What is Chloramine?
Chloramine is used to bond chlorine to water. It is added by our metropolitan water districts in combination with chlorine to sanitize and disinfect the tap water that comes to your home and business. Sanitize kills everything living without discretion, including your fish!
Chloramines first started to be used in the 1980s. Prior to that time, Chlorine would rapidly dissipate from the water, but Chloramines make Chlorine stay in the water for a longer period of time.
Chloramines are a group of chemical compounds that contain Chlorine and Ammonia. Chloramine locks Chlorine and Ammonia to the water molecule, so it stays active in the water for a longer period of time.
Although we are told that the use of Chloramine in our water makes it safe for humans to drink (debatable given all the bottled water we buy), it is definitely harmful to fish. Chloramines are toxic to fish, because the fish will take up chloramines directly through their burned gills into their blood stream – not good! We recommend that the water used for your pond always be free of Chloramines. (See blog on how to treat for Chlorine & Chloramine)