altitudefarmer said:

Thanks, guys, I was aware of the aeration method to dissipate chlorine, and Cap (I think) had mentioned the table sugar in a thread I read but couldn't find again.
If I add more than a tiny pinch of sugar to my 5-gal bucket, it gets cloudy.
Do the chloramines destroy microbial life as bad as chlorine?

I've been filtering my water for a long time now with an inline ice maker filter. Does that remove chloramines?

Click to expand...

Seamaiden said:

I know you don't want to hear it, but sodium thiosulfate is perfectly safe for microbes and many other incredibly delicate living things, it's what is still used in public aquariums small and large, and is incredibly cheap, especially if you mix it down to the OTC levels of 1%-3%.

While aeration is perfectly suitable for removing chlorine, it will do nothing for chloramine, you will need something that either bonds to it (carbon?) or breaks the bond between the chlorine and ammonia. Again, sodium thiosulfate is absolutely suitable and acceptable for this purpose.

In terms of water treatment, chloramines are actually preferable over chlorine, as chlorine has been linked to causing some cancers. The EPA has recommended that all U.S. water municipalities switch their treatment from chlorine to chloramine, and the specific purpose is to kill microbes. So, yes, it will (and should if it's properly treated water) be killing soil microbes.

I see that someone has mentioned using sugar, and while it's not something I have ever done, if it works, I say go with it. Not as cheap as sodium thiosulfate, but hey, it sure is easier to get! However, if you're of a mind, you can get it for something like $5 for 2lbs dry (which then needs to be mixed down to that low percent solution mentioned above). At the Long Beach Aquarium we would just sprinkle it in, used our noses to tell us whether or not the chlorine was gone. Chlorine bleach is used to clean many items, such as tank decorations, and that needs to be neutralized quickly.

Click to expand...

fishwhistle said:

Would molasses work as a 'sugar'?

Click to expand...

altitudefarmer said:

Ty, thanks for the response(s). Hope life is good in your neck o the woods.
Can you tell me where you got your info on the sugar? Earlier I asked Squiggly in his chemistry thread and he said science doesn't back the sugar theory. Of makes me wonder if I could've saved a bunch for morning coffee, lol!
I am spending a little of my 'farm time' researching this and I'll post what I find.
Appreciate all the feedback guys!

Click to expand...

Mr.Metal said:

What's goin on Cap, so this might be a stupid question but how or where would you install the filter??

Click to expand...