When you’re carrying a basket down a pet store aisle brimming with water conditioners – each promising to make tap water safe for your goldfish – it’s easy to be overwhelmed.

With a mountain of choices, which is the best aquarium water conditioner?

It depends. The best aquarium water conditioner for your particular needs may not be the best option for the pet owner next door. So how do you make the decision?

Some water conditioners are specialized for certain situations (for instance, API Stress Coat is particularly effective in hospital tanks), while others are designed for specific aquarium sizes (Seachem Prime is highly concentrated, so it’s more convenient in large aquariums).

In this article, we’ll compare four popular water conditioners. We’ll weigh the pros and cons and take a look at the highlights – what sets each water conditioner apart. By the time we’re through, you should be able to determine the best aquarium water conditioner for your tank.

Let’s dive into your options.

The Best Aquarium Water Conditioner: A Product Comparison

Though some water conditioners include extra additives, the fundamental goal of a water conditioner is to make tap water safe for your goldfish. For this reason, I recommend buying a water conditioner that neutralizes both chlorine and chloramine at the very minimum (you can read more on how water conditioners work).

But how do the top four water conditioners compare?

The following chart analyzes the most popular water conditioners on the market. You’ll get a quick glimpse on how each conditioner differs (hopefully making it easier to find the best aquarium water conditioner for your goldfish). Later, we’ll look at each product in detail.

Already selected the best aquarium water conditioner? Hold on!

Before you make a hasty decision, let’s take a closer look at each product in turn.

API Stress Coat

API Stress Coat doesn’t just remove chlorine. It promotes a safe environment for your goldfish by neutralizing chloramine and detoxifying harmful heavy metals in tap water.

This water conditioner leverages the natural healing abilities of Aloe Vera to nurse your goldfish back to health, healing damaged tissue and torn fins faster.

When goldfish are sick or hurt, the slime coat might take the brunt of the attack. Without a slime coat to shield off infection, goldfish can be even more vulnerable to diseases.

Not only does API Stress Coat reduce stress, but it also creates a synthetic slime coat. The extra slime protection helps your goldfish fight off infection, safeguarding against electrolyte loss during stress and boosting oxygen flow through the gills.

If your goldfish are under a lot of stress, API Stress Coat might be the ticket out. In fact, API Stress Coat is scientifically proven to reduce fish stress by 40%.

1 teaspoon (5 ml) of water conditioner treats 10 gallons (38 liters) of water, with one 16-oz bottle treating 960 gallons of aquarium water.

Depending on the size of your goldfish tank and water changing schedule, API Stress Coat offers 6 bottle sizes:

1. 1-oz bottle treats 60 gallons or 227 liters
2. 4-oz bottle treats 240 gallons or 908 liters
3. 8-oz bottle treats 480 gallons or 1,817 liters
4. 16-oz container treats 960 gallons or 3,634 liters
5. 64-oz container treats 3,840 gallons or 14,535 liters
6. 1-gallon (128-oz) jug treats 7,680 gallons or 29,072 liters

Cap can be used for measuring on smaller bottles. Available large container sizes make it easy to manage multiple aquariums at the same time (and save money with every ounce!).

API Stress Coat may very well be the best aquarium water conditioner for quarantine and hospital tanks. Add this water conditioner to every water change, following the instructions on the bottle.

Tetra AquaSafe Plus

Tetra AquaSafe Plus quickly converts tap water into a safe haven for goldfish, neutralizing chlorine and chloramine on the spot.

But it doesn’t stop there! This handy water conditioner detoxifies poisonous ammonia and heavy metals, creating a risk-free environment for your goldfish.

Tetra AquaSafe is rich in important vitamins and minerals, filling the gaps where tap water is lacking and promoting energetic breeding behavior during the early months of spring. With stress-reducing slime, your goldfish can stay active and healthy all year long.

Tetra AquaSafe Plus also includes an advanced BioExtract formula that features natural biopolymers produced from kelp. These seaweed extracts boost biological filtration, strengthening beneficial bacterial colonies that keep your aquarium water clear and healthy.

1 teaspoon (5 ml) treats 10 gallons (38 liters) of aquarium water, and one 16.9-oz bottle treats 1,014 gallons of water.

Depending on your aquarium size and water changing frequency, Tetra AquaSafe Plus offers five different bottle sizes:

1. 1.69-oz bottle treats 101 gallons or 382 liters
2. 3.38-oz bottle treats 202 gallons or 765 liters
3. 8.4-oz bottle treats 504 gallons or 1,908 liters
4. 16.9-oz bottle treats 1,014 gallons or 3,838 liters
5. 33.8-oz bottle treats 2,028 gallons or 7,677 liters

You can use the bottle cap for measuring. Shake well before use and always read the directions on the bottle.

