A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2005 FYI: plants that live in water

WOW! Thanks, Elsie!
My mistake!
I know about Chloramine, but totally forgot about it when I posted before! It's not used in the water system here, so it's not something I even think about, when doing water changes in our fish tank! (I should have put more thought into what I was writing, as I am aware of the vast reaches this Forum has!) I shudder to think that Margaret's (or anyone's) fish could have died before she (they) even got the chance to enjoy it, because of what I said! My apology to Sorathien as well, for the implied contradiction to her post!

Chloramine is a combination of Chlorine and Ammonia, which is more stable than Chlorine, by itself, is & that's why some areas are using it in their water systems now. It's my understanding that it is highly toxic to fish because ammonia, even in low levels, is toxic to them. It takes a week or more to dissipate when exposed to air, which is longer than most of us want a pan of water sitting around (collecting dust) so we can put it in our Beta vase!

I would suggest that Margaret call her local water company & ask if Chloramine is used to purify the water in their treatment plant, & if so, ask how the public is to be informed if/when the ratio is to be increased. (It might not hurt to ask about the PPM level too, if she'll need to use a neutralizer for her fish.)

I understand that there are several "dechlorinators" on the market, but not all of them are formulated expressly for fish tanks. (Some only "dechlorinate", while others break down chloramine & bind up the ammonia, which is the action needed for aquatic creatures.) By all means, if a "dechlorinator" is needed, a person should consult an aquarium shop, to make sure they're buying & using the right one!

If Chloramine is not present in a water system, DECHLORINATING the old fashioned way, by leaving water in an open container overnight, has been done for decades & is still acceptable as far as I know... works for me, anyway! (Aerators in fish tanks accomplish this task without any additional treatment, if Chlorine alone, is present in the water.)

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I don't believe that the average person knows the difference between Chloramine & Chlorine, nor about the impact of either, on aquatic life. The term "dechlorinator" is a gross misnomer, in that it implies that Chlorine is the target of removal... which it's not! I think that the Public should be more educated about Chloramine, & that its neutralizer should carry the more accurate label of "dechloraminator", because the 2 terms ARE vitally different! In our highly technical society we've come up with short-cut names to make communication more convenient, but in this case, speaking accurately (& technically) about something as important as water treatments, should take a higher priority in the Marketplace!
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(Gosh, I can't believe that starting this thread... about plants THAT LIVE IN WATER, has led to this!) It's been interesting! Thanks, everybody!

Couldn't you just buy distilled water for the vase???? That's what my directions said to do when I bought my betta...and I got it pretty cheap at walmart, the generic brand....

Well, THAT would sure simplify things if you just want a Beta vase & don't have to worry about a whole fish tank!!! Thanks, Loz! I hadn't thought about using bottled water! We can use our water right out of the tap, here.

i too can use my water right out of the tap because i have a well. but, even at that, one needs to be careful. i found out the hard way that i was lucky, i had to refill my pond 2 times in under 4 hours and i didn't lose a single fish but, it could have easily gone the other way.

bettas do need to be given a fast one day a week. in the wild, they certainly wouldnt have someone dropping yummy blood worms or pellets around for them. they have to HUNT, and not every hunt is sucessfull. all PREDATORY animals digestive systems are designed to deal with days, sometimes even weeks with no food and not shut down.

herbavores on the other hand, and most omnivores, are designed to have a constant supply of food running through their digestive tracts. they are designed to deal with ingesting a high volume of food thats high in fiber and relatively low in nutrients, while carnivores are the opposite.

This thread is really cool...with all the pictures of pretty plants.

I am going to get started on my 'plants in water' right away.