Do I need to treat tap water before I add fish to my goldfish pond?

Question

I recently lost all of the fish in my pond because I added too much water that hadn't had the chlorine removed, but they had been fine for years before that. I read somewhere that if you let the water sit for a day before adding fish and that will remove the chlorine but I want to make sure before I add fish again.

Answer 1

Yes, if what your water provider uses in the water is chlorine - as Bonsylar said, this will dissipate in 24 hrs. But if what they use is chloramine, it won't be removed unless done chemically.

Before you add the new fish, I'd recommend to call your water provider's office and make sure it's chlorine that's used. Otherwise, stop at any pet store for a water conditioner that will remove chloramine (it will treat the water instantly, so you only need to get it to the correct temperature to add fish).

http://www.pondsplus.com/Infofiles/art09.htm

Answer 2

Well first you have to find out if your water company uses chloramine, which is jsut as deathly as chlorine but does not evaporate.

Call up your water company and ask, if they do buy some water conditioners to remove it, their are some specially for big tanks and ponds so use those.

If they dont use it you can let the water sit for 24 hrs and then all the chlorine evaporates and its safe for your fish.

Answer 3

Just an addition to Copperhead's post:

If your local water is treated with chloramine, make sure the water treatment you pick up will treat the ammonia as well as just treating the chlorine when breaking the chlorine/ammonia bond of the chloramine. Not all products on the market do. Read the label before you buy. Some will say to buy another to handle the ammonia, others say it handles the ammonia.

Answer 4

Yes you should always treat the water before you put your fish in if you use tap water because of the chlorine...you can go to any pet store and ask what is best for your situation, best of luck :-)

Answer 5

Let the tap water alone for 24 hours to get the chlorine out.

Answer 6

Hi, just like to add that if you let your water stand for 24 hours it is a good idea to run a small airstone in the container to keep it from going stale. Many local water companies have a facility on their sites where you simply enter your post/zip code & they email you a complete breakdown of the water content in your area, in addition some even have a specific page of advice for fish keepers.

Answer 7

Yes. Sitting water out will remove chlorine but not chloramine or trace metals which are commonly found in tapwater. Any regular water conditioner should do this.

Answer 8

Yes, 24 hours is all it takes for the Chlorine to leave the water.

I use a bunch of 5 gallon buckets. Not too heavy for me to lift.