Water conditioner disaster.

[Cammywammy]

Well if he used EasyBalance made by Tetra Aqua I've found it lowers the ph by over 2 which if sudden can harm fish, especially stressed ones.

 

[Nimo]

But what's the correct way to treat? I have been told it only makes sense that you pre-treat the tank water with the Prime before the new water goes in, so the stuff has an opportunity to prepare the entire remaining water column for the incoming bad stuff of the new water (metals, etc.)...

So, if I have a 60 gallon tank, I have been using ONE CAPFUL and then about a quarter or sometimes a half more, based on the bottle's instructions -- ONE CAPFUL for every 50 U.S. GALLONS...

Would this be accurate?

Sounds like you ate getting as close to accurate measurement as possible. And I always add it to the tank before I put any new water in so that it mixes in as the new water is added. I also have a 60 gal. and before I started useing the syringe for accurate measurements I was also adding one cap plus a quarter to half a cap more.
I have 6 tanks going at the moment getting ready to add more so the more accurate I can be and possibly save a dose for another tank I do.
I think you are doing fine the way you are adding it.

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Sounds like you ate getting as close to accurate measurement as possible. And I always add it to the tank before I put any new water in so that it mixes in as the new water is added. I also have a 60 gal. and before I started useing the syringe for accurate measurements I was also adding one cap plus a quarter to half a cap more.
I have 6 tanks going at the moment getting ready to add more so the more accurate I can be and possibly save a dose for another tank I do.
I think you are doing fine the way you are adding it.

Thanks, Nimo; what I wanted to know...

 

[Coursair]

I'm still confused as to why people are treating the whole tank ? Sounds like a waste to me. I only treat the new water before I add it.

I have Crystal Red Shrimp that would certainly die if I added iffy water.

Why treat water that's already been treated and doesn't have Chlorine ? Sounds like a way to sell more product.

Hmmm

 

[ArtesiaWells]

I'm still confused as to why people are treating the whole tank ? Sounds like a waste to me. I only treat the new water before I add it.

I don't believe it's a way to sell more product; it's just the way Seachem suggests doing it because it's more effective this way...the water column has a chance to "prepare" for the incoming bad stuff in the new water...

On the other hand, I suppose it couldn't hurt to treat the incoming water as an alternative...I don't know; I have always treated the tank first prior to the fresh incoming water making its appearance...

 

[Nimo]

I'm still confused as to why people are treating the whole tank ? Sounds like a waste to me. I only treat the new water before I add it.

I have Crystal Red Shrimp that would certainly die if I added iffy water.

Why treat water that's already been treated and doesn't have Chlorine ? Sounds like a way to sell more product.

Hmmm

It doesnt tell you that you have to treat the entire tank. It says to treat for the volume of the tank if you do not pretreat the new water. It tells you either way. You either pre treat the volume of water you are putting in before you put it in the tank or treat the tank for the entire volume of the tank before adding new water.
So if you are only adding say 20 gallons to a 60 gallon tank you can pre treat the 20 gallons and only use the 20 ml thats nessasary for that 20 gallons.
Or treat the entire 60 gallon tank with 6 ml and just dump the new water in.

 

[Mcor]

For what it's worth, I dose the full tank volume too. And with regards to the smell, I have to get my nose virtually into the bottle to smell anything so I think that depends on the age of the bottle possibly?

 

[Congoman]

Agree.

Interesting; I've used some of their stuff in the past...which chemicals are you referring to of theirs that you don't find "to work" -- is it the water conditoner product, or their "SafeStart" biological builder?

I'm referring to safe start and easy balance

 

[Congoman]

Also you can do water changes two ways. Treat the water before adding to tank, or treat the tank. I treat my water 5 gal at a time just takes a tiny drop of prime. If your treating your water before adding to the tank it is unnecessary to treat the tank itself as it should not have any heavy metals or chlorine in it to begone with. My point being dosing prime in your tank is a waste at water changes unless you are having a serious nitrate problem.

 

[marsh]

I observed people entering a "soap" shop in Provence for a year in college and this made me remember how interesting the few "super smellers" are. Some humans are substantially more sensitive and attuned to their olfactory sense and they are able to detect far more detail from the air than most!

