Does prime break down in the aquarium?

chunkoblue

chunkoblue

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Nov 26, 2006
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Does prime break down in the aquarium after it is added? I ask this because I have read people will dose prime for the full volume of their tank before adding water with their python. I did the math and found that if one does a 2x dose of prime after a 50% water change that the tank would level off at a 4x dose after about 8 water changes. Also, if one uses a 1x dose after a 25% change that the tank will level off at a 4x dose after about 16 water changes.

So if prime doesn't break down in the aquarium, is it safe to have your fish exposed to a 4x dose of prime all the time? I know you can use up to 5x in emergencies, but that is something to do in the short term.

If prime does break down, how quickly does it?
 
it breaks down after 48 hours. someone emailed the company about it a while back. can't remember who though.
 
We had a discussion about it a while back, and I think the end result, just to be on the safe side, was if your adding water during the same day that you already added prime, you're fine, but if it's the next day, go ahead and add it again.

I don't remember for sure, but I beleive Seachem said it completely breaks down within 48 hours, but that it can't be relied on for chloramine removal after about 8, or something like that.
 
Part of the problem with determining how quickly this happens is that the prime "left over" after neutralizing the chlorine in your change/topoff water will go to work on the ammonia your fish produce. The prime is in the water column, meaning it will have easy access to it before the bacteria do. If you add prime to your tank, and then add water later, the prime may have already been bound to ammonia or other things, if not necessarily dissipated out of the aquarium.
 
I'll see if I can find the post.

If I remember correctly(no promises), but somebody emailed Seachem and the answer from them was that it's effectiveness can be trusted for like 6-8 hours, but as far as it remaining in the water, it's completely broken down within 48. So if you add water within that 6-8 hour period, you're fine, but after than no....



Almost, but not qutie:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=163326&highlight=prime



Still not it:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=138447&highlight=prime&page=2


Yeah, I can't find it, but in one of those post, I said "seachem says 6 hours", and I felt like, at the time, I knew what I was talking about.
 
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