You need to do as frequent as necessary to keep the ammonia, and then the nitrite, down below .25 and, in fact, as close to 0 as possible, if not 0.
Prime will help keep the fish safe if you have a little ammonia and a little nitrite in the water, but it only detoxifies for about 24 hours, so you have to do water changes every day, if you want to help keep your fish healthy and from suffering.
I don't remember if anyone asked this, but do you have the liquid testing kit, such as the API Master? The test strips, everyone will tell you, are terribly unreliable and will give false readings. You can't trust them. Get the liquid test kit ASAP if you don't already have it.
I'm going through another total cycle of my tank due to a loss of electricity and the loss of my biofilter.
I'm testing in the morning and doing about a 60-75% water change each morning. I test in the evening and sometimes do another 25% water change.
I'm using Prime, so I know it is doing its job, but I still do the water changes. I think you should do it every day (well within the 24 hour safety window Prime affords you) to keep the fish from suffering.
Prime will help keep the fish safe if you have a little ammonia and a little nitrite in the water, but it only detoxifies for about 24 hours, so you have to do water changes every day, if you want to help keep your fish healthy and from suffering.
I don't remember if anyone asked this, but do you have the liquid testing kit, such as the API Master? The test strips, everyone will tell you, are terribly unreliable and will give false readings. You can't trust them. Get the liquid test kit ASAP if you don't already have it.
I'm going through another total cycle of my tank due to a loss of electricity and the loss of my biofilter.
I'm testing in the morning and doing about a 60-75% water change each morning. I test in the evening and sometimes do another 25% water change.
I'm using Prime, so I know it is doing its job, but I still do the water changes. I think you should do it every day (well within the 24 hour safety window Prime affords you) to keep the fish from suffering.