I wonder if you are a super smeller?? Can you detect pot from a block away? Lol. I met a super smeller who could!

Here, I love Wikipedia
HideDisorders of olfaction

The following are disorders of olfaction:[31]

Anosmia – inability to smell
Dysosmia – things smell different than they should
Hyperosmia – an abnormally acute sense of smell.
Hyposmia – decreased ability to smell
Olfactory Reference Syndrome – psychological disorder which causes the patient to imagine he or she has strong body odor
Parosmia – things smell worse than they should[32]
Phantosmia – "hallucinated smell," often unpleasant in nature

 

[ArtesiaWells]

I'm referring to safe start and easy balance

What, out of curiosity, didn't work about the SafeStart? This is supposed to be very much like Seachem's Stability, which has worked -- and did work in this last setup we did -- successfully for me in the past...

Keep in mind that these "biological system boosters" are just that -- they aren't supposed to cycle your tank for you, but merely give the bacteria a bit of a "kick in the pants" to do its thing once a source of ammonia, such as fish in a fish-in cycle, is introduced...

The "Easy Balance" I'm not sure of in terms of its function; if this is some kind of "water quality regulator," which Tetra seems big on within their marketing materials, the best solution here is regular and good water changes versus adding a "chemical"...

 

[Congoman]

What, out of curiosity, didn't work about the SafeStart? This is supposed to be very much like Seachem's Stability, which has worked -- and did work in this last setup we did -- successfully for me in the past...

Keep in mind that these "biological system boosters" are just that -- they aren't supposed to cycle your tank for you, but merely give the bacteria a bit of a "kick in the pants" to do its thing once a source of ammonia, such as fish in a fish-in cycle, is introduced...

The "Easy Balance" I'm not sure of in terms of its function; if this is some kind of "water quality regulator," which Tetra seems big on within their marketing materials, the best solution here is regular and good water changes versus adding a "chemical"...

With the safe start I tried to do a fish in cycle and ended up with sky high ammonia levels. I wasn't doing daily water changes just to see if the product would establish a biological filter on its own. I have never used stability but it is supposed to work great. I have used microbe lift nite-out and special blend as a bio booster but never to cycle, and have has favorable results especially in a nitrate overload. Easy balance is a gimmick for newbies. It is a chemical additive. IME chemicals are not good for anything living in your aquaria. It may treat whatever your problem is but it effects a lot more in your ecosystem. I have had nothing but favorable results with doing frequent ware changes and using natural means to buffer water. Chemicals are sold by conglomerate companies who just want to move product and don't have the interest of the animals at heart. No serious hobbiest would use such products.

 

[Congoman]

I'm still confused as to why people are treating the whole tank ? Sounds like a waste to me. I only treat the new water before I add it.

I have Crystal Red Shrimp that would certainly die if I added iffy water.

Why treat water that's already been treated and doesn't have Chlorine ? Sounds like a way to sell more product.

Hmmm

That's my logic.

 

[ArtesiaWells]

With the safe start I tried to do a fish in cycle and ended up with sky high ammonia levels. I wasn't doing daily water changes just to see if the product would establish a biological filter on its own. I have never used stability but it is supposed to work great. I have used microbe lift nite-out and special blend as a bio booster but never to cycle, and have has favorable results especially in a nitrate overload.

Yes, in my experience the Seachem Stability works if directions are followed (the seven-day treatment); Seachem states that ANY aquatic life can be introduced at ANY time during this treatment period without any dangers, which is a pretty big claim if you think about it. What I have found is, again, this product (or Tetra's for that matter from all accounts) is good for "preparing" a brand new tank for incoming fish with regard to shock and New Tank Syndrome -- what I normally do is let a newly set up tank run about two days with the Stability treatment started (and Prime dosing of course for the tap water) and then carefully introduce the fish, from there doing water parameter testing for any wild spikes and doing water changes as necessary. Once Stability has completed its seven-day treatment, I begin the weekly or twice-a-week water change schedule...

