Habitat - Indoor :: Marineland Activated Carbon

[Kansasslider]

ljapa better safe than sorry! Carbon works great why use chemicals? We could debate this until the sky turns black but why bother everyone has their own opinion....So how do you grow your tomatoes plants ? He He!

[amwassil]

My tap water contains chloramine. I run it through a counter top Rainfresh chloramine specific carbon filter (CA1) then a silver impregnated ceramic filter before adding to the aquarium. The silver ceramic filter doesn't do anything for the chloramine but it removes a lot of sediment that gets through the carbon filter. The chloramine carbon filters state on their label that they are good for 600 US gallons only and then require replacement. Maybe Rainfresh just wants to sell carbon filters, but testing for chloramine seems like an excellent way to insure your aquarium water is chloramine free.

I'm currently searching for a reliable chloramine test kit and will advise. Anyone found/recommend one? This is the best I've found so far:

http://www.thefilterguys.biz/chloramine_filters.htm

[devilduck]

Looks like bulk reef supply has a list of cities and if they use chloramine or chorine in their water supply http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/chloramines-database.

For us Chicagoans:

State City Type Phone Last Updated
Illinois Aurora Chloramines 630-256-3250 Dec. 2012
Illinois Chicago Chlorine 312.744.4420 Dec. 2012
Illinois Joliet chorine 815-724-4220 Dec. 2012
Illinois Naperville Chlorine 312-742-7499 Dec. 2012
Illinois Rockford Chlorine 815-987-5736 Dec. 2012

[talal]

That's interesting. I was under the impression that they didn't use chlorine at all anymore since it evaporates so fast

[ljapa]

I'm currently searching for a reliable chloramine test kit and will advise. Anyone found/recommend one? This is the best I've found so far:

http://www.thefilterguys.biz/chloramine_filters.htm

I found this article from 2003 that was quite interesting.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-11/rhf/feature/

It does imply that an inline carbon filter may not be enough.

The article recommends a product that doesn't exist, but the company does list hese free and total chlorine test kits

http://www.hach.com/chlorination/catego ... ntext=USen

Apparently you can get at the chloramine reading by subtracting the free from the total chlorine.

There's also a free ammonia and mono chloramine test kit

http://www.hach.com/free-ammonia-and-mo ... allback=bc

If cost is no object, I say you go with

http://www.hach.com/apa-6000-ammonia-an ... allback=bc

And lt us send you samples to test.

[talal]

How much carbon is sufficient for a 55 gallon tank? Different people might use different quantities but what is the standard not too much or not too less somewhere in the middle that would get the job done. Also does it depend on how many turtles are in the tank? since one turtle would cause less mess than two or three. I currently have 3 hatchlings, 5 Giant Danios and 3 Minows in a 55 gallon tank which is 3/4th full atm but this week I am going to fill it up all the way so it will have all 55 gallons of water.

Also Ijapa I have seen VeipaCray's thread where he modifies his pump to fit the filter with carbon that way the water is forced to pass through the carbon so it enters the tank chlorine/chloramine free. It is a good way I agree but if you have a cannister filter that has a GPH 6 times your tank/hour then I don't understand why modifying your python would be neccessary? the water would be flushed through the carbon in your filter in the first 10 -15 minutes and several times within the first hour.

[ljapa]

Just letting the carbon in a filter deal with it is VeipaCray's rec if you don't modify your python. I think with dead spots you have to figure more time. For me, I ultimately modified a python because of the red cherry shrimp I had. They are supposed to be even more sensitive than fish.

Before that, though, I did do 20% water changes with no water additive other than the carbon in the filter. Plus, one of the links I had found from the water treatment field showed that chloramines can form a much less toxic organic form in the presence of a biofilm, which my tank has lots of.

If I just had the turtle, I'm not sure I would bother. In researching it, I also found longtime fish keepers mentioning 20% water changes withou treatment and without harm.

[talal]

yeah that's what I was thinking. I guess it makes sense if you have something more sensitive.