The Puffer Forum

Sorry for your loss.

Aww, I'm so sorry.

dechlorinator is ok for chlorine and chloramines, but heavy metals like copper, lead etc. cannot be made completely harmless, as well as some organic substances. Heavy metals are only immobilized to a certain extent. contents harmless for humans can harm fish. So, the tap water remains a possible source.

She stated she uses AquaPlus, which also neutralizes heavy metals. I believe most of the most commonly used declorinators do.

Boxermom wrote:
She stated she uses AquaPlus, which also neutralizes heavy metals. I believe most of the most commonly used declorinators do.

It is impossible to neutralize heavy metals, whatsoever the producers promise.

They only can be immobilized, meaning they are bound (most often in chemical complexes) and remain in the ground. You can believe me that, I've worked in geochemistry with regard to residual pollution of former military camps.

The most modern way (if several years of time are available) to instantly remove heavy metals is to grow certain plants such as reed or mustard plant. They bind certain heavy metals while growing. Later the plants are ripped out, burned and the ashes go to the special waste dump. This one way of "natural attenuation". If it has to go fast, polluted material has to go to the special waste dump completely, which is much more expensive.

I'm sorry Pandora!

Completely disinfecting the tank and letting it run fallow for a while is probably a very good idea. I'm sure your next few weeks are going to be extremely busy anyways!

Yeah and we just got some snails from the LFS to get a breeding...Bubbles got one per day but we lost too many due to the wrong type filter / water changes to make a sustainable population

So by the time we have a real decent feedable snail pop going on, we'll have another fish.