Most important item?

[CACAdmin]

What's the most important item in a fish-keepers home? The one you should never ever run out of?

Food? :nah: Fish can do just fine for a few days without food?
Filter media? :no: Water quality won't diminish that greatly until you get to the store.

Dechlorinator? :yes: But hey, you can hold off doing water changes until you've picked some up, right?:yes: ... but what if you start emptying tanks before you realize you're out of it? :eek: That's what happened to me this morning. I knew last week I needed to pick some up but totally forgot. So, thankfully, I was not completely out and had only done one tank when I remembered.

So I did that one tank and carefully measured out exactly how much more I had and did small changes on the remaining tanks.

Guess where I'm headed this afternoon? :yes: to Paul's (http://www.paulsaquarium.com) to pick up some more dechlorinator.:rolleyes: I buy those big 2L Nutrifin Aqua-Plus jugs which he always has at a great price. The sale price sticker on this (now-empty) jug sitting in front of me is $26.29.

So remember, unlike me :spinny: , always check how much dechlorinator you have before you start your waterchanges.

[GaryofMontreal]

Jay,
Does your water supply have chloramines or old-fashioned chlorine?

[CACAdmin]

There are constant changes to our what was once almost pristine drinking water (the only additive was a small amount of chlorine) and it's almost impossible to keep up with. Back in the late '90s they were using chloramines. Now, I think due to impact on the environment they are only using chlorine.

However, the constant changes, the fact that my water can come from 2 different resevoirs using two different filtration/disinfection processes, and the dumping of excess amount of chlorine into the water supply as a precaution whenever there is turbidity (because of heavy rains) means although I don't think they are currently using chloramines, I err on the side of caution and treat the water for chloramines (10 ml per 10 gal as opposed to 5 ml per 10 gal).

[GaryofMontreal]

It might make an interesting poll to see what's used across Canada. I only have to worry about chlorine, and haven't used a dechlorinator in years, with no problems. The danger is chloramines. In Ottawa, apparently no water treatment means no fish, quickly.

It's weird. I have a few meds on hand, but rarely need them. I use no water treatment chemicals, except epsom salts to harden the water for my livebearers, and salt for my brackish Gambusia and brine shrimp. I need dried flatbread for whiteworm culturing, but I can go slowly on that. I buy flake. I use electricity. It's a simple hobby.
I know! Artemia cysts! No baby brine shrimp for a couple of days and things go downhill.

[WhiteDevil]

its a trick question, the FISH TANK is the most important item for a keeper's home.

Next to having the tank my RO unit is my most cherished item.

[CACAdmin]

It's strange that our souce of drinking water is the same as it always was, and we never used to worry about turbity in the water (brown water was normal after extemely heavy rains) that now we feel we have to spend a fortune on making it 'safe' to drink.

The new Seymour resevior filtration plant which is part of an $800 million project) opened in January which supposedly lessens the amount of chlorine needed and by 2013 plans to use UV treatment to supposedly further lessen the use of chlorine.

This all sounds great but what people don't realize is that chlorine is added again after the fact along the way to your house at booster stations. :rolleyes: If you happen to be close to one of these booster stations you could have a great deal more chlorine in your water than your neighbors a mile or two away.

[WhiteDevil]

Our source is a river, muddy muddy river. Water in the states sucks when it comes from the tap, not only is chlorine a bother but going INTO my RO unit I am at 279 ppm TDS and coming out I am at 003 ppm TDS, we got crap water, nearly everyone is on a filter or softener of some sort. Not just fish keepers even the car washes use RO water due to the TDS content and how hard the water is.

I could not keep discus without the RO, my tap Ph is 9.3 gh/kh are in the 20 drop range.

[Melody]

I use dechlorinator as I also treat for metals - lotsa inverts, doncha know. :Smile: The fish don't seem happy if I skip it either, so I'm thinkin' there's at least some chloramine use. It may have been a turbid time of year when I noticed their reaction, I can't remember. I don't think there's much I couldn't do without temporarily otherwise.

Hey Gary, maybe the species you have issues with are extra sensitive to the untreated water? Chlorine or metals? Might be an interesting experiment if you get them again.

[GaryofMontreal]

[quote=Melody;78166

Hey Gary, maybe the species you have issues with are extra sensitive to the untreated water? Chlorine or metals? Might be an interesting experiment if you get them again.[/quote]

Could be. Could go the other way too. I'll experiment in that direction. :wink:

[Detritus Mulm]

Water.

[T Dawg]

What's the most important item in a fish-keepers home? The one you should never ever run out of?
Spouses understanding and patients?
We buy a bottle of prime as soon as we use one, so we always have a full and in use on hand.

[fishclubgirl]

No dechlorinator or water treatment is used in my tanks. I do always have an aged bucket of water on hand. As my fish keep breeding, empty tanks are always a necessity. They seem to fill up quickly!!

[vince0]

electricity :) which im thankful that calgary doesn't expericence black outs ever :) ive heard many horror stories pertaining to power outages lol