The San Diego Koi Club has provided the information below. Additional information is at: CHLORAMINE. While you're there, key on the Home Page tab at the bottom and surf their site. This is one of the best sites in the country on Water Quality.

As long as you are here, go to our links page and go to the AKCA site for a world of information related to ponds and koi.
If you have any questions, email me or the webmaster at this site.

The following has been used in other communities to provide information to the public as their local communities were changing to the use of chloramines in the water supply.

How are fish, amphibians and reptiles affected?
Chloraminated water passes through gills, directly entering the fish, amphibian and reptile bloodstream. Chloramine binds to iron in red blood cell hemoglobin, causing reduced cell capacity to carry oxygen. However, chloraminated water is safe for people and animals to drink, to cook with, bathe in, and for other general uses. The digestive process neutralizes chloramine.

How do I prepare for chloramine?
Just like chlorine, chloramine will need to be removed from water for fish, amphibian and reptile use. The products listed below are available at fish and pet supply stores. Aquarium or pond supply professionals, published materials and pet owners recommend the following:

• Chemical agents that remove both ammonia and chlorine
• Biological filter (for ammonia) and chemical agent (for chlorine)
• Pet owners report high quality activated carbon filtration and reverse osmosis remove chloramine, but are expensive and must be closely monitored to ensure their effectiveness.

Will boiling remove chloramine?
Chloramine cannot be removed by boiling water, adding salt, or letting water stand in an open container to dissipate the chloramine.

Are water quality test kits helpful?
A test kit with the correct active agent for ammonia can be helpful for monitoring. Two basic kits are available, and should be selectively used:

• Nessler reagent. This kit will give a faster reading, but will also give a false reading if ammonia binders have been used.
• Salicylate reagent. This kit provides a correct reading when ammonia binders have been used.

Any tips for aquarium owners?
Chloramine is toxic to both fresh and saltwater fish. Tap water used with artificial sea salts for makeup water in saltwater fish tanks must be de-chloraminated first.

How will chloramine affect ponds?
Chloramine should ideally be removed from water before adding to a pond.

The San Diego Koi Club suggests the following guidelines gained from their experience:

• If less than one percent of the total water volume of your system is replaced at any one time, the pond should absorb new chloraminated water with little to no impact on fish.
• If one to ten percent of pond water volume is replaced, sodium thiosulphate and a healthy biological filter effectively remove chloramine.
• If more than 10 percent pond water volume is replaced, an ammonia binder is needed.

~Rich Little, San Francisco Bay Area Koi Club, Past President