Dechlorinator

[Bellabelloo]

Having seen a few posts lately regarding dechlorinator , I thought I'd have another read of the label.
I am currently use Tetra Aquasafe (New).
It claims to eliminate chlorine and chloramine, heavy metals like copper, zinc and cadmium are bound completely.
Now this is the bit that worries me ' Essential elements that are present in natural environments are added: Iodine for vitality, magnesium for growth and well being, vitamin B to support healthy stress resistance.'
I also notice bioextracts support the development of beneficial bacteria for clearer water.

My main concern for the moment is the addition of Iodine..would this potentially cause problems for axolotl?

 

[tran]

If I may start the discussion here. I think you're worried about the effects of iodine inducing metamorphosis by activating thyroid hormones. While it's true that with daily injections of about 80 milligrams of thyroid activating iodine containing compounds, like Iodothyrin, axolotls and other amphibians may metamorphose in about 13-20 days.

However, the effects have been shown to be not due to inorganic iodine, but iodine containing compounds that effect thyroid hormone production.

I have a paper by E. Uhlenhuth from Biological Bulletin vol 42 (1922) where the author administered large quantities of inorganic iodine to larva axolotls without inducing metamorphosis over a period of 134 days. The dosage there was probably much greater than yours, those axolotls were placed in solution of 5-13 drops of 1/20th mol/L iodine stock solution per 1L water where I assume there are only trace/minute amounts of iodine in that dechlorinator. Some axolotls in that experiment were also fed iodine crystals directly.

If you are interested I can send you this paper.

So, probably not much harm was done to your axolotls, but to be safe, perhaps stop using this particular dechlorinator and use one that you are more comfortable with. After all, the stress it's causing you might be greater than it causes your axolotls

 

[SludgeMunkey]

Sodium thiosulfate based dechlors appear to be the safest. They work even better when used in conjunction with a Hydroxymethanesulfonic acid based treatment. ST is very common as a dechlor. HA is a bit more rare, however it is available in a couple of major brands. So far Prime, Amquel and Novaqua seem to be the safest.

Personally though, I use just Amquel for my caudates.

 

[Darkmaverick]

Hi Julia,

I have not seen this product on the shelves in Australia, perhaps because its still relatively new. I think you are great for being so cautious, critically evaluating the composition list of the product and giving a good thought before using the product. Thank you for bringing this to attention so other members who are thinking of trying this new product can make their own informed judgment beforehand.

I personally prefer sodium thiosulfate based dechlorinators as they have proven time and again to be reliable and safe. I use "Prime" mainly. Theoretically the new product should not cause any serious problems with axies but then again, this is only via extrapolation and inference from literature. I personally would not use the new product on axies unless there are clinical trials to support the safety margins on axies. My pet axies are definitely not going to risk being experimental subjects as well.

Cheers

 

[esoteric]

I was just about to buy this very product on Ebay and while shopping for the best price, happened across one seller who thankfully quoted the iodine thing off the label. I shot over here like a rocket to do a search, and I'm grateful for your original post bellabelloo. Thanks also to the other contributers to this thread who have helped me decide a different product might be best.

I found a product called Seachem Prime, is this the "Prime" SludgeMunkey and Darkmaverick mention? Interestingly on the Seachem site it claims we should; "Be very careful when purchasing water conditioners. If your municipality includes chloramines in the water supplies, a standard sodium thiosulfate dechlorinator is not enough."

Does this mean that Seachem do not use sodium thiosulfate and maybe use iodine instead?

 

[esoteric]

Ok, Prime does not contain sodium thiosulfate, but nor does it use iodine. Here's an email I just received from Seachem:

Hello Ron,
Thanks you for your email. Our product, Prime, is not a sodium thiosulfate product, but also does not employ iodine as its mechanism. We use proprietary complexed hydrosulfite salts in order to remove chlorine and chloramine from water supplies. Unfortunaltely, I am unable to provide you with the exact make-up of the product since this is proprietary information. Please let us know if we can assist you further.

​

Hey, at the end of the day, if it's good enough for Rayson, it's good enough for me.

 

[dragonlady]

Hey Esoteric,

I use Aquasafe myself and have not had any ill effects. However, it doesn't neutralize ammonia like Prime. Prime is an excellent choice - I have also used this product, but only on the marine side.

Several other members also use Aquasafe, some use this in addition to AmQuel or Prime. The only product I have ever had an issue with is Stresscoat because it uses aloe vera and that tends to coat everything in the tank.

I just don't want those who use Aquasafe to suddenly worry that they are doing something wrong. The Tetra line has been around for many years and is my first choice whenever starting a new tank. The base of this product is Sodium Hydroxymethane Sufinate.

 

[esoteric]

Thanks for that bit of sanity Shannon, I've used Aquasafe myself and it's a product I've recommended on my website. I'm sure as Tran, pointed out, the contents of the bottle are more likely to cause me stress than my axies. However, I'm now in a position to make a more informed choice and I quite like the sound of Prime from now on. I just found a 500ml bottle for £13 (inc P&P) on fleabay, which is as good a deal as I've seen.