Prime

[Xraymark]

Does seachem prime affect testing the water for ammonia, nitrite and nitrates as it is mean't to remove ammonia from the water.

Also if used will it affect the amount of good bacteria as there food is being reduced.

 

[Aqua Tom]

Does seachem prime affect testing the water for ammonia, nitrite and nitrates as it is mean't to remove ammonia from the water.

Also if used will it affect the amount of good bacteria as there food is being reduced.

No & No.


Tom

 

[Xraymark]

At least there wasn't to much science in the response LOL.

 

[minnnt]

Lol! Haha!

Prime's effect on ammonia is only temporary and is designed to remove it from the tap water and convert it to ammonium which is less harmful for your fish. By the time it wears off the filter will be up to speed with the new water added. It is probably the best dechlor available, and the amount you have to use is unbelievable really! 0.25ml per 10litre... Is there any others that is as concentrated?

 

[the_lock_man]

As Minnnnnnnnnt says, it converts ammonia to ammonium, which the bacteria still eat, but which doesn't poison the fish.

There are some issues, I have read elsewhere on the web, about Prime causing false positives for ammonia with certain test kits, but since I don't use Prime (yet) I don't know fully what those issues are. A bit of Googling is called for, I reckon.

 

[Mowbz]

It is probably the best dechlor available, and the amount you have to use is unbelievable really! 0.25ml per 10litre... Is there any others that is as concentrated?

I have some that i strangely bought while doing my Tesco shop (Top marks to tesco for selling dechlor, the only other fishy stuff they sell is bog standard flake!) and its 25ml (NOT 0.25) to 10ltrs, so yours is 10x higher concentration than this stuff. Had a good read as ive nenver seen it, but its made by "Bob Martin", the same people that do lots of budgie stuff, and also the same make as my cats flea collar strangely enough!

 

[Xraymark]

Yeah the Seachem prime states 5mls per 200 litre of water.

Best not drink it.

 

[OldMan47]

The issue with Prime, an any decent dechlorinator, is that it breaks the bond between chlorine and ammonia in chloramine giving a "false positive" reading. In reality, it better represents what the fish are being exposed to. You use the dechlorinator before adding water to the tank so the fish do see that ammonia. The other side of the coin is the affect it has on ammonia. It converts ammonia to the less toxic ammonium temporarily but the test still detects that as ammonia. The bacteria we are trying to grow also will use ammonium just as well as ammonia so it does not reduce the rate your filter is maturing and becoming cycled. The end result is as you would want. Ammonia toxicity is reduced, chloramine's contribution to total ammonia is properly represented in test results and the filter and fish see no ill effects from its use.

Or as Aqua Tom said more succinctly:
No & no

 

[Xraymark]

Thanks to all. My knowledge base has improved.

Prime seems like an excellent product and value for money.