Prime! The magic concotion??

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Hatachimog

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Oct 11, 2013
Messages
40
Hey all,

I just picked up a bottle of Prime to try out in my tank.
After a seemingly hopeless situation I'm hoping it will work.
If you aren't already familiar with my issue: I've done 25% water changes every other day for the past two months as well as a gravel vac once or twice a month and am still having issues with elevated ammonia readings.
I use the API test kit to test all my levels and ammonia keeps giving me issues (2.0 consistently )
I am going to try Prime tonight but I need to know is it safe to add while the fish are still in-tank and how long should I wait before retesting the water??
Thanks in advance!! ?
 
Yes you can add it with fish in the tank. Keep in mind it does NOT remove ammonia only converts it to a less toxic form for 24-48 hrs which means you still need to do water changes. You still need to find the reason your ammonia is so high. I'm not familiar with your full story so not sure what advice you've already gotten or the tank details. I would do a 50% water change, test the water again an hour or so later, if ammo is still >.25 I'd do another 50%. I would also vacuum at a minimum once a week , if the tank is big vac 1/2 one week & the other 1/2 the next week. Also have you tested your tap water? If not do so. If your tank isn't new have you added too many fish at once for the BB?
 
Yes you can add it with fish in the tank. Keep in mind it does NOT remove ammonia only converts it to a less toxic form for 24-48 hrs which means you still need to do water changes. You still need to find the reason your ammonia is so high. I'm not familiar with your full story so not sure what advice you've already gotten or the tank details. I would do a 50% water change, test the water again an hour or so later, if ammo is still >.25 I'd do another 50%. I would also vacuum at a minimum once a week , if the tank is big vac 1/2 one week & the other 1/2 the next week. Also have you tested your tap water? If not do so. If your tank isn't new have you added too many fish at once for the BB?

I tried AmQuel ammonia detoxifier and ammo lock before and had been told that those products don't work. And got several suggestions to use Prime. I've tested my tap water and it read at 0ppm within five minutes and even the following morning it read the same, 0ppm. Whereas when I did the recommended wait time of five minutes with tank water it almost before my eyes went from yellow to lemon lime to lime green reading at 2.0 ppm within five minutes.
I just got back from the beach for two days and all the fish are swimming just as actively as when I left. This is what baffles me, no signs of sickness or toxicity.
 
You may be getting a false positive with that ammonia reading. Fish should start dying at 2.0, yet you say they are acting normally? What kind of fish do you have? Also, what is the pH in the tank?
 
Use some carbin in what ever type of filter you have and give it 24 hours before retesting. If it has not changed you have a false positive.
 
Hey all, I just picked up a bottle of Prime to try out in my tank. After a seemingly hopeless situation I'm hoping it will work. If you aren't already familiar with my issue: I've done 25% water changes every other day for the past two months as well as a gravel vac once or twice a month and am still having issues with elevated ammonia readings. I use the API test kit to test all my levels and ammonia keeps giving me issues (2.0 consistently ) I am going to try Prime tonight but I need to know is it safe to add while the fish are still in-tank and how long should I wait before retesting the water?? Thanks in advance!! dde01

I had the same issue you had when I was trying to cycle my tank. I went against everyone's advice and went with the advice of my LFS. Stop doing water changes. Your numbers will spike. You might lose some fish. ( I didn't lose any) once I stopped doing water changes the numbers spiked and dropped almost as fast as they had risen.
 

Attachments

  • image-220165154.jpg
    image-220165154.jpg
    236.9 KB · Views: 69
  • image-1490806984.jpg
    image-1490806984.jpg
    240.2 KB · Views: 66
  • image-1543754008.jpg
    image-1543754008.jpg
    94.1 KB · Views: 70
I had the same issue you had when I was trying to cycle my tank. I went against everyone's advice and went with the advice of my LFS. Stop doing water changes. Your numbers will spike. You might lose some fish. ( I didn't lose any) once I stopped doing water changes the numbers spiked and dropped almost as fast as they had risen.

If i stop doing water changes that is like the polar opposite of what most are suggesting; which is to do a 25% change if not even a 50% water change every day or other day. hmmm, but its worth a shot.

by the way, where did you get your app for logging your chem levels? i've been trying to create one with Excel for my Mac but it just doesn't seem to be working.
Thanks for your help! :)
 
Use some carbin in what ever type of filter you have and give it 24 hours before retesting. If it has not changed you have a false positive.

