia is not released back into the water.
Also, unreacted Amquel is stable, and unless removed with water changes
or granular activated carbon it will be available to react with ammonia
until it is exhausted in the water to which it was added. This is why
Amquel has proven so useful in shipping fishes.
The -sulfonate end of
the Amquel molecule reacts with both free-available chlorine, known
properly as hypochlorites (OCl-) and combined-available chlorine
(chloramines). In the first instance nothing more than harmless chloride
ions (Cl- ) are produced, and in the latter instance chloride ions are
formed and the freed ammonia instantly reacts with the hydroxy-methane
end of the molecule.
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The attached picture shows the reaction. The site also warns of the
sudden drop in pH with Amquel and recommends Amquel Plus to avoid this.
As you correctly point out, lower pH detoxifies the ammonia. However,
this occurs gradually during the shipping process. <That it does, lucky
fish.> The pH drop with Amquel is sudden (a double dose, as the bottle
states one can give, dropped mine from 8.2 to 7.5 in minutes. <Not so
fun> That can't be healthy for any marine life.
<Thank you Steve for
this info, will post for everyone to see! -Kevin>
Steve Allen
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