Why do I need to treat my tapwater with a conditioner?
Tapwater contains added chlorine and sometimes chloramine, which kill bacteria and other organisms making it safe for us to drink. But while they are fine for humans, both chlorine and especially chloramine are dangerous to fish and the essential bacteria that break down the fishes’ wastes. Adding untreated tapwater can stress or even kill fish, and quickly wipes out filter bacteria which can result in pollution problems for several weeks. Any tapwater added to your tank needs to be treated with a dechlorinator (water conditioner) to remove chlorine and always wash filter media in a bucket of old tank water, never under the tap! Well over 10% of the UK’s tapwater contains chloramine. This is a compound of chlorine and ammonia, and when it’s neutralised by a standard dechlorinator it leaves the ammonia behind.
