Seachem Prime killing my Plecos!!!

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sterlingtjones

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 11, 2010
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Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
I moved into a new apartment a month ago.

I moved two tanks, 125 gal and 55 gal.

I have many different plecos in each and some fish.

Since I moved I have been using prime.


I have been doing 50% water changes and make sure the temperature matches.

I use a python and add the measured amount of prime to the tank after the water is filled.

Every water change I have been loosing plecos, right after water change or shortly after.

They looked stressed and then die, some just die right away.

I have lost $350 of plecos!

My other fish, congo tetras haven't been affected.


I never had a problem using Big Als's Conditioner, which I used before for years in this same way.

It's either a problem with the new water in this apt or with prime.

I really don't want loose anymore fish.

Right now I think Prime is what is killing them.
 
Your water change amount is what is killing them. 50% is far too much for plecos. This is what causes the stress you are seeing, and depending on your bio load, this could be a pretty dramatic change in water parameters over a short period. Plecos do better with small water changes than larger ones.
 
Sorry for your loss. I've never heard of prime killing any fish. I've used it for many years with no problems. I think you may need to check your water params...and why do 50% wc's? 20-30% is more than enough in most tanks.
 
Ive never heard of prime doing that either.... Are you 100% sure your tank is cycled? some of your bacteria could have been destroyed during the move. A month is a fairly fast cycle.
 
Before I moved I was always doing 50% water changes with Big Al's Water conditioner. I never had any problems.

It's possible the tank isn't fully cycled, but why would this cause my fish only to die on a water change?

I have been testing the water often and nitrates were getting to about 20 before I changed the water last. Ammonia and Nitrites have been 0.

I have been sending Seachem some info to see they could help..

here is what I last sent them:

"I only have 3 plecos in the 125 gal and its a barebottom tank.
I replace around 50 gals from that tank and put in one capfull of prime.

No fish in the 125 gal have died or appear stressed during or after water change.


In the 55 gal tank I have eco-complete as the substrate.
I replace around 50% and put in half a cupfull of prime.
All my loses happen in this tank but the plecos are much younger and smaller. (2-4 inches)

I slowly put the water in using my python and right after I pour in the prime slowly in different areas with powerheads on.

I have my filters off until 5 mins after adding the prime.

I never add anything else to the tank, no fertilizers or conditioners or medications.. just the Prime.

I live very close to where I used to live before, same city water.
The ph of the tap water appears to be a bit higher, it' 7.6.
The ph of the tank is just under 7.

In both tanks I am using a bit of crushed coral in the filters as a ph buffer.
In the tanks the gh is soft and the kh is moderate, it matches the tap water.
I also have activated carbon in my filters.

Since I moved there has been a recent heat wave the whole month.

The temps in my tanks are high, 87 F, all month they temp has been between 84F and 87F

I am very diligent about replacing the water with same temp and checking my digital heaters to make sure things have matched.


I have changed my water 4 times , once a week. Only once nothing died, every other time many loses and they were all plecos.

The kind of plecos I have lost are Green Phantoms, Adonis, Busynose, Chocolate zebra, Golden Nugget. The totally amount of deaths has been 8.

I have had most of these plecos for 4 months, only now I have had problems, with death and water change, since using Prime and moving."
 
High temp=low o2, most plecos don't survive low o2 well, plus the high stress situation is just a bad mix.
 
My losses are coming from the 55 gals and in there I have..
two filters: Rena Filstar 3 and a Eheim Classic 2213
two powerheads: MaxiJet 1200 and a MaxiJet900

The powerheads have forced air injection.
The 1200 is pointed down and 900 up.

Lots of fine bubbles disappearing into the water before they reach the surface.
 
Perhaps it is the overall stress that is killing them and the water change that I am used to giving them at 50% they can't handle that on top of everything else.

I shall try doing water changes of 20%.

Thanks for all your help.


But in regards to my forced air injection and pointing powerhead down.. is there a such thing as too much bubbles for plecos? I read something about gasbubble disease, but don't know if its real or if plecos can be ill affected by it.
 
I always add Prime before filling with water, not after topping up.
 
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