With its seaweed extract and unique blend of vitamins, Tetra AquaSafe Plus might be the best aquarium water conditioner for breeding tanks. Use it when setting up a new aquarium or with every partial water change.

Seachem Prime

Seachem Prime not only plays the role of a chlorine and chloramine neutralizer! Heavy metals and harmful toxins don’t stand a chance.

Prime is a concentrated solution that cuts down on nitrite and nitrate. Unlike some water conditioners, Prime doesn’t just break the ammonia/chlorine bond in chloramine either. It also removes toxic ammonia, turning harmful chlorine into a safe substance.

When the immune system is at its lowest, new goldfish are especially susceptible to goldfish diseases during shipping and handling. And after a long car ride home, a new aquarium environment can be just as stressful.

Seachem Prime stimulates natural slime coat production, helping your goldfish fend off infection without the use of synthetic or artificial slime compounds found in some water conditioners.

You don’t need a lot of Prime for it to work its magic. In fact, this water conditioner is the second most concentrated dechlorinator on the market (source)!

1 teaspoon (5 ml) treats 50 gallons (189 liters) of water, while a single 16.91-oz bottle treats 5,073 gallons of water.

Prime offers 6 different bottle sizes:

1. 50-ml (1.69-oz) bottle treats 507 gallons or 1,919 liters
2. 100-ml (3.38-oz) bottle treats 1,014 gallons or 3,838 liters
3. 250-ml (8.45-oz) bottle treats 2,535 gallons or 9,596 liters
4. 500-ml (16.91-oz) bottle treats 5,073 gallons or 19,203 liters
5. 2-liter (67.63-oz) container treats 20,289 gallons or 76,802 liters
6. 4-liter (135.26-oz) container treats 40,578 gallons or 153,604 liters

Bottle cap can be used for measuring solution. Make sure to follow the instructions on the bottle.

Prime is especially popular in goldfish aquariums because it’s extremely concentrated. If you’re a hardcore goldfish hobbyist, Prime might be the best aquarium water conditioner if you like yours to last awhile. You’ll save money no matter which bottle size you use.

Seachem Prime is effective for routine use, regular water changes, or setting up a new aquarium. If fish-in cycling, you can also use Prime throughout the nitrogen cycle to keep ammonia and nitrite levels under control.

Aqueon Tap Water Conditioner

Sometimes you don’t need all of the extra additives that come along with a fancy water conditioner.

Aqueon’s standard water conditioner includes everything you need to make tap water safe for goldfish, neutralizing both chlorine and chloramine. The conditioner also restores your goldfish’s natural slime coat at the same time that it detoxifies heavy metals and ammonia from chloramine and fish waste.

1 teaspoon (5 ml) treats 10 gallons (38 liters) of aquarium water, and a 16-oz bottle includes enough solution for 960 gallons.

Aqueon Tap Water Conditioner offers 5 bottle sizes:

1. 2-oz bottle treats 120 gallons or 454 liters
2. 4-oz bottle treats 240 gallons or 908 liters
3. 8-oz bottle treats 480 gallons or 1,817 liters
4. 16-oz bottle treats 960 gallons or 3,634 liters
5. 1-gallon (128-oz) container treats 7,680 gallons or 29,072 liters

Attached dosage cap can be used for measuring.

If your goldfish never get sick and you’ve already established a healthy aquarium environment with adequate filtration, Aqueon might be the best aquarium water conditioner for your tank.

The standard Aqueon Water Conditioner can be used any time you add new water to the aquarium, whether setting up a new tank or performing partial water changes. Follow the directions on the bottle.

Depending on the water conditioner brand you buy, how much conditioner you actually need to safely treat tap water will vary. No matter how slight the difference, always follow the instructions on the back of the bottle exactly.

After all, they’re there for a reason!

So, What Is the Best Aquarium Water Conditioner?

The water conditioner you ultimately stick with is up to you.

No conditioner is the best aquarium water conditioner for all situations: each has its own unique benefits. Just make sure to treat tap water with a solution that neutralizes both chlorine and chloramine, detoxifying harmful heavy metals that might take a toll on your goldfish’s health.

Once you find the best aquarium water conditioner for your tank, you can rest easy knowing your tap water is 100% safe for your fish inhabitants (as long as you keep up with regular water testing of course!).

How About You: Do You Have a Personal Favorite?

What is the best aquarium water conditioner for your goldfish? Which water conditioners do you use?

Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

The post Buying the Best Aquarium Water Conditioner for Your Goldfish appeared first on Complete Goldfish Care.

