Dechlorinator neutralizing macros and micros.

Harris Tiu

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Mar 16, 2019
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Hi Everyone,

I went out to buy some dechlorinator and found that most of them bind nitrate and detoxify heavy metals (Seachem Prime, Sera Toxivec, etc).
Wouldnt this be bad for water column fertilization?

Thanks,

Harry
 

Allwissend

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Pretty much not an issue. I've yet to see the case where deficiencies were caused because dechlorinator was dosed.

There is quite a bit of marketing / propaganda going on, with Seachem saying that they don't understand how on Earth the product they sell does this. Magic perhaps, can't argue with that.
The detoxification of nitrite and nitrate by Prime® (when used at elevated levels) is not well understood from a mechanistic standpoint.
https://www.seachem.com/prime.php

Also worth pointing out the word with a clear meaning "remove" is absent, instead it "renders them non-toxic", "detoxifies" or "reduces the formation". This ability is often associated with overdosing and the companies do not provide any dose-response data, so something smells (like prime). Maybe it does detoxify / reduce / remove nitrate , but if 1x lowers 0.01 mg/L(ppm) NO3, does it matter ?

For heavy metals the issue is somewhat simpler, they use chelators like EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid). Page 4 has the ingredients for another dechlorinator JBL Biotopol https://www.jbl.de/?mod=productpdf&id=2316&country=us&lang=en . So take for example copper coming in from the pipes / hot water system, dose water conditioner with chelator and it becomes less toxic . But then again trace mixes like CSMB will also have chelated Cu and we know plants can use it despite it being 'detoxified'.

Making people afraid is a big source of profit. So it makes sense to claim to 'detoxify' everything.
 

Harris Tiu

Member
Mar 16, 2019
43
1
8
36
Makati
Pretty much not an issue. I've yet to see the case where deficiencies were caused because dechlorinator was dosed.

There is quite a bit of marketing / propaganda going on, with Seachem saying that they don't understand how on Earth the product they sell does this. Magic perhaps, can't argue with that.

https://www.seachem.com/prime.php

Also worth pointing out the word with a clear meaning "remove" is absent, instead it "renders them non-toxic", "detoxifies" or "reduces the formation". This ability is often associated with overdosing and the companies do not provide any dose-response data, so something smells (like prime). Maybe it does detoxify / reduce / remove nitrate , but if 1x lowers 0.01 mg/L(ppm) NO3, does it matter ?

For heavy metals the issue is somewhat simpler, they use chelators like EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid). Page 4 has the ingredients for another dechlorinator JBL Biotopol https://www.jbl.de/?mod=productpdf&id=2316&country=us&lang=en . So take for example copper coming in from the pipes / hot water system, dose water conditioner with chelator and it becomes less toxic . But then again trace mixes like CSMB will also have chelated Cu and we know plants can use it despite it being 'detoxified'.

Making people afraid is a big source of profit. So it makes sense to claim to 'detoxify' everything.

Thanks for the response.

About the heavy metals issue.
I think you are saying these companies add EDTA to the dechlorinator.
Then the copper, for example, can come in from the pipes are toxic to fish so they are detoxified by chelation.
Plants however will uptake the copper whether it is or isnt chelated.

Is this right?
 

Allwissend

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Thanks for the response.

About the heavy metals issue.
I think you are saying these companies add EDTA to the dechlorinator.
Then the copper, for example, can come in from the pipes are toxic to fish so they are detoxified by chelation.
Plants however will uptake the copper whether it is or isnt chelated.

Is this right?
yes, you can see it listed as a component in the jbl link. Chelated metals are less toxic and still available for plants.