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, commonly known in a dilute solution as (chlorine) bleach, is an inorganic chemical compound with the formula NaOCl, consisting of a sodium cation and a hypochlorite anion. It may also be viewed as the sodium salt of hypochlorous acid. The anhydrous compound is unstable and may decompose explosively. It can be crystallized as a pentahydrate NaOCl·5H
2
O
, a pale greenish-yellow solid which is not explosive and is stable if kept refrigerated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Water purification</span> Process of removing impurities from water

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">Disinfectant</span> Antimicrobial agent that inactivates or destroys microbes

A disinfectant is a chemical substance or compound used to inactivate or destroy microorganisms on inert surfaces. Disinfection does not necessarily kill all microorganisms, especially resistant bacterial spores; it is less effective than sterilization, which is an extreme physical or chemical process that kills all types of life. Disinfectants are generally distinguished from other antimicrobial agents such as antibiotics, which destroy microorganisms within the body, and antiseptics, which destroy microorganisms on living tissue. Disinfectants are also different from biocides—the latter are intended to destroy all forms of life, not just microorganisms. Disinfectants work by destroying the cell wall of microbes or interfering with their metabolism. It is also a form of decontamination, and can be defined as the process whereby physical or chemical methods are used to reduce the amount of pathogenic microorganisms on a surface.

<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, pungent-smelling and explosive liquid is most commonly encountered as a byproduct of chemical reactions between ammonia-derivatives and chlorine (for example, in swimming pools). 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
, is a bromine-based oxoanion. A bromate is a chemical compound that contains this ion. Examples of bromates include sodium bromate,, and potassium bromate,.

Shock chlorination is a process used in many swimming pools, water wells, springs, and other water sources to reduce the bacterial and algal residue in the water. Shock chlorination is performed by mixing a large amount of sodium hypochlorite, which can be in the form of a powder or a liquid such as chlorine bleach, into the water. The common advice is that the amount added must raise the level of chlorine to 10X the level of chloramines present in the pool water; this is "shocking". A lesser ratio is termed superchlorinating. Water that is being shock chlorinated should not be swum in or drunk until the sodium hypochlorite count in the water goes down to three ppm or less. Commercial sodium hypochlorite should not be mixed with commercial calcium hypochlorite, as there is a risk of explosion. Although a verb for superchlorination, "shock" is often misunderstood to be a unique type of product.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishkeeping</span> Practice of containing fish

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common goldfish</span> Breed of goldfish

The common goldfish is a breed of goldfish and a family of Cyprinidae of order cypriniforms. Goldfish are descendants of wild carp from East Asia. Most varieties of fancy goldfish were derived from this simple breed. Common goldfish come in a variety of colors including red, orange, red/white, white/black, yellow/white, blue, grey/brown, olive green, yellow, white, and black, with the most common variation being orange, hence the name. Sometimes, the brightness, duration, and vividness of the color may be an indication of the fish's health status, but not always, as manifold waters conditions facilitate the apparent discoloration.

Monochloramine, often called chloramine, is the chemical compound with the formula NH2Cl. Together with dichloramine (NHCl2) and nitrogen trichloride (NCl3), it is one of the three chloramines of ammonia. It is a colorless liquid at its melting point of −66 °C (−87 °F), but it is usually handled as a dilute aqueous solution, in which form it is sometimes used as a disinfectant. Chloramine is too unstable to have its boiling point measured.

Chloramines refer to derivatives of ammonia and organic amines wherein one or more N−H bonds have been replaced by N−Cl bonds. Two classes of compounds are considered: inorganic chloramines and organic chloramines.

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Swimming pool sanitation is the process of ensuring healthy conditions in swimming pools. Proper sanitation is needed to maintain the visual clarity of water and to prevent the transmission of infectious waterborne diseases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bleach</span> Chemicals used to whiten or disinfect

Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove colour (whitening) from fabric or fiber or to disinfect after cleaning. It often refers specifically to a dilute solution of sodium hypochlorite, also called "liquid bleach".

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aquarium</span> Transparent tank of water for fish and water-dwelling species

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

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Water chlorination</span> Chorination of water

Water chlorination is the process of adding chlorine or chlorine compounds such as sodium hypochlorite to water. This method is used to kill bacteria, viruses and other microbes in water. In particular, chlorination is used to prevent the spread of waterborne diseases such as cholera, dysentery, and typhoid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Recirculating aquaculture system</span> Fish farming method

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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. doi:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2019.734486. ISSN   0044-8486. S2CID   202847935.