Safe clorine level?

[Don Trinko]

Just curious what the safe clorine level is for tropical fish? My tap water tests 2 with a pool test kit. My aged water tests <.5. (.5 is the lowest level on the pool test kit) Thanks; Don T.

[Tropical Haven]

I wouldn't think that any chlorine level is safe for fish, I might be wrong but maybe someone else will chime in on this.

[Ardan]

Personally its hard to tell sometimes from day to day what it will be here as they add more when they do water line work.
They had it to 3 ppm and I lost fish as it did not all off gas in my water barrel overnight.
Now I use dechlor to be safe.

Ardan

[Graham]

Hi, 0.0ppm of chlorine is the only safe chlorine and a de-chlor should always be used. Some fish are more sensitive to chlorine than others ...

Koi exposed to 4.0ppm will die within 7 to 8 hours; at 0.3 to 0.4ppm over a 2 to 3 week period they'll suffer and probably die. Chronic expouse at levels as low as 0.002ppm will induce gill hyperplasia...a stresor.

Koi Medicine ...Lance Jepson

I doubt that discus are all that different....so the best level is a zero level

[Don Trinko]

Thanks; I always age my water a min of 24 hours; usualy 48 to 72.
I have read that some do wc from the tap with no declor.
Our local village adds clorine but no cloramine. If they decide to add cloramine will I have to add chemicals or will it all disapear eventualy? Don T.

[Ardan]

IMO it is best to use chemicals and be sure that levels are safe.
I know some use straight tap with small amounts of chlorine and never have trouble , but you never know when they add more.


Ardan

[pcsb23]

Thanks; I always age my water a min of 24 hours; usualy 48 to 72.
I have read that some do wc from the tap with no declor.
Our local village adds clorine but no cloramine. If they decide to add cloramine will I have to add chemicals or will it all disapear eventualy? Don T.
Don, with chloramine the bond between the chlorine and ammonia has to be broken before the chlorine can dissipate and the ammonia be dealt with. A mature biofilter should deal with the ammonia in very short order, quick enough not to be a problem. The chlorine on the other hand will still take a little time to go. Chloramines do not off gas, at least if they do, it is no where near as fast as chlorine does. Basically either use a dechlor that deals with it or a filter mechanism that does.

[Tropical Haven]

Chloramines will take a minimum of 2 weeks to dissapate if not treated, much longer than chlorine so make sure you treat for both.

[woodenfish]

Sorry I forget where I read. I think it is in a Wattley article.

Fish can tolerate very low but still detectable level of chlorine.

[Graham]

''....Chronic expouse at levels as low as 0.002ppm will induce gill hyperplasia...a stresor.....''

While they will tolerate it; it will still cause stress...stress = disease

it's so easy to get rid of that it's not worth the chance to stress the fish out

G