Help fast

[jbueno]

Can prime go bad? I use tap water..i no use RO water but when I did I killed everything I put into my tank for almost a year. So now I'm back to using tap for about 6 months and haven't lost a fish till yesterday. I did a water change with treated tap water and the ammonia got worse checked my tap water with out treating it terrible like over 2 ppm after adding prime stayed the same. HELP

 

[Ryeseen]

All that kind of stuff does including test kits, water treatment, meds. They all do but most are a year or more.

 

[Convict2161]

Can prime go bad? I use tap water..i no use RO water but when I did I killed everything I put into my tank for almost a year. So now I'm back to using tap for about 6 months and haven't lost a fish till yesterday. I did a water change with treated tap water and the ammonia got worse checked my tap water with out treating it terrible like over 2 ppm after adding prime stayed the same. HELP

Prime isn't going to take away the ammonia it just detoxifies certain things in your tap to make it less toxic to your fish. If your ammonia is that high out of the tap then I'd suggest using distilled water or an RO unit.

 

[Fishanatic]

Agreed with convict. Call the water provider in you're reason, it shouldn't usually be that high. Ask them about it.

 

[Fresh2o]

Agreed with convict. Call the water provider in you're reason, it shouldn't usually be that high. Ask them about it.

I have found the levels in my water fluctuates. Lately it has been fine (0/0/0) but a few months ago it was 1.0/0/5 (ammonia/nitrites/nitrates). I usually test it every few weeks.
Sometimes chlorine levels are increased to compensate for elevated bacterial counts.

 

[jbueno]

Prime isn't going to take away the ammonia it just detoxifies certain things in your tap to make it less toxic to your fish. If your ammonia is that high out of the tap then I'd suggest using distilled water or an RO unit.

That is what prime does




Idk ive tried the RO...r there any special steps in using RO I don't mind spending the money its just I mind replacing fish.
I've been having good luck with the tap. The prime is about a year old and im almost out so im gonna get new bottle...

 

[jbueno]

is a .5 to 1 ppm ammonia deadly to fishes?

 

[jbueno]

That is what prime does

Idk ive tried the RO...r there any special steps in using RO I don't mind spending the money its just I mind replacing fish.
I've been having good luck with the tap. The prime is about a year old and im almost out so im gonna get new bottle...

The reason y I ask about the steps is bc my lfs personal has no clue about the RO except that is 84 cents a gallon lol

 

[Fishanatic]

is a .5 to 1 ppm ammonia deadly to fishes?

It will poison them, it will reduce their ability to breathe and allow less oxygen for the bb in the filter, can make them more vulnerable to diseases(due to the stress) and can even cause organ failure. Even at 1 ppm it can be deadly, and you will soon be seeing symptoms such as lethargy, loss of appetite, staying at the bottom, gasping at the surface, inflamed gills, red streaks or inflammation in the gills and more. You might also see that they might have clamped fins, so it is primordial to get the ammonia out some way or another.

 

[MurderComplication]

I'm just going to start with a story before I get to your issue since I believe it'll help a bit.

I bought a tropical semi-agressive tank on boxing day, taught my mom what to do so when I went back to University she wouldn't kill the fish. Came back on reading break and OH MY GOSH! pH was 5.6, I cleaned the tank and red debris came flying up! She had been over feeding and not changing the filter cartage. So I went out, bought an emergency API kit (I only brought a Nitrate one I use on my betta here), and new filter cartridges. When I went to go do my free water test at petsmart, they said it the nitrates were 80ppm.... and everything else was fine. Did it myself, Ammonia was HIGH, everything else was in a decent range. So, I did a water change (75% the first day, 50% every 2nd day until I had to leave). I managed to get the pH up to 6.8 which my angels like.

I also used a triple dose of Prime! Helped a lot after I read that tip on the back of the bottle.

 

[jbueno]

I'm just going to start with a story before I get to your issue since I believe it'll help a bit.

I bought a tropical semi-agressive tank on boxing day, taught my mom what to do so when I went back to University she wouldn't kill the fish. Came back on reading break and OH MY GOSH! pH was 5.6, I cleaned the tank and red debris came flying up! She had been over feeding and not changing the filter cartage. So I went out, bought an emergency API kit (I only brought a Nitrate one I use on my betta here), and new filter cartridges. When I went to go do my free water test at petsmart, they said it the nitrates were 80ppm.... and everything else was fine. Did it myself, Ammonia was HIGH, everything else was in a decent range. So, I did a water change (75% the first day, 50% every 2nd day until I had to leave). I managed to get the pH up to 6.8 which my angels like.

I also used a triple dose of Prime! Helped a lot after I read that tip on the back of the bottle.

Yea it turns out my prime is bad...its ok to have a lil, just a hint of sulfur but when u open the bottle and smell strong sulfur comes out throw it away and get more...I'm leaving it in fridge for now on... Thanks for the help.

Anthere question is should I change the cartage bc im using tap I use to not to when I used RO water