A Quick "Prime" Question...

[ArtesiaWells]

Without getting into the whole "do you dose the entire tank or the new water going in?" debate, how much Prime should be used to dose a 10 gallon when adding fresh tap water? The instructions, as we all know, because this stuff is so concentrated, say to use a capful for every 50 U.S. gallons -- so how much is good for dosing and treating a 10 gallon tank?

Sometimes, depending on how the stuff comes out when I pour, I use about a capful (overkill, I know, but I never heard of anyone "overdosing" with this stuff) or about a half or sometimes a quarter of a cap...how much should technically be used during a water change on a 10 gallon so it's actually effective?

 

[Laser]

Prime is very potent, you probably only need up to the first thread in the cap. Although I find that half a cap for a 10g helps me sleep better at night.

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Prime is very potent, you probably only need up to the first thread in the cap.

Indeed, I know; all it takes is one sniff of the stuff...

Although I find that half a cap for a 10g helps me sleep better at night.

So I'm okay doing a half a cap to remove metals, chlorine, etc. from the tap water?

Are you running a 10 gallon yourself?

 

[Laser]

Yeah, a few of them. I have a soft spot for bettas. Yeah, you are definitely ok at half a cap.

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Thanks a million.

 

[Uncle Dirty]

2 drops per gallon of water.....

 

[ArtesiaWells]

I don't know what that comes out to when measuring with the cap...

 

[Uncle Dirty]

Oops, sorry. My prime has a flip cap......

 

[boadams87]

Each line in the cap should treat 10 gallons

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Oops, sorry. My prime has a flip cap......

Oh, well, then that would make more sense! Yeah, I never got a bottle of Prime with a flip cap -- is that just on the very small bottles? I normally buy the medium sized bottle...

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Each line in the cap should treat 10 gallons

Thanks boad.

It's just that it is so hard to see the threads in the cap, especially in not-so-good lighting, so I normally just pour a bit into the cap and it usually comes out to be anywhere from a quarter of a cap to a half -- sometimes nearly a whole cap. I didn't think there was any chance of actually "overdosing" with this stuff, per se, so I just dump the full cap in the 10 gallon when I end up getting a full cap from the pour. I just wanted to be sure I'm actually putting enough of the stuff in the 10 gallon to eliminate the chlorine, metals, etc. from the incoming fresh tap water.

Do you concur with Laser's assesment that a half a cap is okay to use on 10 gallons as well?

 

[Alyxx]

I buy the big bottles of prime and refill a small bottle with a flip cap with it. In the future just pick up a small bottle and refill it with the bigger bottle if you need to do smaller doses. But don't worry if you pour a little too much trying to get up to just one thread in the cap, it is safe at very high doses. Also, a double dose is recommended for detoxifying ammonia, which can only be beneficial with the four goldfish in the 10 gallon for now.

 

[boadams87]

Thanks boad.

It's just that it is so hard to see the threads in the cap, especially in not-so-good lighting, so I normally just pour a bit into the cap and it usually comes out to be anywhere from a quarter of a cap to a half -- sometimes nearly a whole cap. I didn't think there was any chance of actually "overdosing" with this stuff, per se, so I just dump the full cap in the 10 gallon when I end up getting a full cap from the pour. I just wanted to be sure I'm actually putting enough of the stuff in the 10 gallon to eliminate the chlorine, metals, etc. from the incoming fresh tap water.

Do you concur with Laser's assesment that a half a cap is okay to use on 10 gallons as well?

Yea half a cap is fine.

 

[ArtesiaWells]

I buy the big bottles of prime and refill a small bottle with a flip cap with it. In the future just pick up a small bottle and refill it with the bigger bottle if you need to do smaller doses. But don't worry if you pour a little too much trying to get up to just one thread in the cap, it is safe at very high doses. Also, a double dose is recommended for detoxifying ammonia, which can only be beneficial with the four goldfish in the 10 gallon for now.

Thanks again Alyxx...

So, a half a cap or even a full is okay on a 10 gallon's water change?

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Yea half a cap is fine.

Thank you.

 

[Uncle Dirty]

Oh, well, then that would make more sense! Yeah, I never got a bottle of Prime with a flip cap -- is that just on the very small bottles? I normally buy the medium sized bottle...

I have the 3.4 oz bottle with a flip cap. I just got a new bottle but it didn't come with the flip cap so I just took it off my old bottle. $3.89 at dr foster and smith, it's $5.99 at my lfs.

 

[ArtesiaWells]

I have the 3.4 oz bottle with a flip cap. I just got a new bottle but it didn't come with the flip cap so I just took it off my old bottle. $3.89 at dr foster and smith, it's $5.99 at my lfs.

I didn't even know some of them came with flip caps while others didn't...

 

[Alyxx]

I didn't even know some of them came with flip caps while others didn't...

Just the itty bitty bottle. I wouldn't have one or know the small bottle had one were it not for having to buy a bottle in a pinch from my LFS. They sell the tiny bottle for almost more than I pay elsewhere for the big bottle, eek! $7.99 for the itty bitty bottle!

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Gotcha, Alyxx...thanx!

 

[FishFanatic88]

You could just buy a small bottle, use it all, and save the cap to use on the larger bottles, that is what i did, but idk if the cap would fit on the largest bottle or not.