Any one tried Drs foster and smith packaged chlorination? Looks like repackaged prime, but 1/3 the cost.
Cost Effective Water Conditioners
- Thread starter RD.
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http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=25255
It appears to be watered down sodium thiosulfate, which is nothing like Seachem Prime.
Got a question. My water report says it has Chlorine at 4ppm and Chlorine Dioxide at 800ppb. I don't see Chloramine on the report at all. Any idea if Chlorine Dioxide gets removed just like Chlorine? I have been using Prime for years and it has been working but as my number of tanks grow I'm going through bottles pretty fast.
I just discovered this thread, and it was a great read.
I went to the web site for my water company and got my water report. It showed a chloramine level of 1.2 ppm. I had always assumed that they simply used chlorine. So, rather than use the cheap 2 drops per gallon chlorine remover, I went out and bought a bottle of Prime at my LFS.
I would have bought Safe, but the store did not carry that.
My big question now is, what happens to the all the ammonia the Prime makes "safe?" Is is consumed by the biological filter like the ammonia excreted by the fish?
If it is, can Prime (and/or Safe) be used to help cycle a tank and avoid the stress fish experience when the ammonia spikes?
I went to the web site for my water company and got my water report. It showed a chloramine level of 1.2 ppm. I had always assumed that they simply used chlorine. So, rather than use the cheap 2 drops per gallon chlorine remover, I went out and bought a bottle of Prime at my LFS.
I would have bought Safe, but the store did not carry that.
My big question now is, what happens to the all the ammonia the Prime makes "safe?" Is is consumed by the biological filter like the ammonia excreted by the fish?
If it is, can Prime (and/or Safe) be used to help cycle a tank and avoid the stress fish experience when the ammonia spikes?
Yes, the free ammonia is bound in a safe form until consumed by the bio bacteria. As far as your second question, Seachem also has a product called Stability that can be used to assist the cycling process, or one can do a fishless cycle.
Warhawk, I have a feeling you were looking at the MCL (max contaminant level) rather than the actual test results. Your residual chlorine is probably closer to 1-2ppm
Your right I was looking at the wrong line. My Highest level detected is Chlorine 2.02 ppm and Chlorine Dioxide 430 ppb.
From what I have read the chlorine Dioxide comes out just like Chlorine (aerating the water) but no idea how fast it will happen. I also would assume any chemicals that removed chlorine would remove it also but I can't find any info to support that.
First off not everyone is running an established tank with a fully established bio filtration system. (such as the person who just asked that question) Secondly it's not just about an acute lethal dose. Ammonia is toxic to fish, and even in small amounts exposure can do harm over time, to some species more so than others. It's also much more toxic for those hobbyists that have higher pH levels, such as myself with tap water pH over 8.0
For those that want to educate themselves further on the subject of ammonia toxicity here's a good place to start.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1546509801200053
Cheers!
