Does Prime really lower nitrite?

[Industrial]

Prime claims to lower nitrite in water and I am wondering if anybody ever tried this product before and if it really does lower nitrites in water.

http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/Prime.html

 

[MChambers]

Actually, it doesn't claim to lower nitrites, but to detoxify them. Not sure how you'd ever test for that.

 

[Industrial]

Actually, it doesn't claim to lower nitrites, but to detoxify them. Not sure how you'd ever test for that.

Well I am assuming that it turns them into nitrates which can be easily removed when it says "detoxify". I am wondering if it does this.

 

[BioHazard]

I don't think it actually turns them into nitrates, as that is a relatively complex process. What I believe it does is it has a compound that 'binds' the nitrite so that it cannot be taken up in a way that harms the fish. It's like adding a wax coating to each particle of ammonia and nitrite, that slowly wears off over 24 hours.

 

[Cerianthus]

I think what they meant by detoxify is to have nitrite anion bind with cations (from Prime) to yield something which is not toxic. Another word, newly formed compound can not compete with Oxygen at gas exchange site of hemoglobin where O2and CO2 are exchanged.
How stable are these new compound formed or exact process/mechanism of Prime, I havnt been able to obtain from Seachem.

All I know is that before Prime, I was able to detox nitrite ion by adding extra salt to tank (do not overdose as tolerance to salt varies with species) as Nitrite is virtually non toxic in salt water. I guess Any Cations such as Calcium, Magnessium, Potassium, etc can affect the toxicity of free nitrite ions too.

 

[Michwol42795]

I don't think it actually turns them into nitrates, as that is a relatively complex process. What I believe it does is it has a compound that 'binds' the nitrite so that it cannot be taken up in a way that harms the fish. It's like adding a wax coating to each particle of ammonia and nitrite, that slowly wears off over 24 hours.

That's what I thought too, I didn't know it wore off though.

 

[BioHazard]

That's what I thought too, I didn't know it wore off though.

Yeah, I think it says that somewhere on the bottle.

 

[Slappy*McFish]

I think what they meant by detoxify is to have nitrite anion bind with cations (from Prime) to yield something which is not toxic. Another word, newly formed compound can not compete with Oxygen at gas exchange site of hemoglobin where O2and CO2 are exchanged.
How stable are these new compound formed or exact process/mechanism of Prime, I havnt been able to obtain from Seachem.

All I know is that before Prime, I was able to detox nitrite ion by adding extra salt to tank (do not overdose as tolerance to salt varies with species) as Nitrite is virtually non toxic in salt water. I guess Any Cations such as Calcium, Magnessium, Potassium, etc can affect the toxicity of free nitrite ions too.

Bingo!