Think tap water is safe if it sits overnight?

You’re not alone. Yes, maybe this was true in the old days. But if you stick to the 24-hour rule now, you could be putting your goldfish at risk.

Why? Doesn’t chlorine evaporate after 24 hours?

It does. Though, with the addition of chloramine (what happens when chlorine and ammonia are bonded together), ammonia gets left behind even as the chlorine takes off.

With adequate filtration, this might not be a problem. But since goldfish add their own ammonia load to the water (and a hefty helping at that), your biofilter might have a hard time managing all that waste.

That’s why it’s always good to remove chlorine and ammonia from tap water. Lucky for goldfish, a tap water conditioner does just that.

Not only are water conditioners effective for neutralizing chlorine, many tackle this very chloramine problem to make the resulting ammonia completely harmless and safe for your goldfish.

The Magic of Magnetism: How a Tap Water Conditioner Works

If you didn’t think the chlorine problem could get any worse, you’re in for a shaky awakening!

If you just take tap water and pour it into an aquarium with live goldfish, invisible compounds in the water can actually burn your goldfish’s gills, attacking the cells in living tissue. The next thing you know, your goldfish are rushing to the top of the aquarium, frantically gasping for breath.

If the chlorine isn’t removed – and soon – death could quickly follow.

Photo by Jenn Durfey

Water districts disinfect bacteria and pathogens with chemicals like chlorine and chloramine, making tap water safe for humans to drink. But these same chemicals are dangerous to pet goldfish.

Here’s when water conditioners come to the rescue.

A tap water conditioner works by neutralizing chlorine, forming ionic bonds and rendering the chlorine harmless. The tap water is then goldfish-friendly, completely safe for both goldfish and beneficial bacteria that keep your aquarium water healthy.

Think of it like this – harmful tap water is full of positive charged magnets called chlorine that magnetically stick to your goldfish’s gills. When you use a tap water conditioner, negative charged magnets get to work, attracting harmful disinfectants. Now, instead of clinging to fish gills, the chlorine magnets stick to the conditioner magnets and the chlorine becomes harmless (source).

Water conditioners that neutralize chlorine are all well and good. But if your public water system disinfects tap water with chloramine, you’ll need a tap water conditioner that can split apart the chlorine/ammonia bond and tackle each separately.

Since water districts often switch between chlorine and chloramine, it’s best to play it safe and purchase a tap water conditioner that deals with both.

Tap Water Conditioners: What Are My Options?

Not all water conditioners are created equal. Some only neutralize chlorine (but not chloramine), while others offer a full package of features (that you may not need).

There are three main types of water conditioners.

• Dechlorinators: Using small amounts of sodium thiosulfate, these basic water conditioners quickly and effectively remove chlorine but won’t even touch ammonia or heavy metals!
• Chloramine Neutralizers: These useful water conditioners not only get rid of chlorine, but they also tackle pesky ammonia and sometimes heavy metals as well.
• Complete Conditioners: Handy water conditioners that neutralize chlorine and ammonia, these conditioners also detoxify harmful heavy metals and remove copper from water.

It’s not uncommon to stumble across chloramine neutralizers and complete conditioners in the pet store.

Fancy water conditioners might also include additional vitamins to boost the immune system. Some even reduce stress by replenishing the slime coat (that slimy sheen covering the scales and protecting goldfish from infections), providing them extra defense against hazardous goldfish diseases.

Luckily, water conditioners are pretty inexpensive and last a while before you need to restock your cabinet.

How Often Is Enough? A Foolproof Water Treatment Plan

Always condition tap water when you first set up a new aquarium and during each partial water change.

• When setting up a new aquarium: If you’re just getting the nitrogen cycle started and haven’t yet added any goldfish (for fishless cycling), you can hold off on buying a complete tap water conditioner and instead use a simple dechlorinator. This way, when chlorine is neutralized, the leftover ammonia will be fed to the beneficial bacteria to jump start the nitrogen cycle.
• With every water change: Water added after the initial tank setup should be treated with a chloramine neutralizer or complete tap water conditioner. If you don’t use either one of these, you risk killing off all the beneficial bacteria – and that could crash the nitrogen cycle!

Once you’ve set up your goldfish tank, you’ll only really need a tap water conditioner every time you perform your weekly water changes.

2 Ways to Treat Tap Water: Bucket or No Bucket?

Water conditioners work their magic in literally minutes.

You can condition your tank water one of two ways: in a bucket or directly in the aquarium.

Cautious? Try a Bucket

Simply fill a bucket with tap water and measure in the right amount of conditioner!

It helps to have your own tank-friendly teaspoon for measuring. You’ll also need to know how large your bucket is (and how much water can fill it).

You should only need just enough water conditioner to treat the amount of water in the bucket. I like to swirl the water in the bucket before filling the tank (so I know the tap water conditioner is mixed well).

Skip the Bucket and Go All In!

If you use a hose or water changer that attaches to your sink faucet, you can condition tap water as you splash it directly into the aquarium.

In this case, you may need to measure the right amount of conditioner for the full volume of your tank (follow the directions on the water conditioner bottle). Slowly drip the right amount of tap water conditioner into the stream of water as you fill your aquarium.

It may help to swirl the water around the aquarium to mix the conditioner with the tap water.

Whatever method you choose, always treat tap water with a water conditioner.

Remember: just because tap water looks clean, doesn’t mean it is!

There could be harmful chemicals running rampant behind the scenes – many dangerous compounds are colorless, even odorless, and invisible to the naked eye. Never take crystal-clear water as a sign that the water is healthy or safe for your goldfish.

By keeping water quality high, your goldfish will live long, happy lives.

Keep conditioning tap water and maintain a healthy aquarium environment with adequate filtration and routine water changes. You should also run weekly water tests with a freshwater test kit to ensure the water stays in tip-top shape.

How about you? Which tap water conditioner do you use?

The post Taking Risk Out of Water: A Tap Water Conditioner Guide appeared first on Complete Goldfish Care.

What’s the most important thing about a goldfish environment? It’s not the food, not the lighting, and not even that little diver with the treasure chest (though he does make for hours of entertainment).

You guessed it. It’s water!

Just like the air that fills your lungs, water supplies goldfish with essential oxygen. Without fresh and clean water, your goldfish can get sick. And if the water is filled with harmful toxins, there’s a slim chance your goldfish will survive.

After all, how long could you last if every breath set your lungs on fire?

If you plop your goldfish into tap water without treating tap water for goldfish first, stress could be the least of their problems. In fact, chlorine and heavy metals in the tap water can literally kill your goldfish overnight!

What’s wrong with using fresh tap water for goldfish?

Let’s go behind the scenes, taking a look at what could happen when goldfish meet tap water.

What’s in the Tap? Unraveling the Goldfish and Tap Water Mystery

Fresh tap water looks crystal clear, so it must be safe for goldfish right?

Not quite!

Invisible toxic substances that may be floating around in your tap water can be dangerous – even deadly – to your goldfish!

The culprits? Chemicals and heavy metals.

Chlorine and Chloramine: Goldfish Poison in Disguise

There’s a chance your tap water contains chlorine, a chemical that fights off nasty bacteria that could make you, me, and everyone you know sick if it weren’t for the chlorine keeping it in line.

Sometimes tap water is also disinfected with chloramine, basically a chlorine/ammonia combination that works overtime to make tap water safe to drink – for humans!

The problem is, goldfish can’t stand chlorine.

While a small amount of chlorine is bad for goldfish, the added ammonia in chloramine makes tap water even worse!

Chlorine and chloramine are completely invisible to the naked eye – you can’t see them but your goldfish will feel them. If you drop your goldfish directly into tap water containing chlorine, this damaging chemical will burn their gills and this gill damage can make it hard for your goldfish to breathe.

Not only can chlorine destroy the beneficial bacteria that keeps your aquarium water healthy, but it will eventually kill your goldfish if the tap water isn’t treated.

Heavy Metal Chemistry: Not a Rock Band

In addition to chemicals, tap water also contains heavy metals like cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc. While humans tolerate this without trouble, goldfish are very sensitive to most heavy metals.

Yes, goldfish do need small amounts of some heavy metals (zinc, for example). But if zinc concentrations are high, the overload can do more harm than help – damaging the gills and posing a life-threatening risk.

Goldfish are even less tolerant to lead and copper. Depending on your water source, these heavy metals can be abundant in large quantities!

Keeping Tap Water Safe for Goldfish: The Healthy Water Treatment

Goldfish can tell right away when they’ve been placed in dangerous tap water. They’ll frantically gasp for breath, rush to the water surface, and sometimes might attempt to jump right out of the water.

The worst news?

If you use tap water for goldfish that contains harmful chemicals or high amounts of metals (and leave it untreated), your goldfish won’t have long to live – at all. At most, your goldfish might survive until the early morning.

Don’t take any chances.

To make tap water safe for goldfish, you have to remove both chlorine-based disinfectants and heavy metals in the water. That’s when tap water conditioners come into play, neutralizing chlorine and getting rid of excess heavy metals that cause goldfish stress.

