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Seachem prime ????

Frenchi

Frenchi

Member
Joined
15 Jan 2014
Messages
671
Location
West Yorkshire
Hi ppl
I have been using seachem prime now for as long as I can remember, now I'm into this planted tank marlarki I was wondering if it is a good idea to use it with planted tanks as it removes some nitrate etc .. I know it's not a super agent or anything I just thought there maybe something better to use?

What do you use?


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I use seachem safe - it's basically seachem prime but in powder form so more economical. I have those measuring spoon things and it works out at ⅛ teaspoon per 90l, so lasts a long time. I've never worried about the nitrate binding as I think it would be organic vs chemical binding, and since if you dose EI you are adding plenty of everything anyways (adding excess and then removing during water change) then I shouldn't think that amount of prime is going to bind very much. I think it's higher doses anyways to bind ammonia/nitrite/nitrates than chlorine/chloramines anyways is it not?
 
Claire said:
I use seachem safe - it's basically seachem prime but in powder form so more economical. I have those measuring spoon things and it works out at ⅛ teaspoon per 90l, so lasts a long time. I've never worried about the nitrate binding as I think it would be organic vs chemical binding, and since if you dose EI you are adding plenty of everything anyways (adding excess and then removing during water change) then I shouldn't think that amount of prime is going to bind very much. I think it's higher doses anyways to bind ammonia/nitrite/nitrates than chlorine/chloramines anyways is it not?
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Sounds good to me .. Infact I'm going to buy some of that, it sounds like a bigger money saver than prime thanks for that Claire :)


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I've got some Safe and I probably should of gone Prime. There's no way of measure the amount I need for a water change 0.005g, it's like a few grains. I've stopped using it any ways. Got a 25L bucket and an air stone, running it for 24 hours then do water changes three times a week. It actually takes less time to do that then do the big 60% once a week.
 
EnderUK said:
I've got some Safe and I probably should of gone Prime. There's no way of measure the amount I need for a water change 0.005g, it's like a few grains. I've stopped using it any ways. Got a 25L bucket and an air stone, running it for 24 hours then do water changes three times a week. It actually takes less time to do that then do the big 60% once a week.
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Valid point ... I was thinking of buying a water butt and filling that but was worried about keeping the water at a similar temperature to my tanks, at the moment I like you use 25ltr buckets with prime using correct temp from the tap,doing it on all three tanks once a week is a big chore..


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With my old setup, I used a collapsable rain container which took 200 L and had a nice little tap at the bottom. Once a week, after showering, I placed it in the bathroom on a little table, filled it up with 80 L of regular tap water (had made markings on the inside), hooked up my RO-device, and let it run all night. As for temp, I used an old 300 W Jäger heater, set at the same temp of my tanks. The next day, when the container was filled up to 160 L with the RO-water, water changes were a breeze; hose with a water pump in the aquarium into the bathroom, and then refill with the hose coming from the container. Will be getting a similar setup again soon, this time from the washing machine connection in the closet of my balcony. Makes life a lot easier than using buckets and watering-cans.

As for the Prime; I really like it, but with Nano tanks, you neeld some smallish dosing needles/ syringes to get it just right, even though over dosing the stuff a bit doesn't seem to do any damage. With the powder-form, I can see that being near impossible, unless you use pharmacy grade scales.
 
Frenchi said:
Valid point ... I was thinking of buying a water butt and filling that but was worried about keeping the water at a similar temperature to my tanks, at the moment I like you use 25ltr buckets with prime using correct temp from the tap,doing it on all three tanks once a week is a big chore..


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Click to expand...

You say that but it's actually not bad, I can empty and refill 25% in about 20 minutes, were as doing a big 75% water change took about 2-3 hours including letting the water settle with the tap safe for 15-20 minutes. Also take into the fact that the 25L bucket is around 20C and my tank is 26C then I have a drop of 1C. The other plus is my TDS won't jump from 375 to 200 and the fish are getting a constant supply of fresh water rather than once a week.
 
EnderUK said:
You say that but it's actually not bad, I can empty and refill 25% in about 20 minutes, were as doing a big 75% water change took about 2-3 hours including letting the water settle with the tap safe for 15-20 minutes. Also take into the fact that the 25L bucket is around 20C and my tank is 26C then I have a drop of 1C. The other plus is my TDS won't jump from 375 to 200 and the fish are getting a constant supply of fresh water rather than once a week.
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That makes sense too, saves messing with the mixer tap and thermometer like I do.
I know some aquarium shops have a constant trickle feed to there systems I know our local one does.
Looks like I'm changing my style again sounds like a less stressful way for both me and the fish
Thanks for that :)


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Vinkenoog1977 said:
With my old setup, I used a collapsable rain container which took 200 L and had a nice little tap at the bottom. Once a week, after showering, I placed it in the bathroom on a little table, filled it up with 80 L of regular tap water (had made markings on the inside), hooked up my RO-device, and let it run all night. As for temp, I used an old 300 W Jäger heater, set at the same temp of my tanks. The next day, when the container was filled up to 160 L with the RO-water, water changes were a breeze; hose with a water pump in the aquarium into the bathroom, and then refill with the hose coming from the container. Will be getting a similar setup again soon, this time from the washing machine connection in the closet of my balcony. Makes life a lot easier than using buckets and watering-cans.

