RE: NANFA-L-- Precipitate

Nick Zarlinga (njz-in-clevelandmetroparks.com)
Wed, 25 Jan 2006 08:18:25 -0500

Todd, keep a close eye on your system. Using too much dechlor does have
drastic consequenses. What happens is the Sodium Thiosulfate ions react
with excess hydrogen ions (lower pH systems or low pH pockets-like in your
deep sand bed- are very much-in-risk) to form elemental sulfur and sulfate
gas. (The precipitate is sulfer) The reaction is usually self perpetuating
because more sulfate gas reacts with water to form more nasties which cause
sulfuric acid which lowers pH and scavenges oxygen until all the sodium
thiosulfate or all the oxygen is gone from the system. You may have just
been lucky enough to have all your thiosulfate scavenged before your O2
deplete or your pH tanked. It is documented in numerous cases and is
commonly called "white death". I think we touched upon this a couple of
years ago but the thread quickly died-err- ended.

Nick Zarlinga
Aquarium Biologist
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
216.661.6500 ext 4485

"Who hears the fishes when they cry?"
Henry Thoreau--1817-1862

><)> -----Original Message-----
><)> From: owner-nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org
><)> [owner-nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org]On Behalf
><)> Of Crail, Todd
><)> Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2006 9:53 PM
><)> To: nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org
><)> Subject: NANFA-L-- Precipitate
><)>
><)>
><)> Hi gang,
><)>
><)> Has anyone ever seen where a "precipitate" forms
><)> when too much dechlor has
><)> been added to a system? Alk and pH are fine.
><)>
><)> I think I've done this, and it seems like it's
><)> binding up with fats from the
><)> food. You can watch it happen after the food has
><)> been put in. It looks like
><)> I'm on stage-in-a rock concert. It's been going
><)> on like this for about 3
><)> weeks now, but with steady water changes using
><)> only a whole house filter (one
><)> of the $20 ones, and this time I'm counting
><)> gallons) to rid chlorine, and it
><)> seems I'm finally getting back on the other side
><)> of the amount of reagents.
><)>
><)> I've always liberally dosed it, but not when I've
><)> been using this lipid rich
><)> mysis. I had a similar problem in a tank using
><)> Stress Coat (turned the water
><)> blue smoke woooo!) and the mysis. I was able to
><)> reverse the situation by
><)> water changing (although it sucks this is a 100
><)> gallon and not a 30). I
><)> thought it was the aloe or something, and not the
><)> sodium thiosulfate or
><)> whatever it is... I've been using it straight
><)> (just a cap full or two or three
><)> per 30 gallon barrel!) and I think I need to find
><)> a happy medium.
><)>
><)> Thoughts, comments, <nelson>Ha ha!</nelson>...?
><)>
><)> I'd take a picture... but my camera ain't working.
><)> I think I shorted out the
><)> shutter lol. Glad I bought that "no questions
><)> asked" insurance thingie from
><)> Ritz when I bought it. She said without knowing a
><)> thing about me:
><)>
><)> "Even if you did something that probably would
><)> never happen, like drop it into
><)> a lake or something".
><)>
><)> I was like "How many years can you sign up for at
><)> a time?" ;)
><)>
><)> Kinda stinks too cause I set up 100 gallons of
><)> native fish in our teaching lab
><)> along with photographs of every species found in
><)> the Ottawa River that runs
><)> through campus. More on that soon.... We're going
><)> into another outreach
><)> phase, 'cepting this time, I'm not alone :)
><)> Maybe I'll have to bust out the
><)> ol' 950 while the 4800 is on hiatus.
><)>
><)> Todd
><)> The Milky White Madness, Toledo, OH
><)> It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
><)> http://www.farmertodd.com
><)> /--------------------------------------------------
><)> ---------------------
><)> / This is the discussion list of the North
><)> American Native Fishes
><)> / Association (NANFA). Comments made on this list
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><)> / reflect the beliefs or goals of NANFA. For more
><)> information about NANFA,
><)> / visit http://www.nanfa.org Please make sure all
><)> posts to nanfa-l are
><)> / consistent with the guidelines as per
><)> / http://www.nanfa.org/guidelines.shtml To
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><)> / help, visit the NANFA email list home page and archive at
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><)>
><)>
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