prefered water conditioner?

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sushiray

AC Members
Jan 14, 2009
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new windsor, ny
I think you are fine with ultimate. so many products out there all should be ok. I have not heard any issues with any of these products including the generics (i.e. companie's own brand).

I use Prime myself as that has been the overwhelming favorite for this & other forums.

try www.kensfish.com I found them to be the least cost but cuz of shipping (his shipping costs are also the most reasonable) I !bought other products/meds/foods/filters etc. to combine with my Prime gal. order. many like ken's also but of course many have their preference online dealers. ken's is mine.

good luck & welcome!
 
Oct 22, 2009
43
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buffalo
thanks for the info.
 

fitz75

AC Members
Dec 23, 2008
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49
CT
I use stress coat water conditioner by aquarium pharmaceuticals. When just adding water (not the water change) I will put a capful to 1 gallon of water. Everyone is happy and it works very well.
 

247Plants

Plant Obsessed
Mar 23, 2007
2,098
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eastside LBC
Ive used prime, amquel+, stress coat, Aqueon, API, Tetra aquasafe and probably some others I dont remember right now.

By far prime was the cheapest in the long run. A little really goes a long way. Other than that they all seemed to work the same for me.
 

TechAquaria

AC Members
Sep 3, 2009
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This: "There are no NSF International certified point of use devices utilizing Vitamin C, however SFPUC determined that 1000 mg of Vitamin C (tablets purchased in a grocery store, crushed and mixed in with the bath water) remove chloramine completely in a medium size bathtub without significantly depressing pH."

From here: http://www.sfwater.org/Files/FAQs/removal.pdf

And, this: "Chloramine is very toxic to fish. Chloramine, unlike chlorine, passes through the gill tissue causing little damage. Chloramine then enters the bloodstream and binds to iron in the hemoglobin in the red blood cells. The blood is unable to carry oxygen, resulting in a condition called methemoglobinemia, similar to nitrite toxicity. Fish become lethargic, sitting on the bottom or near the surface. At low chloramine concentrations a few fish will die every day. Higher chloramine levels can cause all fish to die within 24 hours."

From here: http://www.santeforhealth.com/shopexd.asp?id=197

Ya' just gotta love it!"

Regards,
TA
 
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dundadundun

;sup' dog? ;woof and a wwwoof!
Jan 21, 2009
4,295
2
38
S.E. PA
this seemed to be the bottom line for fish according to that pdf:
"Q: What are the methods for removing chloramine from fish aquariums?
A: Just as with chlorine, chloramine can harm saltwater and freshwater fish, reptiles, shellfish,
and amphibians that live in water, because they take chloramine directly into their bloodstream
through their gills. People and animals that don’t live in water can safely drink chloraminated
water because their digestive process neutralizes chloramine before it enters the bloodstream.
Effective procedures are available to remove chloramine and ammonia. Commercial
establishments and hobbyists involved in fish rearing need to take precautions to prevent losses.
There are two methods that can be used to remove or neutralize chloramine before adding
water to a fish tank, pond, or aquarium: (1) GAC filtration system specifically designed to remove
chloramine, or (2) conditioner or additive that contains a dechloraminating chemical for both
ammonia and chlorine. Products are available at local pet and aquarium supply stores.
Residential and commercial fish owners are advised to verify which method is best for them with
their pet store or aquatic/aquarium retailer.
If too much dechlorinating agent is added to the aquarium or pond water, it may bind up the
oxygen in the water. In this case, the fish may suffocate. It is important to carefully follow the label
instructions."

this link... http://www.santeforhealth.com/shopexd.asp?id=197 ... is a manufacturer's claim.

according to the pdf...
"Q: Can Vitamin C be used to remove chlorine and chloramine for bathing purposes?
A: Exposures via respiration do not occur from use of chloraminated drinking water. Based on
personal preference, some individuals may choose to reduce exposure to chlorine or chloramine.
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) has recently been included in AWWA Standard (AWWA, 2005b) as one
of the methods for dechlorination of disinfected water mains. SFPUC and other utilities have used
Vitamin C for dechlorination prior to environmental discharges of chlorinated and chloraminated
water. Since ascorbic acid is weakly acidic, the pH of water may decrease slightly (Tikkanen et
al., 2001). Ascorbic acid has been used for a long time as one of the dechlorinating agents for
preservation of chlorinated or chloraminated water samples for laboratory analysis.
The removal of chloramine is not necessary from a public health perspective; however, some
customers may chose to remove either chlorine or chloramine for bathing purposes. There are no
NSF International certified point of use devices utilizing Vitamin C, however SFPUC determined
that 1000 mg of Vitamin C (tablets purchased in a grocery store, crushed and mixed in with the
bath water) remove chloramine completely in a medium size bathtub without significantly
depressing pH. Shower attachments containing Vitamin C can be purchased on the Internet, as
well as effervescent Vitamin C bath tablets. The 1000 mg effervescent Vitamin C tablets
dissolved readily without residue but may depress pH more than regular Vitamin C tablets
purchased in grocery stores. Some shower attachments with Vitamin C marketed on the Internet
are effective in removing chloramine; however, the claims posted on the Internet as to their
replacement frequency appear to overestimate the duration when the shower attachment is
effective.
There are reports of the benefits of Vitamin C for skin care (Griffith, 1998) and various
cosmetics are available in stores that contain Vitamin C. SFPUC does not recommend for
customers to use Vitamin C for bathing purposes and anyone desiring to do that should consult
with their physician."

and i think the doubts by the member on the seachem forum were handled quite well by the administrator although in the long run he's really just selling another seachem product.

i do see your points about vitamin c. i assume you've been using it? how's it working out for you? can you provide a dosage for aquarium use? the article seemed to focus on 1000mg FOR A BATHTUB. i'd say that's probably a little much for a w/c on 80 gallons worth of planted tanks. much less those that have smaller tanks.
 

vanillarum

AC Members
Jan 4, 2008
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Mass.
I started with Stresscoat, then went to Amquel +, and now I use Prime. I think it is the most cost effective of the 3 I've used. Also smells the most ! Had to buy a coupla air fresheners for when I do WC it smells so bad ! I think Stresscoat smells the least, but prime goes a lot further in usage. Just my .02 cents worth.
 
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