Water Conditioner? Which one and WHY?????

rbishop said:
For prime that is only if you add water straight to the tank.


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. To detoxify nitrite in an emergency, up to 5 times normal dose may be used. If temperature is > 30 °C (86 °F) and chlorine or ammonia levels are low, use a half dose.
Click to expand...

I have a 110 gallon tank and it would be very hard to find a bucket that would hold more than 5 gallons of water so that I can put the exact dosage of prime in and then transfer the water to the tank...Takes a lot of work also..
 
I get the feeling that we are just talking about semantics here anyway at this point. I mean if I change out 20 gallons and just dose the tank with either amquel or prime for 20 gallons I fairly certain that in most cases this would be fine. Now in a nearby city in certain areas tap water has a chlorine smell to it. If I were there I'd be tempted to treat double the aquarium volume no matter which chemical I was using. That is to say both chemicals have a finite amount of chlorine / chloramine they can handle and if more is present in a given volume of water you'd have to dose at higher than advertised levels. Also for me dosing prime in a 50g aquarium I find it easier to dose 5ml (1 teaspoon) than to break out a medicine dropper to get out 2ml for a 20% water change. A 250ml bottle treats some 2500g so even treating the volume of the aquarium that gives me 50 weeks worth of water changes for about $7.

Edit:
On the Kordon websight if you search around you will note that amquel does not remove ammonia when breaking down chloramine. The websight states that your biological filter will need to do that or you need to use a separite ammonia treatment. Amquel+ of course does neutralize ammonia in a similar manor to prime.
 
I understand the issue with large tanks. But the statement was for those that use prime on other size tanks, since not everyone has 110 gal tanks. There are numerous people who still use buckets for their water changes.

The point being made was you do not HAVE TO ADD for the tank volume. Prime recommends that you do if you are filling to the tank. If you are using buckets, whether it is one or 20, you can treat just for the volume of the change.
 
Hound said:
I get the feeling that we are just talking about semantics here anyway at this point. I mean if I change out 20 gallons and just dose the tank with either amquel or prime for 20 gallons I fairly certain that in most cases this would be fine. Now in a nearby city in certain areas tap water has a chlorine smell to it. If I were there I'd be tempted to treat double the aquarium volume no matter which chemical I was using. That is to say both chemicals have a finite amount of chlorine / chloramine they can handle and if more is present in a given volume of water you'd have to dose at higher than advertised levels. Also for me dosing prime in a 50g aquarium I find it easier to dose 5ml (1 teaspoon) than to break out a medicine dropper to get out 2ml for a 20% water change. A 250ml bottle treats some 2500g so even treating the volume of the aquarium that gives me 50 weeks worth of water changes for about $7.

Edit:
On the Kordon websight if you search around you will note that amquel does not remove ammonia when breaking down chloramine. The websight states that your biological filter will need to do that or you need to use a separite ammonia treatment. Amquel+ of course does neutralize ammonia in a similar manor to prime.
Click to expand...

You are going againsit what the directions are saying in Prime..You dont want your fish floating belly up..Some people invested a lot of money on their fishes, especially with big tank owners..

Amquel and Amquel plus always removed ammonia...Dont know where you got your information from..
 
Last edited:
Ack your right. Darn Kordon.com faq put me on the wrong page LOL. Anyways as I said I think we are getting into semantics since prime and amquel both seem to be some form of hydrosulfite salts. I will say though that I have used prime dosing only for the volume of water comming in with no ill effects, but also I know that the amount of chlorine / chloramine in my tap is fairly low. I mean if you could actually smell chlorine in your tap water wouldn't you be tempted to overdose Amquel?
 
Last edited:
SMell?

I guess at some point I will try another brand but I started with Prime from the LFS suggestion. I really dont find the smell that bad, not that I have inhaled for fun. Thanks so far for all the responses as I am learning so much.

Brian
 
I use a brand called Aqua Plus. has worked well for me for years and i won't switch unless there comes along something noticeably better. :)
 
I used Aqua Safe or Aqua Plus, don't remember, but switched to Prime a few months ago. It is 5x more concentrated than anything else so in the long run is way way cheaper.

Also it smells great, I use it as a perfume and leave an open bottle out as an air freshener.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom