# Water Conditioner and Dechlorinator are two different things?



## TheCheese909 (Aug 11, 2011)

Okay, so I was at PetSmart today to pick up some more fishy things, of course, and I noticed this in the water treatment section. Now I always thought that a dechlorinator removes chlorine which made the water safe for fish and that another name for a dechlorinator was a conditioner.. This sign is trying to say that these two things are separate which upsets me. Are they just trying to trick people into thinking they are totally different thing so they will spend more money?



Oh and they also say that the minimum tank size for a Betta is less than half a gallon?


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## Blue Fish (Jun 11, 2012)

I was under the same impression you were, that conditioner and dechlorinator were usually the same thing (with a few exceptions, like Prime). 
And even their sign says it: "water conditioner: removes chlorine and unhealthy chemicals" and then below: "dechlorinator: makes tap water safe for fish". Uhm, if you've already used a conditioner that "removes chlorine" then you don't need a dechlorinator, it's already had the chlorine removed. 

Maybe it's a typo? 

I know I just use the dechlorinator that has aloe in it, so it repairs the stress coat *and* dechlorinates the water...so I don't need to use stress coat in addition to the dechlorinator. I've never had a problem thus far. 

And UGH...size needed is 1 QUART...those poor fish. I wouldn't want to live my life in a space the size of my bathroom...why do they think that a fish would?  I hate those betta bowls.


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## TheCheese909 (Aug 11, 2011)

Yeah, I use API Stress Coat+ as well as API Quick Start for my aquariums. I hope it's just an 'oops' and that it will be changed eventually.

The place they keep their Bettas, under them they used to have the MiniBow and BettaBow 2.5 as well as those diamond shaped 1 gallon aquariums but now they have those tiny little 1/2 gallon cubes that are more of a fashion statement than a functional tank setup. It's really unfortunate, they should have the good stuff up front in your face and have these crummy little tanks pushed in the back out of sight.


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## colorxmexravyne (May 8, 2012)

I read somewhere that the main difference between dechlorinator and conditioner is that dechlorinator takes out chlorine, while a conditioner takes out chlorine, chloramine and a plethora of other heavy metals. I'm not sure how true that is, though.


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## guardianfyre (Jul 23, 2011)

Dechlorinator removes chlorine and chloramine, and some will remove heavy metals. Usual dosage is 1 drop per gallon of water.

Conditioner removes chlorine, chloramine, and heavy metals. It also contains chemicals that help improve slime coat and respiration, and boosts the immune system. Some of them will detoxify ammonia and nitrites. Usual dosage is 1 mL (approx. 10 drops) per gallon of water.

If you use one, I don't recommend using the other (together) since you're just doubling up on the chemicals that remove chlorine. Excess chemicals can harm your fish.

Please note, the "usual dosages" that I've used are for standard aquarium use concentrations, not betta concentrates or pond concentrates.

A quart is the "minimum" that a betta can survive in, that doesn't mean that it will be comfortable. The "minimum" cage sizes that are listed for all of the animals sold at pet stores are meant as starting points. When I sell an animal, I always tell people to buy the largest habitat that they can within their budget. I've used the example of a bathroom or closet when I've sold cages/tanks before. When they're interested in those 1/4 gallon tanks, I point out, that to keep the fish alive/healthy, they'll need to change the water every single day. When it comes to shelling out a few bucks more or doing more work, they usually purchase the larger tank.


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

A dechlorinator is a water conditioner, however, not all water conditioners are dechlorinators.

IMO-the less chemicals additives used the better.

I would look for a product that takes care of chlorine and chloramines-
If heavy metals are an issue for your fish-Look for a product that takes care of that too. 
If you have ammonia, nitrite or nitrate in your source water-look for a products that covers them. 
Several on the market that will take care of all of this-
One of the most common used being Prime by Seachem.


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## Jessa24 (Dec 1, 2012)

I use API tap water conditioner that dechlorinates aquarium water by removing chlorine, chloramines, and other heavy metals.


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## Jessa24 (Dec 1, 2012)

I don't care if a betta can live in a 1 quart, they shouldn't. People have locked children in a room for months or years...they survived but they aren't healthy.


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## TheCheese909 (Aug 11, 2011)

guardianfyre, new Betta owners typically don't know that the fish is uncomfortable or unhappy in such a small amount of space. Many people see that sign and think that since a pet store is saying that that's the minimum amount of water they can live in then it's perfectly okay to keep them in that amount of water. That sign should say 1 gallon, not anything less, especially from a store that is supposed to be about the care of these animals and not the sale of a 'product'.

That's good to know there is atleast some sort of difference between conditioner and a dechlorinator.


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## Jessa24 (Dec 1, 2012)

That sign should say at least a 1 gallon. Anything less really sucks for your fish. Many people are going to see that sign and think that is perfectly acceptable for the remainder of their betta's life especially since they're getting this information from a store that's supposed to care and be knowledgable on the animals there. The fish won't be comfortable and probably won't live too long and then the person is going to wonder why their fish died so fast. It's a sad life for the betta and a disappointment for the owner who wasn't properly informed on how to care for their betta. A quart of water is a joke...I mean even my hospital tank is a 1 gallon and it's only used for if my betta gets sick...fortunately it's never been used.


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## Saphira101 (Nov 14, 2012)

API water conditioner does both, and you only have to add a drop per gallon. (unless you're using stress coat, with that I think you add 5 ml. per 10 gallons)


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