Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) as Dechlorinator

[crabbyNJ]

Hi
I'm interested in trying vitamin c to neutralize chloramines. There are many articles online. I've been perusing a few. There are potential hazards with the sulfur based declorinators and I happen to have some ascorbic acid powder on hand that I bought to put in my bathtub for long soaks to combat the chloramines.

Does anyone have any experience with it for hermit crab use?

Thanks!

https://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/pubs/html/052 ... 31301.html

[GotButterflies]

I don't have any experience with this, sorry. Very interesting read though. I see it removes chlorine, but what about the heavy metals in the water? Those need to be removed as well... in the wild crabs essentially drink from the ocean, dew, rain...


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[Rawrgeous]

I've not had any experience with this... That itself would be an experiment. That being said, trying it would be a risk, as we know chlorine burns the hermits gills...I think my biggest concern would be the heavy metals like gotbutterflies mentioned, and also, the high levels of processed vitamin c.

[aussieJJDude]

Does it also remove chloramines? IMO, far more damaging.

[crabbyNJ]

Hi
My understanding is that chlorine can be evaporated or boiled off, but that chloramines, the more recently added type of chlorination, can only be removed by chemical reaction. (either with a sulfur product or ascorbic acid)

It takes very little of the ascorbic acid to create the reaction and if you taste the water afterward, you can't detect any acidity if you use little enough. I guess the question is what's the correct amount per gallon. I think I used like 500mg (I think that's a 1/4 tsp of the powder), which might be overkill but still didn't taste acidic.

As for the heavy metals, I'm interested in seeing documentation as to how they are removed by the sulfur-based dechlorinators. I may poke around and see if I can find anything.

[crabbyNJ]

A quick look at the Dr Foster and Smith website yielded this:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/artic ... 24&aid=659

Basically saying that some conditioners can help remove heavy metals by precipitating them for easier removal by a filtration system. Therefore, it seems that heavy metals can't be removed without mechanical filtering of some type.

[aussieJJDude]

Hi
My understanding is that chlorine can be evaporated or boiled off, but that chloramines, the more recently added type of chlorination, can only be removed by chemical reaction. (either with a sulfur product or ascorbic acid)

Yes, chlorine can be boiled or just left to sit, where it will dissipate naturally in a day or so. Increasing surface agitation will quicken the process. But can also be done by chemical reaction, which change it into less harmful "salts" I believe. However, chloramine takes months for it to naturally dissipate from a body of water, which like you said chemical reaction will quicken the process somewhat. Once again, I believe it is converted in to harmless salts.
But my question, does ascorbic acid actually react/convert chloramine into harmless compounds. Which it does. (After a quick google search. )

It takes very little of the ascorbic acid to create the reaction and if you taste the water afterward, you can't detect any acidity if you use little enough. I guess the question is what's the correct amount per gallon. I think I used like 500mg (I think that's a 1/4 tsp of the powder), which might be overkill but still didn't taste acidic.

I might be wrong, but water taste comes from the free flowing ions in the water breaking down or coming into equilibrium right? I've never noticed a taste of water being either acidic/basic, unless it was "liquid rock" - aka: high gH... I really thought that the pH didn't matter, it was more to do with the gH and kH.... But its not like I go around comparing the taste of water in multiple pH solutions. So be interested to hear your thoughts!

As for the heavy metals, I'm interested in seeing documentation as to how they are removed by the sulfur-based dechlorinators. I may poke around and see if I can find anything.

They are removed by "becoming salts", which is far less damaging by the heavy metal flowing free will in the tank alone. Plus, plants will still use these heavy metals for growth and development, so in a planted tank often these elements have to be supplemented.

[crabbyNJ]

Hi aussiedude
this is just the kind of nerdy conversation I was hoping for

The paper I linked to originally had the formula for the byproducts of the vitamin c reaction with chloramines, I think.

My understanding is that some, but not all, of the dechlorinators also help with heavy metals. Which ingredients in those products turn the metals into salts? I am only superficially conversant in this level of biochemistry but I'm dubious about whether there is a magical component that can react with all the various bad metals we're talking about and render them harmless.

Please tell me what you know, or point me in the right direction, thx.

On taste: yes I do think there is a mineral taste to water with high level of minerals (water with a higher pH).

Since some PPs in the wild travel far and wide they would be exposed to all kinds of water although I have been reading some scholarly papers about some more confined populations.