Water conditioner

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Water conditioners are formulations designed to be added to tap water before its use in an aquarium. [1] [2] If the tap water is chlorinated then a simple conditioner containing a dechlorinator may be used. These products contain sodium thiosulfate which reduces chlorine to chloride which is less harmful to fish. However, chloramine is now often used in water disinfection [3] and simple dechlorinators only deal with the chlorine portion, releasing free ammonia that is very harmful to fish. More complex products employ sulfonates that are able to deal with both chlorine and ammonia. The most sophisticated products also contain chelators such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid to bind and remove heavy metals. Some water conditioners also contain slime coat protectors such as polyvinylpyrrolidones or Aloe vera extracts, which can reduce stress behaviour of fish. [4]

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Sodium hypochlorite is an alkaline inorganic chemical compound with the formula NaOCl. It is commonly known in a dilute aqueous solution as bleach or chlorine bleach. It is the sodium salt of hypochlorous acid, consisting of sodium cations and hypochlorite anions.

Water purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, biological contaminants, suspended solids, and gases from water. The goal is to produce water that is fit for specific purposes. Most water is purified and disinfected for human consumption, but water purification may also be carried out for a variety of other purposes, including medical, pharmacological, chemical, and industrial applications. The history of water purification includes a wide variety of methods. The methods used include physical processes such as filtration, sedimentation, and distillation; biological processes such as slow sand filters or biologically active carbon; chemical processes such as flocculation and chlorination; and the use of electromagnetic radiation such as ultraviolet light.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hypochlorous acid</span> Chemical compound

Hypochlorous acid is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula ClOH, also written as HClO, HOCl, or ClHO. Its structure is H−O−Cl. It is an acid that forms when chlorine dissolves in water, and itself partially dissociates, forming hypochlorite anion, ClO. HClO and ClO are oxidizers, and the primary disinfection agents of chlorine solutions. HClO cannot be isolated from these solutions due to rapid equilibration with its precursor, chlorine.

Ammonia solution, also known as ammonia water, ammonium hydroxide, ammoniacal liquor, ammonia liquor, aqua ammonia, aqueous ammonia, or (inaccurately) ammonia, is a solution of ammonia in water. It can be denoted by the symbols NH3(aq). Although the name ammonium hydroxide suggests a salt with the composition [NH+
4
][OH
]
, it is actually impossible to isolate samples of NH4OH. The ions NH+
4
and OH do not account for a significant fraction of the total amount of ammonia except in extremely dilute solutions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nitrogen trichloride</span> Chemical compound

Nitrogen trichloride, also known as trichloramine, is the chemical compound with the formula NCl3. This yellow, oily, and explosive liquid is most commonly encountered as a byproduct of chemical reactions between ammonia-derivatives and chlorine. Alongside monochloramine and dichloramine, trichloramine is responsible for the distinctive 'chlorine smell' associated with swimming pools, where the compound is readily formed as a product from hypochlorous acid reacting with ammonia and other nitrogenous substances in the water, such as urea from urine.

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3
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Halazone is a chemical compound whose formula can be written as either C
7
H
5
Cl
2
NO
4
S
or (HOOC)(C
6
H
4
)(SO
2
)(NCl
2
)
. It has been widely used to disinfect drinking water.

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References

  1. "5 Best Aquarium Water Conditioners". GEFCoral. February 10, 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  2. "How To Choose The Best Water Conditioner For Fish". Fishkeeping Advice. September 1, 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  3. "Disinfection with Chloramine; Public Water Systems; Drinking Water; Healthy Water". www.cdc.gov. February 15, 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  4. Vanderzwalmen, Myriam; Edmonds, Elizabeth; Carey, Peter; Snellgrove, Donna; Sloman, Katherine A. (2020-01-01). "Effect of a water conditioner on ornamental fish behaviour during commercial transport". Aquaculture. 514: 734486. Bibcode:2020Aquac.51434486V. doi:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2019.734486. ISSN   0044-8486. S2CID   202847935.