Just starting a fish aquarium? One of the things that will have to be done in order for fish to survive and thrive is neutralizing chlorine. Chlorine in tap water is considered deadly to fish but buying stuff to remove it instantly from the water can add up. Liquid solutions usually go by how many drops are needed per gallon, which is somewhere, around two drops. Other solutions might require a teaspoon per ten gallons. If you clean your tank often well you can see how it can get pretty pricey.
Some people use a trick to removing the chlorine. All you have to do is fill up a container with however much water you will be using in your tank and leave it out for twenty-four hours. The chlorine gas in the water will dissipate during this time. This works for any amount of water that you choose to set out. For e.g., you might only want to add a gallon to your tank because some of the water evaporated and you just want to fill it back up. You might need ten gallons because you are going to clean your ten-gallon tank.
While leaving water out for twenty-four hours can save you money it does have some drawbacks. The following are some things that you might want to consider.
It can be time consuming.
You may only have a limited amount of time to work on your fish tank per day or week. The time you have may be on your days off from work where you will probably have other things that need to be done to. An elderly parent may require your care and attention. There are many things that can divide your time and attention. Waiting around for the chlorine to leave the water you’ve set out can eat up some of that time.
It doesn’t remove heavy metals.
Heavy metals can pollute a fish tank and harm or potentially kill fish. It depends on the toxicity of the bowl.
It doesn’t eliminate odors.
It doesn’t clear up water.
Some tanks can become cloudy or the water can turn green.
It doesn’t get rid of unwanted algae.
It doesn’t act as a water conditioner.
It doesn’t furnish protection of, stimulate or enhance a fish’s natural slime coating.
Different formulations of store bought instant chlorine remover can provide a variety of the above or all of the above. For e.g., one brand of instant chlorine remover gets rid of chlorine, heavy metals and offers protection of a fish’s natural slime coat.