In a hostile environment, water conditioners are vital for keeping tap water for goldfish safe.

Plus, some water conditioners even include powerful stress coat boosters that help your goldfish fight off nasty goldfish diseases.

The Friendly Water Conditioner: Treating Tap Water for Goldfish

Before every water change, always treat tap water with a water conditioner.

With such a variety of water conditioners available, I don’t know a single pet store that doesn’t carry one. Some water conditioners only act as a dechlorinator (and just remove chlorine) while others completely condition your aquarium water – making tap water safe for goldfish, not only from chlorine but heavy metals as well!

Some water districts use chloramine in place of chlorine and others use both chloramine and chlorine. Treating chloramine will only neutralize the chlorine, leaving toxic ammonia behind.

Play it safe and always buy a conditioner that neutralizes both chlorine and chloramine, making tap water for goldfish safe the second it enters the water.

These three water conditioners (below) are great stand-alone conditioners and do a remarkable job treating tap water for goldfish. I’ve personally tried and recommend them.

• API Stress Coat helps stressed out goldfish recover faster by replacing the slime coat lost during infection and healing damaged tissue while it’s at it – all while neutralizing chlorine, removing chloramines, and detoxifying heavy metals in tap water.
• Tetra AquaSafe Plus makes tap water safe for goldfish by neutralizing chlorine, chloramines, and heavy metals while adding vitamins and minerals to the water. This conditioner also helps wounded goldfish rebuild their slime coats and boosts the growth of beneficial bacteria (essential for keeping your aquarium water healthy).
• Seachem Prime removes chlorine and chloramine in tap water, converting harmful ammonia into a safe, non-toxic substance. Prime also neutralizes nitrite and nitrate while detoxifying heavy metals in aquarium water, promoting a healthy slime coat to boot! Because Prime is highly concentrated, it’s a good option for large aquariums.

After choosing a water conditioner, you don’t need anything else to keep tap water for goldfish safe.

I use Seachem Prime in all of my tanks (because it’s concentrated) but I had used Tetra AquaSafe for over 8 years before switching to Prime. I recommend API Stress Coat when you’re treating goldfish diseases or after buying new fish (that could be stressed from handling).

When you treat tap water for goldfish, make sure to carefully follow the instructions on the bottle. As you mix the solution, your goldfish should be safe in conditioned water until the water conditioner has finished work.

Pre-Conditioned Water, a Tap Water Alternative

You can forgo the tap water altogether and buy special pre-conditioned water from a pet store.

Bottled pre-conditioned water is designed to make water changes as easy as possible. Simply twist off the bottle cap and pour the water directly into your aquarium.

Unlike the water you drink from plastic bottles (which you should never use in your aquarium), pre-conditioned water is teaming with important minerals – without the chemical risk of tap water. Some of the water is even oxygenated, which can be useful if you’re concerned that your water may not be getting enough oxygen exposure from its surface.

But when faced with large water changes (consequences of messy goldfish) and even larger aquarium sizes, oxygenated pre-conditioned water from the pet store can get pricey quickly. That’s why they’re usually designed for betta bowls instead.

Besides, water conditioners work just fine. And really, they’re all you’ll ever need.

Either way, you can rest assured that your goldfish will remain safe and happy – and that’s what matters.

Forgot the Water Conditioner? Make Tap Water for Goldfish Safe

Even if you accidentally put goldfish in tap water and you notice your goldfish acting strangely, you might still be able to save them in time.

Photo by Woodlouse

Act quickly!

Immediately treat the aquarium with a water conditioner, following the directions on the back of the container.

If there’s chlorine in the tap water, it probably already destroyed most of the beneficial bacteria in your aquarium filter. Move your goldfish to a cycled aquarium if possible until your established tank can complete the nitrogen cycle again.

At this point, the gills might already be damaged. Add an air stone to increase aeration (you’ll need airline tubing and an air pump for this). The air stone will boost oxygen levels in the water, making it easier for your goldfish to breathe.

If you ever suspect there might be a trace of chlorine or chloramine in the aquarium water, never leave it overnight! Treat tap water for goldfish quickly and your fish might have a fighting chance.

Always provide your goldfish with the highest quality water possible, complete with routine water changes and excellent mechanical/biological filtration. By treating harmful chemicals in tap water, your goldfish can live a long and healthy life.

Your Turn: How Do You Treat Tap Water for Goldfish?

Do you have a favorite water conditioner? What products do you use to keep tap water for goldfish safe?

Share your tap water stories in the comments below!

The post Using Tap Water for Goldfish: Goldfish and Tap Water Basics appeared first on Complete Goldfish Care.