# Removing chlorine and chloramine



## papheteer (Jan 24, 2012)

Do u guys think using water conditioners used for aquariums to remove chlorine and chloramine would work for water used for slippers? Since getting an RO system is not an option right now I was thinking that getting rid of of those two chemicals would improve my culture a little bit. Has anybody tried this before? Thanks!!


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## NYEric (Jan 24, 2012)

You want to use chemicals to treat chemicals?....

I use an R.O. filter ($150+/-) and then let the water sit to let the remaining chemicals gas off.


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## papheteer (Jan 24, 2012)

Eric,

Good point. But I am moving in a few months so I don't wanna install an RO system now.


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## biothanasis (Jan 24, 2012)

Just put the water in an open container and let it sit for a day or 2 and the chlorine will evaporate. I do the same for watering mine and I do not have (m)any problems...!


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## Lanmark (Jan 24, 2012)

NYEric said:


> You want to use chemicals to treat chemicals?....
> 
> I use an R.O. filter ($150+/-) and then let the water sit to let the remaining chemicals gas off.



Using activated carbon and catalytic carbon to remove chlorine and chloramine is not exactly using "chemicals to treat chemicals" -- it's a more of a process of filtration. This should be done as a prefiltration step for any RO system using a TFC membrane which will be processing chlorinated source water since chlorine attacks and degrades TFC membranes.

On the other hand, RO systems using CTA membranes are actually prone to rotting unless they are used with chlorinated source water. It's important to know the difference when choosing your RO system. With CTA membrane systems you would want to place your chlorine-removing and chloramine-removing carbon filters inline after the water has already passed through the RO membrane.

Chlorine evaporates over time. It's important to note that chloramine does not. Chloramine is very persistent in water and it is lethal to fish. Removing chlorine and chloramine from your water may in fact help improve your culture. It may also increase the chances your plants will contract bacterial infections such as erwinia. This is the great dilemma. It would be interesting to hear what other slipper growers have to say regarding the use of chlorinated water vs the use of nonchlorinated/dechlorinated water.


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## biothanasis (Jan 24, 2012)

Lanmark said:


> On the other hand, RO systems using CTA membranes are actually prone to rotting unless they are used with chlorinated source water. It's important to know the difference when choosing your RO system. With CTA membrane systems you would want to place your chlorine-removing and chloramine-removing carbon filters inline after the water has already passed through the RO membrane.
> 
> Chlorine evaporates over time. It's important to note that chloramine does not. Chloramine is very persistent in water and it is lethal to fish. Removing chlorine and chloramine from your water may in fact help improve your culture. It may also increase the chances your plants will contract bacterial infections such as erwinia. This is the great dilemma. It would be interesting to hear what other slipper growers have to say regarding the use of chlorinated water vs the use of nonchlorinated/dechlorinated water.



Interesting....thanks!


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## Rick (Jan 24, 2012)

Lanmark said:


> Using activated carbon and catalytic carbon to remove chlorine and chloramine is not exactly using "chemicals to treat chemicals" -- it's a more of a process of filtration. This should be done as a prefiltration step for any RO system using a TFC membrane which will be processing chlorinated source water since chlorine attacks and degrades TFC membranes.
> 
> On the other hand, RO systems using CTA membranes are actually prone to rotting unless they are used with chlorinated source water. It's important to know the difference when choosing your RO system. With CTA membrane systems you would want to place your chlorine-removing and chloramine-removing carbon filters inline after the water has already passed through the RO membrane.
> 
> Chlorine evaporates over time. It's important to note that chloramine does not. Chloramine is very persistent in water and it is lethal to fish. Removing chlorine and chloramine from your water may in fact help improve your culture. It may also increase the chances your plants will contract bacterial infections such as erwinia. This is the great dilemma. It would be interesting to hear what other slipper growers have to say regarding the use of chlorinated water vs the use of nonchlorinated/dechlorinated water.



Totally agree.

Many orchid growers in Nashville are using dechlorinated tap water (using carbon for dechlorination) with great success.


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## papheteer (Jan 24, 2012)

Rick, what about the use of dechlorinators for aquariums? Would they work?


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## Rick (Jan 24, 2012)

papheteer said:


> Rick, what about the use of dechlorinators for aquariums? Would they work?