As for the Prime; I really like it, but with Nano tanks, you neeld some smallish dosing needles/ syringes to get it just right, even though over dosing the stuff a bit doesn't seem to do any damage. With the powder-form, I can see that being near impossible, unless you use pharmacy grade scales.
Click to expand...
I did have something similar in mind :)


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I got two 25L beer bins for my 125L tank, one for gassing off and the other to empty. A little expensive but they come with a lid and 5L markings. Pretty heavy (well about 26kg) lifting them on to the tank to syphon. My lass uses a pint jug to fill it up when she does it). I just cut a hole in one of the lids and then drop the air stone into it. I've done the same with my nano tank but used two 5L asda finest mineral water bottles. I do the two tanks on alternating days dosing macros after the change. Best of luck and make sure you lift with your legs and not with your back :D
 
EnderUK said:
I got two 25L beer bins for my 125L tank, one for gassing off and the other to empty. A little expensive but they come with a lid and 5L markings. Pretty heavy (well about 26kg) lifting them on to the tank to syphon. My lass uses a pint jug to fill it up when she does it). I just cut a hole in one of the lids and then drop the air stone into it. I've done the same with my nano tank but used two 5L asda finest mineral water bottles. I do the two tanks on alternating days dosing macros after the change. Best of luck and make sure you lift with your legs and not with your back :D
Click to expand...
I have the beer bins too :) I was filling 4 of them to re-fill but to syphon I use a 3000 lph pond pump straight into them silicone type buckets in the back garden and the wife uses the water on the plants free fertz for her
I'm going to start doing the little and often as you do though sounds like a time saver to me... I think I'm still going to buy a water butt with a air stone thrown in and fill it in our junk room.
I do have float valve for a caravan aqua roll so i can fit that and leave water on a constant supply saves even more time
zuzuha8a.jpg




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For people saying dosing prime in small tanks can be awkward and you need syringes etc just get the smallest bottle of prime. The dosages for small tanks are in drops rather than ml's and the bottle has a built in dropper lid.


Works great on my nano tank.
 
I mix the Safe with a bottle with RO water and use a syringe to dose. With my current solution its something like 10g safe into 750ml bottle of RO water, then 5ml treats 7.5L.
 
EnderUK said:
Got a 25L bucket and an air stone, running it for 24 hours then do water changes three times a week. It actually takes less time to do that then do the big 60% once a week.
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Problem with this is it only removes chlorine and not chloramine. I lost count the number of forum posts I have read where people (in UK) have stopped using dechlorinator and gone over to using air stones couple of days before water change, then wiped out their tanks due to chloramine being added to the water.

Last one I read the guy lost £620 of fish due to chloramine being added to water and not using dechlorinator "as not necessary".....
http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/410456-22-aquariums-wiped-out/

This is the blog of him building his "fish house"
http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/385563-rories-fish-house-project/


I have had chloramine added to my water at home. We had a water main burst near my house, and due to possible water contamination during the incident and repair, chloramine was added to the water supply. We were notified with a leaflet pushed through the door (and lack of water....) that said should not use water in aquariums/ponds for a week. Further investigation revealed chloramine being injected in mains.
 
Not an issue with a planted tank, you'd have to ask some one else for the exact science but the choramine breaks down into chorine which gases off and ammonia which plants gobble up. Three fingers I read that safe does not have the stablizing agents of prime so you can't pre mix the batch.

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EnderUK said:
Not an issue with a planted tank, you'd have to ask some one else for the exact science but the choramine breaks down into chorine which gases off and ammonia which plants gobble up
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Not true. Chloramine is added to domestic water supplies as it doesn't break down and out gas, like chlorine. Chloramine, in aerated water will last days.
http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/chlorine-chloramine

Chloramine will kill bacteria in your filter as well, which is what it is designed to do, kill bacteria in water supplies.

Issue is, in UK at least, chloramine may be added to water, with zero notice to provide extra sterilisation to domestic water, due to supply "issues". Thus you should always dose dechlorinator, regardless, or suffer the consequences in the link I gave previously.
 
Couple of points/confusion here:
1. Chloramine is not always present on UK water. You won't know when until too late.
2. Chloramine will injure fish if not kill fish.
3. Chloramine will kill bacteria and will kill the biofilm present in planted tanks. Chloramine is used to sterilise things, so works well sterilising your fish tank, especially as planted tanks to 50% water change.
4. Seachem Prime will neutralise chloramine with its standard dose (unlike sodium thiosulphate where you have to double dose to neutralise chloramine) and does not release ammonia. http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/Prime.html
5. Seachem Prime doesn't cost much for the volume of water it conditions. 500ml will condition 20,000litres of water.

So regardless, at water change you add Prime (or equivalent), and get on and worry about other things like CO2 distribution, location of rocks, type of plants, type of fish etc.
 
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