Adding fish and using prime?

[DamnPepShrimp]

I know its wrong to add a lot of fish at once, but I have a friend who is breaking down a tank and wants/needs me to take most of his fish, so there isn't much choice. So if you add a lot of fish, can I use prime to help prevent a spike? I just started dosing vodka, will that be a problem with prime? I will have to remove my carbon as well. I can also do massive water changes as needed. I can break some of the fish up into my QT tank as well, but its only a 30g. Thanks for your help.

 

[Ohiomom]

Are you adding them to an existing tank or to a new tank?

 

[DamnPepShrimp]

Existing and well established. There are already fish thriving in it (it's my 210g aggressive) and will be adding a few more fish to the system, more then I'd like but don't have much choice.

 

[Katmanblue]

What are the new fish? What are the existing fish? Can you find a LFS that will take them for store credit? Just an idea...

 

[Guy340]

PepShrimp. Need me to take a few of those fish off of your hands?

 

[DamnPepShrimp]

The bioload is pretty heavy as it is now, but nothing I can't handle. Couple large angel, 3 large tangs, wrasse and a large eel. My friend has a puffer, 2 tangs, small trigger, large angel and 5 butterflies. I don't think the butterflies will fit, but I'm considering adding the puffer, both tangs and the trigger. I'd love the angel and considered the butterflies but feel neither would do well and don't want to push the bioload.

So would prime help out? Is it ok to mix with vodka? What about prazipro as well? I will be doing large water changes to help with the added bioload. I have a decent skinner now, a modded octo NW200 and should have a msx300 soon. I'm not worried about the long term, it's more of the initial spike. I'll not only be upgrading skimmers soon, but tanks probably by the end of the year.

 

[bidny]

I would suggest Stability instead of Prime. But first ask the guys on the Seachem forum about the compatibility with vodka, etc.

 

[DamnPepShrimp]

Anything bad about prime? I don't know anything about stability? I have prime already, that's why I was going to use that.

 

[bidny]

Stability would help ensure more long-term success by increasing the amount of bacteria available in the system.

My though on using Prime would be that you would mask the ammonia and that the bacteria would not have a chance to catch up. As soon as you stop using it, the system would still have to react to the change.

However, you could probably use it and then start reducing the dosage over time. Just make sure not to stop using it all at once.

Stability would still be my first choice, but if you already have the Prime, then you could probably get by using this method.

 

[DamnPepShrimp]

Makes sense. I could just slowly ween my tank off of it. Thanks for the help. Now to find out if I can use prime, vodka and prazipro at the same time. Hopefully someone in the chemistry forum knows.

 

[bidny]

No prob. Ask the guys in the Seachem forum. They seem to be very knowledgeable and helpful.