Yes, that would be Prime. Also, it'll be cheaper at Big Al's online.Jess7 said:Is this that product?
http://www.petsmart.com/global/prod...older_id=2534374302030551&bmUID=1109783257969
I'm assuming so!
Ammonia Levels During Fishy Cycle
- Thread starter Jess7
- Start date
I disagreed with your statement that "it is safe to say that if you provide more nourishment for your nitrify bacteria, the population will increase at a faster rate." Nothing ever mentioned about the use of Prime to detoxify the ammonia.
However, an important point in using Prime is that while ammonium is non-toxic, it is also highly unstable at lower pH, meaning that the beneficial extra ion is constantly swapping off. With a water change, the ammonia is removed from the system. It's also very important to make certain people understand that ammonium is still detected by some ammonia test kits, so 'false positive' results are very possible.
However, an important point in using Prime is that while ammonium is non-toxic, it is also highly unstable at lower pH, meaning that the beneficial extra ion is constantly swapping off. With a water change, the ammonia is removed from the system. It's also very important to make certain people understand that ammonium is still detected by some ammonia test kits, so 'false positive' results are very possible.
I prefer just water changes. More reliable for testing purposes, and also removes toxins that we can't test for. I use Prime for emegencies and follow them up with large water changes. If you can control ammonia levels with water changes alone, it's certainly easier and less expensive. If you have Prime on hand (many use it to treat tapwater for chlorine and chloramines), then there's no reason not to use.
It's so wierd how one person says one thing and another person says the opposite. It seems as though there is no definative answer...
There aren't really any opposites here. I never disputed that Prime could be beneficial in reducing the toxins in the tank. I disputed that water changes would lengthen the time needed for bacterial populations to reach a balance with the ammonia produced by a tank.
However, there are a great number of myths in this hobby--practices that are recommended without any understanding of the science behind the hobby (and no, I'm not implying that anyone posting in this thread is guilty of this, this is a general statement that does apply to advice given out in many books, many, many LFS, and other sources including websites). A lot of these are based on what people see as working, despite the lack of correlations or adeqaute support to state something definitively. For example--you'll hear from many people that you should add salt to your tank. Minute quantities, inadequate to actually act as a preventative, but higher than natural levels in fresh water stream and lakes. There's no logical explanation for this, and no reason to suspect that the fish need this additional salt in tanks without needing it in the wild. I think it's very important to identify and eliminate these myths from our hobby, since they do cause so much confusion for new hobbyists. So--my best advice--if you question why you're being told something--ask! Research and see what makes sense to you. If it's not based in science, consider the possibility that you're being told a myth.
However, there are a great number of myths in this hobby--practices that are recommended without any understanding of the science behind the hobby (and no, I'm not implying that anyone posting in this thread is guilty of this, this is a general statement that does apply to advice given out in many books, many, many LFS, and other sources including websites). A lot of these are based on what people see as working, despite the lack of correlations or adeqaute support to state something definitively. For example--you'll hear from many people that you should add salt to your tank. Minute quantities, inadequate to actually act as a preventative, but higher than natural levels in fresh water stream and lakes. There's no logical explanation for this, and no reason to suspect that the fish need this additional salt in tanks without needing it in the wild. I think it's very important to identify and eliminate these myths from our hobby, since they do cause so much confusion for new hobbyists. So--my best advice--if you question why you're being told something--ask! Research and see what makes sense to you. If it's not based in science, consider the possibility that you're being told a myth.
That's good advice... I wasn't specifically saying what you guys were saying was the opposite in this thread. Like you said, in general, between the stores and websites and so forth you get a lot of different responses. So I guess, scientifically would Prime be a benefit? two to one say no... 
