Has anyone ever used these products?

[pondmom]

I've got 2 fluval 404's and was wondering if anyone used these in their's.
Please comment on these products.
Thanks
http://www.petsolutions.com/cgi-bin/...022.130000&l=1

http://www.petsolutions.com/cgi-bin/...023.500000&l=1

[grimlock3000]

The Renew...

"Exceptionally effective carbon replacement. Controls ammonia nitrates, phosphates, and chloramine."


Chloramine can easily be dealt with by treating new water when it goes in the tank. Nitrates get reduced with water changes, so with good maintenence this will not be an issue. Chemically removing ammonia can actually be BAD for a tank since they good bacteria can starve and you could have to cycle a tank all over again. Ammonia removers should only be used in an emergency. A seperate phosphate remover could be used if you had really high phosphate tap water in your area.

de*Nitrate...

Again, nothing will substitute good maintenence. Nitrates should never be an issue on a tank that gets regular water changes and it not way overstocked on fish. A lot of people purchase products like these to avoid maintenence. I am not saying you are, but I think most people see these types of things as ways to be lazy

This also goes back to why many people try not to use and chemicals or speciality treatment items on their tanks. Constantly trying to mix up the correct dosing of various water additives and treatments can be more difficult on the fish because everything can flucuate during each water change. The only things I add to my tanks are water treatment for chlorine and chloramine, and one teaspoon of aquarium salt per 5 gallons of water. This works good for me, and keeping it simple also ensures that the fish have a stable environment to live in. The possibility of something going and changing the water conditions is very low.

[madasafish]

Hm... Yeah, why would you need to use these? If your tank's cycled, you should need to.

I might understand putting them in the filter if you're going to be gone for 3 weeks and can't sucker a friend into doing a water change for you . But otherwise, you shouldn't need any product to get rid of ammonia/nitrites/nitrates.

I did, however, use Aquaclear's equivalent of these products when I was starting out my first tank--I thought I'd adequately cycled the tank, but hadn't... Saved the fish. But since you know about cycling, you shouldn't need to use this kind of product...

I'd tend to agree with Grimlock.

[PK Tester]

Should a [acronym:6defea850b="Local Fish Store"]LFS[/acronym:6defea850b] carry these products? I'm doing a 5 day treatment for a body fungus and the stuff Im using has a bad effect on nitrifying bacteria...? I guess I could throw them in my eclipe's channel + my spone filter has a chamber.

[pondmom]

Thanks for the input

I didn't say I was going to use them, I just wanted comments if "anyone" has.
I always see them advertised and wanted feedback.

Frequent waterchanges and gravel cleaning and my ST (sodium thiosulfate) main ingredient in dechlor. is all I use too.
Remember~ it's always good to ask questions!!