Easy balance is a gimmick for newbies. It is a chemical additive. IME chemicals are not good for anything living in your aquaria. It may treat whatever your problem is but it effects a lot more in your ecosystem. I have had nothing but favorable results with doing frequent ware changes and using natural means to buffer water. Chemicals are sold by conglomerate companies who just want to move product and don't have the interest of the animals at heart. No serious hobbiest would use such products.

Agreed, wholeheartedly.

 

[marsh]

Just added 1.0 ppm ammonia to an empty 29/15 to-be reef tank with 35 lbs branch and rubble cured base rock an some live rock from a cycled tank in the house.

Put a whole bottle of dr Tim's one and only in an hour ago and took tests since:
Amm:1.0
No2:0.0
No3:0.0
High PH: 8.1
Sp. G @ 77 degrees : 1.023

I hope to see a 24 hour reduction in ammonia, we'll see! Wish me luck I know we have some dr. Tim's skeptics. I will add a single healthy chromis after my first WC

Did a fish free cycle once in a freshwater 29 and raised my ammonia up to 5.0, I don't think that high a spike is really needed do you?

 

[ArtesiaWells]

I have Crystal Red Shrimp that would certainly die if I added iffy water.

But, see, that's what I have been trying to explain in terms of the way some of us treat with Prime -- that is, we remove our water during the change process, then add Prime according to the directions on the bottle, dosing for the amount of gallons the tank holds, and THEN go run the fresh water and return it to the aquarium where the Prime already had a chance to "take hold" in the water column...I don't believe anyone is saying you should add the new water WITHOUT the Prime in there FIRST if that's what you were getting at...

In other words -- I think what you're stating here above is that your Red Shrimp would die if fresh, untreated tap water was introduced to the tank BEFORE something like Prime was added, correct? If that's the case then yes, there COULD be some danger in adding fresh water to a tank with NO water treatment done whatsoever (though I really doubt the small amount of time it takes to refill whatever tank you have, unless it's RIDICULOUSLY huge and requires a lot of time to refill, would be of any dire, lethal consequence to the fish before you could get dechlorinator in there)...HOWEVER, what I am suggesting, and what many other Prime users do also, is that once the tank is drained of its percentage of water for the change, IMMEDIATELY pour in the Prime according to the volume of water in the tank and THEN add your fresh, clean tap water...

 

[Cactuspixie]

once the tank is drained of its percentage of water for the change, IMMEDIATELY pour in the Prime according to the volume of water in the tank and THEN add your fresh, clean tap water...

Yep. It's the only way to go if you're refilling with a hose. I buy seachem safe in bulk, so it its cheap and convenient to treat the tank's volume rather than go back to lugging buckets. And measuring doses for each bucket. Ugh! I can't believe I used to do that. Lol

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Yep. It's the only way to go if you're refilling with a hose. I buy seachem safe in bulk, so it its cheap and convenient to treat the tank's volume rather than go back to lugging buckets. And measuring doses for each bucket. Ugh! I can't believe I used to do that. Lol

I actually DO the bucket fill/pour in tub then bucket fill/pour in tank method STILL... It doesn't really take all that long; for example, to take out 50% of my water, which I just did today, it takes me about six trips to the tub and six trips back with fresh water (based on the fact that I almost fill up a five gallon bucket with water and my tank is 60 gallons -- so 30 gallons, at five gallons a time, would equal SIX trips )...and I still do the Prime this way (removing the water and then dosing with Prime before the water goes back in)...

You mentioned "Seachem SAFE" -- did you mean Seachem PRIME? Tetra's product is called SAFESTART...is that what you meant?

 

[Cactuspixie]

You mentioned "Seachem SAFE" -- did you mean Seachem PRIME? Tetra's product is called SAFESTART...is that what you meant?

Safe is Seachem's powdered version of Prime : http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/Safe.html

I have too many tanks needing too many pwc to do the bucket routine. As soon as I get the stand reinforced, I'll get my other 6ft tank up and running.

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Safe is Seachem's powdered version of Prime : Seachem. Safe

I have too many tanks needing too many pwc to do the bucket routine. As soon as I get the stand reinforced, I'll get my other 6ft tank up and running.

I didn't realize they made a powdered version of Prime...wow...see that? Learn something new every day...

What is the benefit, if any, over using a powdered version of this conditioner?