Why Water Authorities Treat Catchment Water
To achieve acceptable standards for human health, catchment water if any water for human usage may require treatment for excessive salinity, hardness, minerals causing a colloidal effect, bad taste, odours, iron or magnesium which may cause staining of washing, algae, organic material and high levels of bacteria. All or any of these treatments might affect your fish.

The Treatments
The most common is chlorine. The quantity used however, varies according to the water source and its content. Water with a high organic load and possible bacterial or algae problems would receive significantly higher dose rates.

Chloramine
Many water authorities are progressively changing from chlorine to usine chloramine. Chlorine gas is injected into the water supply followed by ammonia. The result is chloramine, relatively stable compared to chlorine, lasting several days in water even when exposed to sunlight.

Death to Fish
Both chlorine and chloramine are death to fish. Chloramine can kill fish in several ways.

Symptoms of Chloramine
Fish that are affected become lethargic, go off their food, rest on the bottom and then after about four days, they die suddenly. A fish that an hour before was sluggish, but still swimming, will be found dead at the surface, floating belly up. Of course elevated levels of chloramine would result in a quicker death.

Other Water Authority Procedures
Some of the other treatment undertaken by water authorities might be lime treatment to adjust pH, fluoride treatment, alum treatment for algae and water clarity, sodium silicate to keep iron and magnesium in solution and avoid staining.

Water in its passage through the pipes to your tap might pick up iron, copper, zinc, aluminium. Even cement and plastic pipes can have an effect on the passing water.

HOW TO MAKE TAP WATER SAFE

By the time tap water has reached our home it is very different from its condition in the natural state. To make this tap water safe to use in aquariums there are several basic steps or procedures to be undertaken.

Step 1 The removal of chlorine, chloramine or ammonia.

Step 2 The removal of other unwanted ingredients like iron, copper etc. if they are present in dangerous quantities.

Step 3 The addition of products that help replace waters natural qualities, so desirable for good health and well being of fish.

PREPARING WATER

A CONTAINER
It is recommended that preparation of water for aquarium use be carried out in a separate container (plastic drum, or bucket) that is kept specifically for that purpose. This is especially important once the aquarium is stocked. This container should hold a minimum 25% of the volume of the aquarium which is also the minimum quantity of water that should be changed each month. By changing the minimum quantity, build-up of many unnoticeable and unavoidable toxins e.g. nitrates, phosphates, household sprays, fumes, dissolved fish food ingredients etc, is averted.

STEP ONE

The Removal Of Chlorine, Chloramine or Ammonia
These are the most toxic ingredients authorities add to tap water. Although important to human health, they are deadly to fish and have to be neutralised.

WATER PURIFIER
This product neutralises chlorine and chloramine. It is suitable for most situations where normal quantities of chlorine are used in water treatment. It works immediately and tap water may be used within minutes of treatment. A 100ml bottle neutralises the chlorine in 1000L of tap water.

EXTRA POWER WATER PURIFIER
For situations where tap water quality is poor, where excess chlorine is present as evident by the smell, or where water authorities might use chemicals that harm fish, then EXTRA POWER WATER PURIFIER is recommended. It contains a trihydrate, a pentahydrate, heavy metal complexors and mould inhibitors to deal with the worst or water conditions. EXTRA POWER WATER PURIFIER neutralises excessive quantities of chlorine, neutralises chloramine, complexes heavy metals, and more. A 100ml bottle treats 100L of tap water.

CHLORMON
CHLORMON neutralises ammonia, chlorine and chloramine. In situations, controlled mainly by other components present in some tap water supplies, the neutralisation of chloramine leaves toxic levels of ammonia in tap water. CHLORMON deals with ammonia instantly, destroying it completely leaving the tap water safe for immediate use. CHLOROMON dose rates are quantative eg. you apply more to neutralise larger quantities of ammonia. A treatment rate of 5ml per 20L of water will neutralise .075ppm ammonia.

STEP 2

Additional Water Treatment
Tap water may be further filtered to remove organic matter, minerals, hardness, bacteria etc. The type of additional filtration undertaken depends on the quality of supply, so it is important to know,as much as possible, what is in the tap water you use.

HARDNESS
One important parameter to know is the hardness of tap water, a test is easily performed with test kits from your aquarium dealer.

ORGANIC MATTER
If tap water is discoloured, most likely organic matter is present. This is easily removed with activated carbon. Bad smell, some minerals and other impurities are also removed by filtering water with active carbon. But be careful, not all carbons are suitable, even though they are sold as such. A good test for activated carbon is put a teaspoon of an unused lot into a glass of water. If it is good quality it will fizz.

STEP 3

Renewing Natural Qualities
There are a range of water conditioners that are designed to give tap water the same qualities that might be found in a fishes natural habitat. These conditioners contain salts, minerals and disease inhibitors and allow you to make regular water changes safely and result in happier and healthier fish.

FINALLY
TEST AND ADJUST THE pH OF THE PREPARED WATER.