How quickly do chemicals like Prime work?

[nickhendrix007]

Recently got a job as the fish guy at a local pet store. The owner says I have to put Prime (or other chlorine, chloramine, etc etc deactivator) deactivator in new water and then let it sit for 24 hours because products like Prime "don't work." Well Prime has worked seemingly instantly (as it says it does) for me for years. Have I been wrong? Does water treated with Prime or similar products not work instantly, i.e. swish the water around with it and dump it into the tank?

 

[mistersprinkles]

Recently got a job as the fish guy at a local pet store. The owner says I have to put Prime (or other chlorine, chloramine, etc etc deactivator) deactivator in new water and then let it sit for 24 hours because products like Prime "don't work." Well Prime has worked seemingly instantly (as it says it does) for me for years. Have I been wrong? Does water treated with Prime or similar products not work instantly, i.e. swish the water around with it and dump it into the tank?

The owner is a very silly man.
Prime detoxifies chlorine/chloramine as soon as it's mixed into the water.

At the LFS I worked at we would just use the Python water changing system that hooks up to the faucet. Drain water out then refill straight from the tap, mixing prime into the water as it fills up. And we had fragile stuff like Apistogramma and chocolate gouramis.

 

[Brookster123]

Let mine sit for 10-15 min in a bucket, works miracles for my tap

 

[Delapool]

Been pretty quick I've noticed in QT, I guess it takes a little bit to disperse in a larger tank.

 

[nickhendrix007]

Yeah he said he's working on getting the python going. Right now I'm doing about 45 freshwater tanks with a siphon and 5 gal bucket -- almost all are 20 gals. I even mentioned about the apistos that MAYBE the 24 hours was needed for them too, but he said 24hours + Prime was needed for all

 

[eric1514]

The guy whose name is on your paycheck is right...always.

 

[nickhendrix007]

The guy whose name is on your paycheck is right...always.

Which is why I'll be doing it his way! Just need 50 more buckets.... Just wanted to make sure I haven't been slowly killing my fish all these years!

 

[mistersprinkles]

Which is why I'll be doing it his way! Just need 50 more buckets.... Just wanted to make sure I haven't been slowly killing my fish all these years!

I say just do it straight python to tank when he's not looking. Why lug buckets when you don't have to? Fifty of them? Ugh.

 

[Tieberion]

Someones getting a free Arnold/chuck Norris workout lol, 50 buckets gah!!!

 

[Rivercats]

I've been using Prime for years for everything including delicate fish and it does work instantly. I've kept many SA dwarf cichlids and used my Aqueon WC'r with Prime without incident. I dose the entire tank with Prime and turn the faucet on. So while you have to do things the way the owner wants at work you don't have to worry about doing that at home unless you just like to lug buckets. We do the 4000g Koi pond the same way during WC's. Drain, add Prime, turn on the hose. We have imported Koi that are very expensive and I wouldn't be doing it that if it wasn't safe for the fish.

 

[Laser]

It does seem logical to conclude that there is no way for the prime to reach equilibrium in the water instantly, but I imagine it's fairly quick. I personally feel that without sustained exposure to chlorine in its toxic state it cannot damage the fish. This could be a bad analogy, but you can you put your hand close to a flame for a time before it causes any damage.

 

[mistersprinkles]

I've been using Prime for years for everything including delicate fish and it does work instantly. I've kept many SA dwarf cichlids and used my Aqueon WC'r with Prime without incident. I dose the entire tank with Prime and turn the faucet on. So while you have to do things the way the owner wants at work you don't have to worry about doing that at home unless you just like to lug buckets. We do the 4000g Koi pond the same way during WC's. Drain, add Prime, turn on the hose. We have imported Koi that are very expensive and I wouldn't be doing it that if it wasn't safe for the fish.

Could you start a thread with pictures of your pond and Koi? I'd love to see it. Sorry for threadcrapping.

 

[Rivercats]

Could you start a thread with pictures of your pond and Koi? I'd love to see it. Sorry for threadcrapping.

Just click on the signature link of Rivercats 220g planted at the bottom of the
post and it will take you to my albums which one is of the pond.

As for the Prime working instantly, I believe it works as soon as it encounters chlorine, etc., as it disperses throughout the tank. I change 100g of water from the 220g weekly and literally dump the proper amount of Prime in the tank and turn the WC'r hose on high to quickly add 100g of water in.

 

[ashleynicole]

I use a water changer, add the prime to the tank while refilling with fresh water from the tank. For water changes less than 10 percent you dont need dechlorinator at all.

Water sitting in a bucket for 24 hours doesnt need dechlorinator either. That's the old fashioned way of dechlorinating tapwater.

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[Rivercats]

All tap water added to a tank should be declorinated as your adding chlorine, etc., to the tank. It doesn't matter if it's under 30% of a WC or not since you don't want chlorine and such added to the tank even in small amounts. I surely wouldn't add 60 gallons (which is under 30%) of untreated tap water to my 220g.

 

[ashleynicole]

Chlorine naturally dissapates when exposed to open air. Small amounts of chlorine in a very small water change would naturally disspate through the filter in minutes. I never add dechlor when topping off.

If you have chloramine or a high concentration of heavy metals you would need a water conditioner that takes care of those things.

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[Rivercats]

Most people do not know what is in their tap water and chloramines is an issue with tap water not just chlorine. Topping off water is much different than a 30% or less water change. I use RO water for top offs but used to use Prime even for small amounts of top off water as a safety precaution. It's always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to our fish/shrimp/etc. If you feel comfortable doing it this way that is perfectly fine but this type of information can be very confusing to those new to the hobby and can give them the false impression that they don't need to use a dechlorinator for smaller amounts of water changes or top offs. Unless a person knows exactly what is in their tap water I would not recommend not using a declor product. Plus tap water chemicals can change at any given time which can also have a negative impact on tank water.

*** Always be safe and use the proper declorinator product in tap water during water changes and top offs to ensure your stock is not exposed to any chemicals that could cause health issues. The small cost of using such a product is worth keeping stock protected.

 

[ashleynicole]

You can call your local water supplier and by law they must provide you with a water analysis on request at no additional charge.


And I meant 10 percent or less, not 30 percent.


I never add dechlorinator when topping off and I've never had an issue.

I am not giving any misinformation. I am sharing facts.

Edit- also cholramines actually have a half life of about 12 hours so theoretically you could leave water with chloramines out to offgass over a period of about 7 days, although this is not very practical.


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[ashleynicole]

Oops, double post.

 

[Rivercats]

Never said you were giving out misinformation if you read my post. "this type of information can be very confusing to those new to the hobby and can give them the false impression that they don't need to use a dechlorinator for smaller amounts of water changes or top offs. Unless a person knows exactly what is in their tap water I would not recommend not using a declor product."

You simply stated your information and I countered why I don't agree with it. Nothing to get up in arms about as the more information a person is given the better equipped they are to make an educated decision about what they do. This is what the forum is here for.