Does seachem prime remove chloramines

[leo12345]

My water company is using chloramines instead of chlorine for a few weeks so can I add prime to my rodi water to remove any chloramines before I put it in my tank?

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

So since since chloramines are is just chlorine and ammonia does that mean that the rodi buddie will remove the chlorine but the ammonia will stay?

I honestly don't know. That's a reason I over filter also, because I don't know what does what and for how long, right and flow is a big part of it, I use a booster pump but don't go much more than 70psi at the membrane. To slow the flow through the di stages.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

While there are test kits for it, can be alleviated with use of RODI water

Not necessarily, not all rodi is equal

 

[vetteguy53081]

Not necessarily, not all rodi is equal

Not equal but purer than tap water
thirty . 40 years ago I used tap as there was not much choice. Since the evolvement of RO units and sterilizer units, there is a clear difference with coral care and tank maintenance, beginning with lifeguard units in the 80's. I installed these in my store and the difference with my tanks immediately noticeable.

 

[spsick]

If you had our water you wouldn't either, we don't drink the tap water.

Oh for sure I’m not far behind you, just 1 carbon block and DI shy.

I got the Hach color wheel kit to really dial in carbon block depletion from chloramines.

 

[leo12345]

So since since chloramines are is just chlorine and ammonia does that mean that the rodi buddie will remove the chlorine but the ammonia will stay?

@Randy Holmes-Farley do you know the answer to this?

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Oh for sure I’m not far behind you, just 1 carbon block and DI shy.

I got the Hach color wheel kit to really dial in carbon block depletion from chloramines.

Yeah thats all that's needed really, I got the Hanna cheap, and don't use it often.

 

[leo12345]

Not equal but purer than tap water
thirty . 40 years ago I used tap as there was not much choice. Since the evolvement of RO units and sterilizer units, there is a clear difference with coral care and tank maintenance, beginning with lifeguard units in the 80's. I installed these in my store and the difference with my tanks immediately noticeable.

You used straight tap water with no chlorine removers?

 

[leo12345]

It is carbon that removes chloramines, but not every carbon block can do this or do it efficiently, look at a few and you will see the price difference. I have high chloramines and run 3 carbon blocks 2 specifically for chloramines. There's not much you can do with dumping something in tap water, it needs to be rigorously filtered.

Pentek ChlorPlus Carbon Block

Chloramine is becoming more common as an alternative to chlorine for water treatment and must be treated differently. Chloramines are different than chlorine, which is used by most municipalities to treat the city water supply. Chloramines are chlorine reacted with ammonia to create a more...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

So the chlorine in your city is so high you can’t drink the water?

 

[vetteguy53081]

You used straight tap water with no chlorine removers?

No- we used water conditioners such as Penn Plax, tetra aquasafe.
Also had lots of algae

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

@Randy Holmes-Farley do you know the answer to this?

I realize I'm not Randy...

The membrane and di *should* remove the remainder; the problem is that one reason you use sediment filters and carbon blocks is to protect the ro membrane. Sediment can quickly clog the carbon filter and chlorine can reduce the life of the membrane significantly. Since membranes also cost a lot more, it makes sense to want to remove as much as you can (as much as sediment and carbon filters are able to anyway) prior to water reaching the membrane. Same with DI -- we want as much TDS as possible already removed by the time water exits the membrane, to preserve the DI.

Get a water report from your local water district to be sure. Test the water coming out of your last carbon block for chlorine (I use a cheap pool kit) monthly, and monitor your TDS from the tap, after the membrane, and at the end (after DI). Also, read about what the different DI resins can remove and dial these in if needed.

No one here can tell you what your filter should consist of to be efficient without overkill...

 

[Malcontent]

Ultra Low Range Total Chlorine Colorimeter - Checker® HC

The HI761 Total Chlorine Ultra Low Range Checker®HC (Handheld Colorimeter) provides a simple, accurate and cost-effective way to measure total chlorine at very low concentrations.

www.hannainst.com

Personally, I would recommend at least a Hach DR/300 for chlorine measurement.

I use a DR/900 and when I get > 0.02 mg/L (the method minimum detection limit) after the penultimate block it's time to replace and reshuffle the carbon.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Ultra Low Range Total Chlorine Colorimeter - Checker® HC

The HI761 Total Chlorine Ultra Low Range Checker®HC (Handheld Colorimeter) provides a simple, accurate and cost-effective way to measure total chlorine at very low concentrations.

www.hannainst.com

Personally, I would recommend at least a Hach DR/300 for chlorine measurement.

I use a DR/900 and when I get > 0.02 mg/L (the method minimum detection limit) after the penultimate block it's time to replace and reshuffle the carbon.

That's over $600!

 

[csturgis1989]

A rodi will remove chloramine. Chloramine bond is larger than a chlorine bond and that is why larger public drinking water utilities use it since it lasts longer in the system along with other benefits.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

So the chlorine in your city is so high you can’t drink the water?

Of course not that's a personal choice there's probably millions of people drinking it, but us.
The dog seems to like it!

with the fish tanks there's so much time and money invested I'm not going to let poor water quality mess it up, to save a few bucks on filter material and actually when you have more filters like me they last longer hard to imagine that true but it is, my di last forever and I polish the water with a silicate cartridge in the final stage.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

A rodi will remove chloramine. Chloramine bond is larger than a chlorine bond and that is why larger public drinking water utilities use it since it lasts longer in the system along with other benefits.

Mostly opinion for my lack of facts

Without the proper carbon filter and the chloramines removed it will deteriorate the r.o membrane quicker and could still allow some to get thru further diminishing you di resen , even allowing some to pass through the resin, getting into your system, and it last much longer and is able to build up in your aquarium.

 

[Malcontent]

Five minutes of contact time means about a gallon of carbon with a 75 gpd membrane...

 

[vetteguy53081]

Of course not that's a personal choice there's probably millions of people drinking it, but us.
The dog seems to like it!

with the fish tanks there's so much time and money invested I'm not going to let poor water quality mess it up, to save a few bucks on filter material and actually when you have more filters like me they last longer hard to imagine that true but it is, my di last forever and I polish the water with a silicate cartridge in the final stage.

I know my water is good

 

[leo12345]

Im not keen on website info states but from what I see- It does address chlorine and chloramines, a little bit on nitrate and does not remove ammonia but rather bind it but eventually ammonia has to go somewhere

Does prime have any side effects? can I just add it to my water anyway just in case there is chloramines getting through the rodi?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Does prime have any side effects? can I just add it to my water anyway just in case there is chloramines getting through the rodi?

If adding to water, add to sump so it’s evenly disbursed

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Mostly opinion for my lack of facts

Without the proper carbon filter and the chloramines removed it will deteriorate the r.o membrane quicker and could still allow some to get thru further diminishing you di resen , even allowing some to pass through the resin, getting into your system, and it last much longer and is able to build up in your aquarium.

Which is clearly wrong in its generality.