The most common dechlorinator is sodium thiosulfate. For the amount needed to break down a few ppm of chloramine its not a problem at all for plants (or just about anything else).

If you use a TDS meter, you should not see an appreciable difference before and after adding thiosulfate. If you are seeing a big jump in TDS then you are probably overdosing.


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## Lanmark (Jan 24, 2012)

papheteer said:


> Rick, what about the use of dechlorinators for aquariums? Would they work?





Rick said:


> The most common dechlorinator is sodium thiosulfate. For the amount needed to break down a few ppm of chloramine its not a problem at all for plants (or just about anything else).
> 
> If you use a TDS meter, you should not see an appreciable difference before and after adding thiosulfate. If you are seeing a big jump in TDS then you are probably overdosing.



:clap: Excellent information! Thanks for making these inquiries, papheteer, and thanks to Rick for your input! This is all very useful information for all of us!


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## papheteer (Jan 24, 2012)

Thanks for all your input guys!!


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## cnycharles (Jan 24, 2012)

I've used the chems to take chlorine out of my aquarium water and had asked the fish people if my plants would have any problem (orchids getting fishy water), and they said 'no, you have aquarium plants and fish in the water and they aren't affected, so shorter contact on my orchids also wouldn't be a problem'.

Since my tap water is pretty 'clean' (low solids), I think I see more problems because I mist/splash with the chlorinated water, than if I used the aquarium chemical to take it out. I also have a big cup of water that I let sit a few days that I use for my phrag in the kitchen window


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## NYEric (Jan 25, 2012)

papheteer said:


> Eric,
> 
> Good point. But I am moving in a few months so I don't wanna install an RO system now.



The system can be taken with you. 
http://www.spectrapure.com/St_line_pressureRO.htm


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Jan 25, 2012)

I water my plants with warm NYC water, straight from the tap. No problems with that at all. However, a cheaper alternative to RO is the Tap Water Purifier sold by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, available from any pet supply place. Its simply a deionizer cartridge that hooks up to your faucet. Its not practical for hard water, but for soft, clean water, a cartridge can easily last 4 or more months. I use it for my reef tank top-off water, as NYC water has trace amounts of orthophosphate that build up in a tank over time.


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## gonewild (Jan 25, 2012)

Why are you worried about removing the chlorine?


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## jtrmd (Jan 26, 2012)

gonewild said:


> Why are you worried about removing the chlorine?




I am wondering the same thing?


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## Lanmark (Jan 26, 2012)

jtrmd said:


> I am wondering the same thing?



Me too. Is there any documented evidence that the amount of chlorine and/or chloramine found in municipal water supplies is detrimental to orchid plants?


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## keithrs (Jan 26, 2012)

I know I remove it for several reasons....On the plant side... I use RO for my orchids and chlorine will kill a membrane very quick. Also I run a separate carbon filter system to remove chlorine because I use biologicals for my other plants(and orchids) and chlorine and monochloramine with kill them. I will soon be going to RO for my whole yard as I found out about two weeks ago the my water district uses a water softening process.

I also use remove it for health reasons.....


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## Lanmark (Jan 26, 2012)

keithrs said:


> I know I remove it for several reasons....On the plant side... I use RO for my orchids and chlorine will kill a membrane very quick. Also I run a separate carbon filter system to remove chlorine because I use biologicals for my other plants(and orchids) and chlorine and monochloramine with kill them. I will soon be going to RO for my whole yard as I found out about two weeks ago the my water district uses a water softening process.
> 
> I also use remove it for health reasons.....



Right, I remove it because the chlorine will kill my RO membrane, and I produce food-grade potable water which is for my own consumption as well as for use on my plants -- _but I'm still curious -- does chlorine itself (and/or chloramine) at levels found in municipal water actually harm orchid plants? Does anyone know?_


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## gonewild (Jan 26, 2012)

Lanmark said:


> does chlorine itself (and/or chloramine) at levels found in municipal water actually harm orchid plants? Does anyone know?[/I]



No it does not do any harm. But I can't prove it.


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## NYEric (Jan 26, 2012)

Chlorine is linked to Cancer in humans.


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## papheteer (Jan 26, 2012)

gonewild said:


> Why are you worried about removing the chlorine?



