Seachem Prime

[OldMan47]

On a 5 litre water change, just use 2 drops. It is too hard to measure the right amount in terms of ml. I figure 6 drops for 5 american gallons of water change and never have any problem. 2 drops for a small change like yours is plenty.

 

[DBT85]

I found a Maidenhead aquatics not far from me so went to have a look.
Needed some dechlor so asked about the Prime.
They'd never heard of it?

I didn't see it in any of the MA's I have been in. I just ordered it online. Under 6ml for my entire 240l tank is so much better than everything else. The stuff does stink if you get a whiff before its mixed with the water though!

 

[Prime Ordeal]

this dosing bothers me a bit too...
My tanks are

66L
70L
60L
60L

this means i add 2.5ml for the volume of my tank. (roughly)

After using tapsafe, when i was adding 25-30ml, it always doesnt seem enough?!

You're overdosing then because it should be 1.5ml for the 60 and 1.75ml for the 70.

is that safe?

Perfectly safe. It just means you're using about a third of a bottle more than you need to.

 

[Tizer]

Most MA's dont stock Seachem stuffs like Prime because they have their own brand of dechlorinator plus a few others like Nutrafin. Plus Prime is so concentrated, sales will decrease on other stuff. simples economics is simples.

 

[SaTiVa1984]

I have always used nutrafin aquasafe, and a 500ml bottle usually lasts me 2-3 months.

After joining these forums and noticing a lot of people recommending prime, i decided to order some, ive bought a 250ml bottle, this should last me 5-6 months judging by all the comments on its concentration

The only concern i do have, is i read it can give false readings on liquid test kits, is this true?

 

[Prime Ordeal]

The only concern i do have, is i read it can give false readings on liquid test kits, is this true?

No. Any dechlorinator which also detoxifies ammonia will give a 'false' reading when tested. This is because the ammonia is safely 'locked up' by the dechlorinator but when the test is performed on the same water the ammonia is released again and so shows up in the test.

For example, if I have 1ppm ammonia in my tap water and I dechlorinate it with a dechlorinator that also detoxifies ammonia (Prime, Amquel, etc.) then that tap water is safe to put in my tank because the ammonia has been rendered harmless. But when I test the same 'safe' water it will read 1ppm ammonia because the test procedure has released the ammonia.

So even though the water is safe it still tests as having toxic ammonia and this is where the idea of a 'false' reading comes from.

 

[OldMan47]

The reading is not a false reading. The ammonia is present and is very real. The fact that it is tied up and not harming the fish does not remove it. My own tap water tests at zero before I dechlorinate it but tests at 0.5 ppm after I dechlorinate. The chloramine used by my water company breaks into chlorine which is removed and ammonia which is biologically neutralized by my dechlorinator. There is nothing at all false about the reading except that it overstates the potential harm my water might cause to my fish.

 

[SaTiVa1984]

I see, thanks for the info.

 

[Prime Ordeal]

My own tap water tests at zero before I dechlorinate it but tests at 0.5 ppm after I dechlorinate.

How do you suggest that tap water that has no ammonia in it, i.e. reads zero, suddenly acquires 0.5ppm ammonia? Are you suggesting that the dechlorinator adds ammonia?

What test kit do you use?

 

[ian]

Prime will bind ammonia and convert to ammonium, which unfortunatly can be picked up by off the shelve test kits. This is also true with using some ferts, like TPN+, it contains ammonium and shows up on test kits.

 

[SaTiVa1984]

I just got my first bottle of prime through the post

I noticed on the back it says "If temperature is > 30oc (86of) and chlorine or ammonia levels are low, use half dose"

How can we test Chlorine levels in tap water?

 

[Prime Ordeal]

I just got my first bottle of prime through the post

I noticed on the back it says "If temperature is > 30oc (86of) and chlorine or ammonia levels are low, use half dose"

How can we test Chlorine levels in tap water?

You can get chlorine tests just like you can get ammonia, nitrite tests etc., or test strips. But it's unnecessary, just dose at the normal rate, i.e. 5ml per 200l.

 

[Prime Ordeal]

Prime will bind ammonia and convert to ammonium, which unfortunatly can be picked up by off the shelve test kits. This is also true with using some ferts, like TPN+, it contains ammonium and shows up on test kits.

Was that in response to my previous comment in #24? If so it doesn't explain the sudden appearance of ammonia on adding the dechlorinator, which is what I was questioning.

Also prime does not "bind ammonia and convert to ammonium". It binds it into a molecule which is non toxic to our fish, it does not convert it to ammonium.

 

[SaTiVa1984]

I just got my first bottle of prime through the post

I noticed on the back it says "If temperature is > 30oc (86of) and chlorine or ammonia levels are low, use half dose"

How can we test Chlorine levels in tap water?

You can get chlorine tests just like you can get ammonia, nitrite tests etc., or test strips. But it's unnecessary, just dose at the normal rate, i.e. 5ml per 200l.

Yea thanks, i'm struggling to get to grasps with how little is required for dosing anyway, before when i used nutrafin i was putting almost a cap full in per water change (around 15ml) now i have to get used to putting about 3 drops in lol, good stuff

 

[HayzH]

I just got my first bottle of prime through the post

I noticed on the back it says "If temperature is > 30oc (86of) and chlorine or ammonia levels are low, use half dose"

How can we test Chlorine levels in tap water?

You can get chlorine tests just like you can get ammonia, nitrite tests etc., or test strips. But it's unnecessary, just dose at the normal rate, i.e. 5ml per 200l.

Yea thanks, i'm struggling to get to grasps with how little is required for dosing anyway, before when i used nutrafin i was putting almost a cap full in per water change (around 15ml) now i have to get used to putting about 3 drops in lol, good stuff

me too Sat! lol