Prime by Seachem: Question

aquarob

aquarob

I give up!
Jan 1, 2006
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Prime by Seachem

I use this on all my tanks, and have been for awhile. I use it during every waterchange, and I dose my water before adding it to the tank. I recently read in a few places that I should dose the tank, not the water in the bucket. Seems to me like 6 of one, half dozen another. Doesnt it have the same effect?

Also, I always use more then what the bottle calls for. I think its 10ml per 10 gallons of water. Or one capful per 50 gallons of water. I have a hard time bending my head around that concept, how it is that just 20 droplets or so can treat 55 whole gallons of water.

Probably just my paranoid nature, but does anyone actually just put in one capful for their water changes? Im nervous about dumping 5g of non-dechorinated water in my show tanks and hoping a tiny capful of liquid is gonna protect my fish. Anyone else feel that way? Discuss. Thanks in advance.
 
The only time you should dose per the number of gallons in the tank is if you are adding water directly from the tap. Otherwise, dose per the water in the bucket.

As for overdosing, I wouldn't do it, personally. Find out just how much chlorine or chloramine is in your tap water and dose per that.

Roan
 
From Seachem's site:

"DIRECTIONS: Use 1 capful (5 mL) for each 200 L (50 gallons*) of new water. For smaller doses, please note each cap thread is approx. 1 mL). This dose removes approximately 0.6 mg/L ammonia, 3 mg/L chloramine, or 4 mg/L chlorine. May be added to aquarium directly, but better if added to new water first. If adding directly to aquarium, base dose on aquarium volume. Sulfur odor is normal. For exceptionally high chloramine concentrations, a double dose may be used safely."

Seachem's caps on the small standard bottles are 5ml, and that is sufficient for 50 gallons of water. Doubling the dose seems to be safe, but is not needed under ordinary conditions. Less total dosage may be used if you treat in the bucket as you only need to add for the volume of the container, but treating the whole tank is fine. Routine overdosing may be relatively safe with this product, but not needed and IMHO is an undesirable practice.

When all else fails, follow the directions. :)
 
Yeah, I was once guilty of putting a capful in per 5gal bucket of water, then I read the directions again (one cap per 50 gallons not 5! ooo, I felt so dumb). Started using a small syringe (needle removed) to put the proper dosage per bucket. And my Nitrate levels in the tanks droped just a bit, seems that you can get a little false info when you use too much of the Prime.
 
Does this stuff work as well as Amquel?

I just looked up the stuff on That Pet Place, and if it works as advertised, i can save some money.
 
Works great as a routine water conditioner. Its the only thing I use.
 
I am planning on switching to prime as soon as my other conditioner runs out. My water district switched to chloramines so I get an ammonia spike after each waterchange. Though it is only 0.25 ppm ammonia my conditioner does not bind it into ammonium so this ammonia could theoretically harm my fish during the short time it is in the water prior to being gobbled up by my biofilter. During that hour, my water gets a nice dose of Nitrites (0.75 ppm from my tap) and ammonia which makes water quality go down after a waterchange in my situation (only for a short while though). This tap water makes fishy cycles impossible in my area.
 
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