What Water Conditioner...

[Spinal]

Quite simple question really... when you do your regular water changes, how to you remove your chorine? Do you use something like Seachem ChlorGuard, which removes only the chlorine/chloramine, or like API Tap Water Conditioner that removes the chlorine/chloramine and binds heavy metals or something like Tetra's Aquasafe that also has a stress coat?

Till today I used aquasafe (I was blindly following tetra's adverts on the stress coat); but when I had to rebuy (not a small task for me, I like buying in bulk, hence end up getting things like 5l of aquasafe... whichh really reduces the cost. 5l should cost around £60, while 500ml costs around £12; or double...) and I stumbled across this:

http/www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/rev-cond.htm

He makes a really good point about not adding unecessary chemicals to the tank (i.e. water conditioner).

So, what do you use? How much do you buy? Where? At what cost?

Michele

 

[jarmado]

API stress coat for my tank

 

[Inchworm]

I've recently switched to a product sold under the label of my lfs. It's plain sodium thiosulfate.

 

[kimmers318]

I have had good luck with API stresscoat from day one, so I stuck with it.

 

[Spinal]

Quoting what API says about their product:

Stress Coat forms a synthetic slime coating on the skin of fish, replacing the natural secretion of slime that is lost during netting, handling, shipping, fighting and other forms of stress.

Which is very similar to aquasafe's blurb; but
http/www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/rev-cond.htm
has got me thinking... if it DOES coat the fish, then it will coat the gills making breathing harder. and if it doesn't then it irritates the fish to make them secrete more slime... and if it just doesn't work, then its needlessly adding chemicals to a small environment...

I'm seriously considering swapping to API's tap water conditioner, but cant find anyone selling it... bah!
Michele

 

[voo]

I use a pond dechlorinator. Same stuff you use for tanks, just more concentrated so you dont have to use as much. It's actually cheaper too.

 

[Don155]

Seacham's Prime. I wouldn't use anything else.


http/www.seachem.com/products/product_pages/Prime.html

 

[Cheffi]

Same as Voo, pond dechlor, works out a lot cheaper.

 

[andywg]

For now I use pond dechlor, though I may buy a chlorine test kit when it runs out and have a go at not adding any chemicals at all to my tanks for a while.

 

[Jules H-T]

A search for posts including my username and chlorine will yield some pretty heavy threads on the subject.

I don't use chemicals.

If you're going to use chemicals (and I do not necessarily say that you shouldn't), check 1. Whether your supply is chloraminated, and 2. That your dechlore removes heavy metals.

If the answer is no to both of those, you're pouring money down the drain.

 

[saboy]

seachem prime , 5ml i think, treats 200 litres ! compared to 5ml for 10 litres for the one from tetra

 

[wendywc]

I use Seachem Prime too. Yep, it's 5ml for 50 gallons/200 liters, so it's 2.5ml for my tank.

 

[Torrean]

I use stress coat but I've heard very good things about seachem prime.


I don't measure but I probably should...

 

[wendywc]

I use stress coat but I've heard very good things about seachem prime.


I don't measure but I probably should...

I use an oral syringe for measuring the mL's. Just ask your pharmacist for one; they're usually free.

 

[Torrean]

stress coat has a little measuring cup on the lid...i guess I'm just lazy...

thanks for the idea though it's a good one. I may ask my girl to get me one...she works in a pharmacy