Hi!
thanks for your suggestions. i actually have two carbon filters that i check once a month. i usually only change them if i detect an odor so that good bacteria can build. i'm thinking i DO have a false positive reading. i heard somewhere that there is another type of ammonia test that will rule out the false positive ammonia test. Any idea the name?
 
You may be getting a false positive with that ammonia reading. Fish should start dying at 2.0, yet you say they are acting normally? What kind of fish do you have? Also, what is the pH in the tank?

hi :)

thanks for your reply, my ph levels are around 7.4-7.5
i have 6 platys and 2 mollys as well as one pleco and african dwarf frogs.
every one is very very active and have clear eyes and skin. no signs of poor health! :confused:
 
UPDATE:
hey guys,
so i used the prime, and unfortunately it doesn't seem to have helped. i did a gravel vac last night and yesterday afternoon i did a 30% water change. I decided to post a pic of my Ammonia vile i tested as of this morning. Thanks again for all your help!!
 
heres the Ammonia Reading from this morning..

see my other posts to fill you in on my problem. :)
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2482.jpg
    IMG_2482.jpg
    166.4 KB · Views: 73
hmm, where do i look for that???:confused:

Well reach of the bottles expire at different times; here is when they expire after the manufacture date (not exactly sure where that is):
PondCare Wide Range pH Test Solution - 3 Years
Ammonia Test Solution # 1 - 3 Years
Ammonia Test Solution # 2 - 3 Years
High Range pH Indicator Solution - 3 Years
Nitrate Test Solution # 1 - 3 Years
Nitrate Test Solution # 2 - 3 years
GH Test Solution - 3 Years
Calcium Test Solution #1 - 3 Years
Calcium Test Solution #2 - 3 Years
Phosphate Test Solution #1 - 3 Years
Phosphate Test Solution #2 - 3 Years
Copper Test Solution - 3 Years
KH Test Solution - 4 Years
Nitrite Test Solution - 4 Years
Fresh Water pH Indicator Solution - 5 Years
 
If i stop doing water changes that is like the polar opposite of what most are suggesting; which is to do a 25% change if not even a 50% water change every day or other day. hmmm, but its worth a shot. by the way, where did you get your app for logging your chem levels? i've been trying to create one with Excel for my Mac but it just doesn't seem to be working. Thanks for your help! :)

I know. I was listening to everyone doing 50% everyday. I couldn't understand why it wouldn't cycle. I'm not telling you to do this but that's what I did suggested by my LFS (which is on tv).

That app is called aquaplannerPro. It's a good app for getting started and keeping track of your stock.
 
I vacuum'd my gravel everytime I did a WC when I was cycling. Maybe you have an excessive amount of mulm in the substrate, and possibly filter?

I had the same problem with nitrite, it was off the chart for weeks. Couldnt even get a reading because it was plum purple. Whisked out my HOB filter real good in some old tank water during a change, and my nitrite levels immediately fell to 0 and my tank has been perfect since.
 
I vacuum'd my gravel everytime I did a WC when I was cycling. Maybe you have an excessive amount of mulm in the substrate, and possibly filter?

I had the same problem with nitrite, it was off the chart for weeks. Couldnt even get a reading because it was plum purple. Whisked out my HOB filter real good in some old tank water during a change, and my nitrite levels immediately fell to 0 and my tank has been perfect since.

these filters have only been in use for about 3 months. i have two HOB's, the next time i do a WC i'll rinse them both out. but you didn't rinse the media right? just the unit itself? cuz i don't want to lose all my beneficial bacteria!!
 
these filters have only been in use for about 3 months. i have two HOB's, the next time i do a WC i'll rinse them both out. but you didn't rinse the media right? just the unit itself? cuz i don't want to lose all my beneficial bacteria!!

My HOB (single unit but dual medias) was only in use about 6-7 weeks before it was the cause of my excessive nitrite levels. I blame that on my poop machine Pleco. Like I said, my ppm was off the charts and one day out of frustration I did SIX 50% WC within 24 hours and it didn't lower my nitrite levels at all. Cleaned the filter and then my test vials were immediately clear blue instead of Barney purple to deep plum purple.

I disassemble the pick up tube and clean it thoroughly, and pull out the propeller to clean as well. The media bags I put in a 5 gallon bucket of old tank water and gently squeeze them and whisk them around. Turned that clear 5g of water to nasty brown. Whether I lost any BB is kinda irrelevant, since my situation improved drastically :D
 
Back
Top Bottom