[Killietalk] chloramines

["Mike Jacobs" <mjacobs2 at tampabay_rr.com>]

Folks...........a story witnessed by some 50-60 Tampa Bay Aquarium Society
members.  About 7-8 years ago the TBAS club had it's annal fish show.  I
talked them into a "tank" portion so people could see not only the fish but
the NICE tanks some people have.......vs. my bare bottom
things.....;-).......anyway, I am from St. Pete Florida which is 1 Bay away
from Tampa.  I took my tank over there and set it up and got it all "pertty"
and let the filter work for a while and I was then ready to let the fish go
into the tank.  Now, I had asked around and the hardness and pH and all were
within limits of mine and I had taken some 'damn hardy fish' for a show.  I
was quite proud as I put in the Zip drops for the chlorine and swished it
around and put the fish in and wiped my tank and hands off and I was
exhausted.  I need a soda and a seat for 15-20 minutes and I would go back
and see how the fish were reacting to the NEW tank and such.  Well, seats
were at a premium.............do you know the old fraternity
trick??????...........a room full of guys and the TV and no seats and all of
a sudden Joe gets a phone call???????......well as soon as Joe gets up that
means there is an open seat and of course there is NO PHONE CALL.  Well,
ok........I'm sitting there pleased as punch and a guy comes around and
says......Mike, something's wrong with your fish....well, right......I'm no
dummy, and I asked him if he had been in a fraternity?????  He replied he
had but there was something wrong with my fish..........I declined to give
up my seat..............2-3 minutes later another guy and I went through the
sane secenario with the same result..........finally a 3rd guy, and there
was an air of believability in the tone that was missing from the
others........ALL of my fish were dying or dead............inside of 15
minutes.  For the life of me I was flabbergasted.........Mike Jacobs' fish
DON"T die.  I was asked if I put conditioner in and my response was
something like "of course, do you think I'm an idiot?"........I said rudely!


Enough of the story..............every word absolutely true by the
way!!!!!!!!!..........the point is that I had used the old Zip drops for
chlorine and not something for Tampa's chloramines..............all the fish
were dead before I could correct the situation.

Now...........my question is this.........were the old Zip drops
hypno???????????......I don't know but now when people tell me that the
release of ammonia doesn't affect fish when the bond of chloramine and
ammonia is broken I just laugh.........and so do about 50 TBAS
members...........but the biggest laugh was my reaction to the possible
"phone call" and the seat!!

Sorry to 'talk' so long but folks..............be careful with chloramines!
I've been in Aquariums too long to talk about absolutes but you better be
careful releasing the ammonia and not using something for the amminia!!!!!

Have a super day!!!!!

Mike
                   Mike Jacobs
           SOUTHERN APISTOS:
   Apistogramma Species Plus more...
    http://www.southernapistos.com
             http://www.tbas1.com




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