Optimal Strategy To Fight Ammonia With Prime

[mikev]

Hi,

I'm in a nasty situation: new fish in the Q-tank came in with some nasty stuff and the only way I was able to fight it is with high dosages of Meth Blue, naturally wiping out the biofilter (no choice in the matter -- lower dosing was not sufficient).

I cannot move the fish to a cycled tank (I do have an empty cycled waiting) since I must continue the treatment, so I need to somehow maintain it in the currently uncycled tank for at least a week more. The question is how to do this in the most gentle way.

The current strategy: a couple of drops of Prime every few hours, and daily 80%-90% water changes. TOTAL ammonia readings go from below 0.25 after water change up to about 1.0 before; unfortunately I don't know how much of this is bound by Prime and is not poisonous (the kit gives me TOTAL, not TOXIC). The huge water change may not be too dangerous anymore since I'm using almost entirely used water from a much cycled larger tank and by now the water should be nearly identical, I also do it very slowly, over two hours. The Ph is around 6.6-6.8 which _should_ shift the ammonia balance toward ammonium.

Can I do this any better?

Any help will be appreciated.

 

[Tolak]

Prime will do the same thing as a low pH, converting ammonia to ammonium. You may be better off picking up some Ammo-Lock, this will convert ammonia to ammonium without the unneeded dechlorinating and other chemicals.

It sounds like a good plan to me, what has the fish been diagnosed with?

 

[mikev]

Thanks Tolak,

Prime will do the same thing as a low pH, converting ammonia to ammonium. You may be better off picking up some Ammo-Lock, this will convert ammonia to ammonium without the unneeded dechlorinating and other chemicals.

I thought about this but I also have a danger of the cycle restarting by itself and nitrites killing the fish. Prime would prevent this. Hopefully these other chemicals are not too damaging.

Do you have any idea just how often I should be dropping prime into the tank? Last two nights I was getting up every three hours to drop a little into the tank...donno if this is needed...(and not sure I'll be able to handle this for a week)

It sounds like a good plan to me, what has the fish been diagnosed with?

Near certain true fungi, and a particularly nasty strand, in more than one way, at least for the fish involved. There may be another disease involved too, since fungi almost always is a secondary infection, but I see no evidence of it. Meth Blue seems to keep it at bay, so it is certainly something external.

 

[Tolak]

According to Seachem, you candose up to five times the normal amount. I double dose on a regular basis when my water is nasty, and use 4 times the dose on hatching tanks after cleaning with bleach solution. It's tough to o.d a fish on dechlorinator.

Seeing as that's the case, you could dose the entire tank volume a normal dose 5 times every 24 hours if you do a near 100% water change. I wouldn't be waking up every few hours, I would dose it before bed & first thing in the morning. A couple more times during the day should take care of it.

I have to use a heavy dose of meth blue, along with Maroxy & Acriflavin+ with hatching out angel spawns. You can use these along with the meth blue, the Maroxy is an anti-fungal, the Acriflavin+ is an antifungal/antibacterial.

 

[mikev]

Thanks Tolak,

This is good to know.

 

[mikev]

Just to let you know: it appears like it worked. Thanks again.

Despite the biofilter being totally wiped out, I managed to keep it going on prime, and now restored the biofilter.

 

[Tolak]

Prime is one of the best products out there. It also works miracles if you have real crummy tap water.

 

[Gazoo]

You may be better off picking up some Ammo-Lock, this will convert ammonia to ammonium without the unneeded dechlorinating and other chemicals.

I thought API Ammo Lock removes chlorine and chloamine?

I agree, Seachem Prime is good stuff.