Directions for use

Pet store brands test their tap water products using water that contains the minimum amount of chlorine or chloramine.  This usually means about .5 mg/L.  They do this so that they can make a label claim that their products will treat thousand of gallons more than they actually will. In reality, your water is most likely much higher, up to 4 mg/L.

It is important to use AquaDechlor as we describe here, even if you have used pet store products in the past.

The amount of AquaDechlor that you will use, depends primarily on how much Chlorine or Chloramine is in your water. At the lowest level - .5 mg/L, one 8 oz bottle may treat over 19,000 gallons of water, but at the highest level - 4 mg/L it might only treat 2,400 gallons. The pH of your water will also affect how much you need. This is especially true for aquaponics systems where the water may be kept below a pH of 6.5 for acidic-loving plants.

It's also important to know that as your water travels through miles of pipes the levels of chlorine and chloramine will go down. So asking your local water district as to what level they treat at the plant is irrelevant.

Always treat city water with AquaDechlor before anything else if possible. This will get you the most from your bottle. Since AquaDechlor is destroyed as it reacts with chlorine and chloramine, there are no left over chemicals to interfere with other water treatments such as pH adjusters. Note that pH levels below 6.5 will begin to break down AquaDechlor, requiring more to remove chlorine and chloramine. Please adjust pH after treating with AquaDechlor.

If you do not have a test for chlorine and chloramine then use the following procedure to treat your water. For average levels of chlorine or chloramine (2 mg/L) use one drop per gallon or 1 mL for every 20 gallons of water if using a liquid measure. This is the equivalent of 1/4 cup of AquaDechlor for every 1,200 gallons of water. We recommended that your water be moving gently either by hand or by a circulation pump at the time that you add AquaDechlor.

Fill a bucket with the treated water and add an aerator.  Put one fish in it for at least 30 minutes. If it survives, you have added enough AquaDechlor and possibly more than necessary. Don't worry, about water quality if you used too much.

Note that we do not recommend sacrificing a fish in lieu of a proper test, but without one, this may be the only way to know. Keep in mind that chlorine and chloramine levels fluctuate depending on the situation at the treatment plant, so today's readings will not be the same the next time that you use AquaDechlor. We highly recommend that you get a test for Chlorine and Chloramine.

If you are using test strips - Add one drop for every 2 gallons to gently moving water and test the water after about a minute using the test strip. Repeat if necessary until chlorine or chloramine is gone.

If you are using a vial and drops test or a chlorimeter - Test the water first to get an approximate level of chlorine or chloramine. Add one drop per 2 gallons for levels of 1 mg/L. Add one drop per gallon for levels of 2 mg/L. Add 2 drops per gallon for  levels of 4 mg/L.

Please note that there are 20 drops in a mL and 1,200 drops in a 1/4 cup if you want to convert into a measure instead of drops.

After you've added AquaDechlor, retest the treated water after one minute and adjust if necessary.