# Naturally dechlorinate water



## CalvinKE

How long do you think it would take for water to dechlorinate itself? I filled up a 75 gallon tank and 22 gallon sump yesterday and i dont have any fish in there yet, but im going to put some water from a water change im about to do from my other tanks in there, how lOng should it take for the water to be safe/dechlorinated?


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## mpfsr

chlorine dissipates in about 24 hours but its not the only thing added to most tap water anymore. Most water company's add chloramine too this will not dissipate like the chlorine from what I have read. Best to just buy some dechlorinator for your tap water.


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## emc7

If you only have chlorine, you can filter it out with RO or some other expensive water filters or let it come out with heavy aeration in 48 hrs. But don't take chances, get a chlorine test kit and an ammonia test kit. If you have chloramine, you must first break the chorine-ammonia bond, then deal with the ammonia released. If tap water tests negative for ammonia before adding a basic dechlor (not one that "detoxifies ammonia") and positive after, you have chloramine in the water. You can deal with the ammonia "naturally" by running a cycled filter on your water container until it is all converted to nitrate, but you have to use a dechlroinater first. Chloramine will eventually break down on its own, but it could be a long time.

I just use a water conditioner that 'detoxifies ammonia'. Chloramine use is widespread among water companies and they can add it anytime without warning you, even if they've used nothing but chlorine for years.


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## CalvinKE

Yea im gonna go buy one then, but right now i emptied the water and im going to fill it up the the water from water changes


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## Invic

Chloramines is the harder one to get out, Depending upon conditions, PH, Humidity in air, density, other tracer elements ect ect ect. Its half life varies based on these factors. Generally its a wide range of time for it to naturally diffuse in essence out of your water, the times vary from 1 day to 25 days dependent upon conditions.

Sucks its that vague but it does leave eventually.


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## Guest

if u live where i live u dont have to worry much about tap water. 

we r lists as number 2 in the U.S when it come to tap water i just found that out after doing some research on tap water. 

best way to know whats in ur water is to find out by calling them or looking it up online.
i pretty much stay away from API master test kit... i like using the water test kit made for POOL.


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## bmlbytes

A pool test kit will test for MUCH MUCH higher levels of chlorine than the API tests will. Ever notice how you can smell the chlorine in a pool but not your tap? 

Anyway, chlorine isn't the only thing that dechlorinators remove. They also remove chloramine (chlorine bonded with ammonia) and heavy metals. 

If you want to remove these bad things without chemicals, then you can use a Reverse Osmosis filter. They remove everything from the water. You will have to buy minerals (in liquid form) to add back to the water before it is safe to give to your tank. Pure water is not good for your fish.


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