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RE: Carbon filters for clorine/chloramine...Yes!



I have been using these "HomeDepot" filters for the two years I have grown
aquatic plants. How other listers afford to do their constant water changes
using RO water is beyond me. The filter I got is a single $25 canister
AMETEK Kleen-Plus model ctr-210 since it can be attached/removed from any
faucet (plus $7-12 for the cartridge). I would forget the prefilter, unless
your tap water often contains visible particulates and don't believe the
6mth or 1000gal limit on these cartridges. Perhaps, they are not as
efficient after 1000 gals (99% Chlorine/ Chloramine removal) I often abuse
these filters to the tune of 2000-3000 gals w/o losing fish or plants.
Figure a 70-80% Chloramine reduction is good enough. Caution: when these
filters are brand new they remove everything from tap water creating a
potentially dangerous electrolyte deprived environment, so when the
cartridge is new, only do 10-30% partial changes.  

Chloramine, I discovered is VERY destructive to true aquatic plants
especially to fast growing stem and grass types. The effects on plants are
not immediately noticeable if your plants are slower growers or if your
partial change is less than 33% (I once did a 75% change on a
fishless-planted Vallesnaria tank and all the vals were dead in 36hrs). I
believe Chloramine may be so deadly to plants because its ammonia sub-group
is readily absorbed by plants' leaves as food, allowing the attached
chloride to enter cells and act as a toxin. This suggests that plants that
absorb most of their nutrients via their roots may be less vulnerable to
chloramine.
	
You are quite correct about these "dechlorinators" so save your money. They
also leave the neutralized chlorine and ammonia in your tank, releasing it
a little at a time over time to prevent harm to aquatic fauna, but the
ammonia component may then feed algae especially in a new tank. Just kill
two cats with one stone and do not put the chloramine in your aquarium in
the first place.

~Bk.

<from: cwells <cdwells at concentric_net>
<Subject: Carbon filters for chlorine

<I understand that activated carbon can absorb chlorine and I suppose
<chloroamine.
<How effective are these canister filters one can buy at the local Home
<depot?
<I'm talking about the units that are about 1' high with a screw off
<base.
<My idea is to fashion one up as a prefilter for my tanks when I change
<water.
<Would it be a good idea to add a second  particle filter element up
<front?
<how long might they last?<

<Also - how distructive is chlorine or chloroamines - I looked at the
<archives on this topic and I never realy got a good feeling as to how
<much it effects my tanks.  I can smell the chlorine coming out of the
<tap.  Often times I add water with no treatment  and the fish and plants
<seem fine.  Also I noted on a bottle of Tetra dechlorinator that it
<binds the iron and copper too.  Binding  iron can't be to good for
<plants right?  What else might sodium thiolsulfate effect?