Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Recently in my wisdom (or the lack of), I used some Chlorine Neutralizer from PondCare so that I am make some quick water changes as I believe that fishes were dying due to a water quality issue.

Nevertheless, what is done is done. Since then, I have done a couple of gradual water changes which hopefully has diluted the chemical used. Apparently although not stated on the bottle specifically, they are not meant to be used on fishes for human consumption.

Hence I was wondering if anyone has used Chlorine Neutralizer in their AP system, have eaten the fishes and have not had any side effects.

Your comments would be great. Thanks.

Ivan can you please look on the bottle and let us know what the active constituent is?

Faye... it wasn't just a chlorine neutralizer... but a "CHLORINE & HEAVY METAL NEUTRALIZER"

Here's the MSDS again...

http://cms.marsfishcare.com/files/msds/ ... r_2506.pdf

Principle ingredient "sodium thiosulfate".... for the chlorine neutralisation...

And "EDTA tetrasodium salt"... which is supposed to chelate the heavy metals... and seems to be the ingredient potentially harmful to "aquatic organisms"...



EDTA TETRASODIUM SALT is Ethylene diaminetetraacetic acid.Dihydrate

Hmmm... no one survived

Sounds like I should not take the risk of leaving any traces of that chemical in the fish tank. It may even hinder the cycling since it could kill the beneficial bacteria as well.

I have got a BYAP growbed which was meant to be a yabbie tank but can be used temporarily to store the
trouts. Is it possible to net the trouts out from the fish tank, put them into the temporary tank for a few days. I will transfer the aeration from the existing fish tank to the temporary tank. Salt the temporary tank to reduce any stress induced during the transfer from tank to tank, especially any shock from being transferred into different water. Will not feed them during this time.

Then totally drain the fish tank right to the bottom. Filll it up with tap water, cycle through the system to rinse out possible residue into the growbeds. Drain again, and then fill it up with tap water again to cycle through for at least
a day to remove chlorine. Salt. Hopefully after 2 days or so in the temporary tank, the trouts should have cleared traces of the chemical from their system into the fresh water. Net them up again, and put them back into the fish tank.

Will this work? After this, if there are still traces, I think it should be very very minimal. Sure it may put me back in the system cycling, but at least the chemical is mostly out of the system and the beneficial bacteria have a better chance from then.

Obviously the other issue that is worrying me is that I am not sure about the impact of the treated water on the plants water uptake, so it is probably better to start again. And this time, I will let nature take its course.

Comments?

What is your tap water treated with? Just Chlorine? Get as much of it into containers barrels buckets and whatever to have it airing out, bubblers or any means of aeration will help. If your tap water is heavily chlorinated, then simply changing out all the water and running the fresh tap water through your system will have a negative effect on your bio-filter bacteria. If you tap water is not very heavily chlorinated, then it might not be so bad. I expect the transfer will be hard on the fish and you will need lots of water aired out to do water changes for them while they are in the tank with no filtration (and don't feed them.)

Well I believe it is chlorine. Does smell of it when first out from the tap, but after a day or so, it does not smell much of chlorine anymore. I doubt it is heavily chlorinated as since I have used the chlorine neutralizer (bad choice), I have been told that some APers around my area in response to my issue that they just top up the tank with tap water. I doubt it is in great quantities, just a top up.

My stocking levels are not high at the moment, about 10-15 trouts in about 400L of water? So with aeration and without feeding, I think they should take the 2 days in another home alright. I will monitor the ammonia levels in the temporary tank to make sure that it does not go up.

So you think that it is possible to do this?

No Ivan... no..... just leave things alone...

You've had no further deaths.... your readings show you're close to cycling... you're feeding your fish sparingly...

If you are really concerned.... and really felt you had to do something... then you could do a small 10% water change, even tap water would be Ok...

And subsequent 10% changes once a week for the next couple of weeks...

But frankly... I think you just need to do NOTHING.... Patience... follow the "golden rules"...

Please post your next test results...

Hey Rupe,
You did say that you knew someone who used exactly the same product on some trouts and lost 70 out of 100. What happened to the rest of the 30? Did they grow out to plate size and get eaten??

Haven't had a chance to get back to him since the event (last week)... hopefully the remainder survived... they were only fingerlings...

Think trout are much more sensitive than other fish... indeed they're often used to determine LD toxicity values...

I see. Thanks, do hope that they survived, would be painful to lose the whole lot.

Although it does not help me in determining whether these trouts that I still have will still be suitable for consumption. I suppose we will think about it when we get there.

As you have suggested, I will not be doing the crazy water changes, but possibly gradual changes over time.

I suppose if I am still concerned when the system is already cycled and the trouts have grown out, I can do the big water change in between fishes.

Incidentally, the solution I've come up with to the chlorine in tap water issue is to fill my top-up buckets in as fine and long a spray as I can. The thin, turbulent streams in the spray give the chlorine a great deal of opportunity to diffuse out of the water. I can certainly smell it as I do this.

I haven't had any fish issues with doing this with even 40% water changes, but I have comets which are right hardy. More sensitive fish may still require the water sitting and/or aerating a while.

I top=up my tropical tank straight from the tap ..... when i say top-up , I usually add some 70% , I don't fill until the fish fins start sticking out of the water:) Laziness perhaps ,, but happy fish and been with me about 7 years.