I could be wrong but I remember reading it somewhere that chlorine and chloramine are bad for plants.


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## Lanmark (Jan 26, 2012)

NYEric said:


> Chlorine is linked to Cancer in humans.



Yeah, so is fluoride in water. 

I drink water without either added fluoride or added chlorine/chloramine.


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## gonewild (Jan 26, 2012)

NYEric said:


> Chlorine is linked to Cancer in humans.



But not in plants. I'm not talking about drinking water.

But now that you mention it...... How many lives have been saved by adding chlorine to drinking water?


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## NYEric (Jan 26, 2012)

Plant water is drinking water.


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## Ozpaph (Jan 27, 2012)

gonewild said:


> But not in plants. I'm not talking about drinking water.
> 
> But now that you mention it...... How many lives have been saved by adding chlorine to drinking water?



millions!


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## Ozpaph (Jan 27, 2012)

NYEric said:


> Chlorine is linked to Cancer in humans.



so is sunlight...............


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## NYEric (Jan 27, 2012)

Everything in moderation!


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## keithrs (Jan 27, 2012)

Ozpaph said:


> so is sunlight...............



Thats why you stay away from both....:rollhappy:


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## NYEric (Jan 27, 2012)

Yep. Dont drink water, dont lay on the beach!


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## Lanmark (Jan 27, 2012)

NYEric said:


> dont lay on the beach!



Yeah, you've got that right! Melanoma is sooooooo not funny.


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## gonewild (Jan 27, 2012)

NYEric said:


> Yep. Dont drink water, dont lay on the beach!



Excellent plan! I hate crowds anyway.


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## keithrs (Jan 27, 2012)

gonewild said:


> Excellent plan! I hate crowds anyway.



I guess orchid shows are a no go for you than.....oke:


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## gonewild (Jan 27, 2012)

keithrs said:


> I guess orchid shows are a no go for you than.....oke:



As a matter of fact they are! Gave them up years ago, they have been linked to a type of cancer. oke:


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## NYEric (Jan 27, 2012)

So that explains AOS judging!


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## cnycharles (Jan 27, 2012)

gonewild said:


> As a matter of fact they are! Gave them up years ago, they have been linked to a type of cancer. oke:



yes, cancer of the wallet!


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## keithrs (Jan 27, 2012)

gonewild said:


> As a matter of fact they are! Gave them up years ago, they have been linked to a type of cancer. oke:



Lol.....


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Jan 27, 2012)

Nope...that's one that is not true. Its atrophy of the wallet. Cancer has excessive cell growth, so cancer of the wallet would give you lots of cash. But then again, it would probably be counterfeit.


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## Justin (Jan 27, 2012)

you can run an R/O filter off of a kitchen faucet adapter. I've used one for about 5 years.


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## Lanmark (Jan 27, 2012)

Justin said:


> you can run an R/O filter off of a kitchen faucet adapter. I've used one for about 5 years.



That's how I run mine. The kitchen faucet tap water passes thru a series of sediment and carbon pre-filters, then to the RO membrane. The waste brine goes down the drain and the finished RO product passes thru a final carbon post filter before it gets bottled up in jugs. The system works like a charm.


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## NYEric (Jan 28, 2012)

But you still have to let the RO'd water sit to get the chlorine gasses to evaporate out.


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## Lanmark (Jan 28, 2012)

NYEric said:


> But you still have to let the RO'd water sit to get the chlorine gasses to evaporate out.



Nope. The series of block carbon, granulated carbon and catalytic carbon filters I have inline prior to the RO membrane remove the chlorine. This is how I preserve my RO membrane from chlorine degradation.


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## NYEric (Jan 28, 2012)

Ahhhh. Very good.


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## papheteer (Jan 29, 2012)

I have found a temporary solution. I bought 18l of reverse osmosis water from walmart for 2 dollars. It says <10ppm Tds. Also it Says "with ozone added". Is it ok to use?


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## gonewild (Jan 29, 2012)

papheteer said:


> It says <10ppm Tds. Also it Says "with ozone added". Is it ok to use?



yes


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## NYEric (Jan 30, 2012)

Some people pay extra money for the extra 'O'! You should drink it!


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