what conditioners do you add.......???

[EdgarMedina1010]

what conditioners do you add when you clean or do a water change? (if you could be specific would be great)....thanks

 

[HannahJ]

I use NovAqua myself, but I know a lot of people are fond of Prime, which I've been thinking about switching over to.

EDIT- I said AmQuel instead of NovAqua; my bad. The two are sold together often, but AmQuel smells nasty. NovAqua is definitely preferable.

 

[tropicfishman]

I use dechlor form walmart ( does the same job as anything you buy ) kents ammonia remover for ammonia if its up and stress syzme

 

[EdgarMedina1010]

yeah just wondering what you guys used .......cause i use 'Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Stress Coat' : Product Information:
Acts as a liquid bandage to prevent the loss of essential electrolytes; protects damaged tissue against disease-causing organisms. Contains aloe vera to help heal torn fins & skin wounds. Instantly removes chlorine. Use when setting up a new aquarium or changing water. Use one ounce of Stress Coat per 60 gallons of fresh or salt water. info by www.petsmart.com .....is this a good one?

 

[QTOFFER]

I use Tetra Aquasafe. Stress coat is a good product too.

Keep this in mind if you use any conditioner containing aloe vera or similar ingredients: If you accidentally add too much (like double the recommended dose) you may see an oily film on the water surface. It's harmless and goes away with water changes.

 

[RoK]

Seachem Prime

 

[EdgarMedina1010]

ok thanks for the info and all the replies!!

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Prime here

 

[HannahJ]

Really, a conditioner is a conditioner, is a conditioner. One thing to be aware of, though, there is some debate about whether aloe vera helps or hurts fish. I believe there is one camp that believes it irritates their gills rather than do any real good. I personally would recommend you go for a plain conditioner--that is, one that conditions and nothing else. Unless a fish is unhealthy, it should be producing its smile coat on their own with no problem, and while the courts are still out on aloe vera's side effects, better safe than sorry, right? But it's really up to you and what you find suits you best.

 

[EdgarMedina1010]

Really, a conditioner is a conditioner, is a conditioner. One thing to be aware of, though, there is some debate about whether aloe vera helps or hurts fish. I believe there is one camp that believes it irritates their gills rather than do any real good. I personally would recommend you go for a plain conditioner--that is, one that conditions and nothing else. Unless a fish is unhealthy, it should be producing its smile coat on their own with no problem, and while the courts are still out on aloe vera's side effects, better safe than sorry, right? But it's really up to you and what you find suits you best.

wow...thanks i didnt know this....... thanks!!!!!!!

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Prime. It is true that a conditioner is a conditioner but it depends on how much you want to spend. Prime is heavily concentrated so you don't use much. 1 ml per 10 gal. It goes a LONG way. We used to use the Wal-Mart stuff until we got the 150 gal tank and realized how much money we were spending.

 

[Bhunsucker]

Prime

 

[Alshain]

TetraAqua but moving to prime when this bottle runs out.

Really, a conditioner is a conditioner, is a conditioner. Unless a fish is unhealthy, it should be producing its smile coat on their own with no problem.

I have to disagree there I'm afraid. Prime does more than just Dechlor, it promotes the slime coat. While the fish should grow its own slime coat unless sick, sometimes you don't catch the fish right away when it gets sick and it doesn't hurt any. Prime is somewhat inert so you don't have to worry about adding too much or killing plants and inverts like you do with salt. Keep in mind it is super concentrated so one small bottle will last you quite a while even on a large tank. A 50 gallon tank is treated with just one capfull.

 

[joannde]

I went through a bottle of stresscoat pretty quickly - then I switched to Prime. I didn't really pay attention to just how concentrated it is and ended up buying a 500ml bottle online then a 250ml bottle to "hold me over" until the online order arrived.
I have enough Prime for a lifetime now LOL
Does it have a shelf-life ? And how much worse does that smell get ???? LOL

 

[hulkamaniac]

I use Tetra's dechlorinator. When I started I developed the bad habit of adding all kinds of crap to my water. I'm glad I got over that.

 

[HannahJ]

Alshain--I'm just leary of products that seem to have add-ons without good motivation. After all, cough syrup simulates the natural mucus lining of your throat, but you wouldn't have a kid drink it daily as a precautionary measure, even though it is essentially harmless, would you? (That may not be the best analogy, I'm afraid.) I personally like a water conditioner that does just that: condition my water. I have a stress coat-type product that I put in when I think I fish could use it (a new fish, a big change, water temperature dropped unexpectedly, etc.), but I'm not going to put it in more than necessary.

I personally can't say anything on Prime, since I've never used it--the way it promotes slime coat may be completely kosher, without questionable things like aloe vera--but I think a less-chemical-the-better approach should be taken. I do believe this community is a fan of heat to treat ich and other such natural aides; eliminated other excess treatments just seems to be the next logical step.

And of course, there's the part of me that sees any product that promises to do more than it has to--heal fish injuries, produce slime coat, mow the lawn--and I can't shake the feeling it's just a bunch of snake oil. Really, though, I suppose it all comes down to personal tastes. We may have to agree to disagree.

 

[malkore]

nothing but SeaChem Prime to dechlorinate my water.

I see no reason for 'slime enhances' or 'stress coats'.

 

[TwoHobbies]

I use only Prime, and I'm sure you know....Joannde, the best use of that big bottle would be .....a very large tank, or looootttts of small ones.

I can't say the smell gets worse, I just go...wow.... every time I open that bottle, it doesn't seen to be getting worse, and mine's over a year old.

 

[joannde]

TwoHobbies - I'm working on it ! My husband found two 20Gs in the attic, so that's mynext project, - that would be a total of 4 tanks (5 if you include the 2.5G !). That Prime will STILL take me forever to use ....
And "wow" is putting it mildly ! I'm happy to hear the smell won't get worse !

 

[SCFatz]

I use AP's tap water conditioner...came with my kit.No complaints.