Instant Ocean Conditioner

[JMorris271]

Have you tried and what are your thoughts about it ?

I am considering this for an initial fill and and the cycle.

 

[CStrickland]

The seachem brand is called Prime, and it adds an ammonia neutralizer. That's good because when chloramine is conditioned it releases ammonia, and because it's good to have around so that emergencies like a fish dying and spiking the ammonia don't crash your tank.

Personally, I'd start off on the right foot and use rodi tho.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Do not add anything to your tank while it's cycling. You need the ammonia to start the cycle. Once your ammonia and nitrites are down to 0 then you can do a big water change to get rid of most of the nitrates. But never use anything to get rid of ammonia, nitrites or nitrates during the cycle.

CStrickland is right its good to have on hand for the just in case down the road. But for start up for a cycle is a nono.

Also use RODI water by any way that you can get it, if you have to use tap water then that conditioner will get the water neutral and remove chlorine as well as other contaminants. But after it's started to cycle and you see ammonia spike leave it alone.

 

[CStrickland]

The products that buffer ammonia, like amquel or prime, do not affect the cycle. They convert ammonia into a form that does not harm stock but can still be utilized by the biofilter, it's the bacteria that gets rid of it. The conditioner just keeps animals from getting hurt in the meantime.

This product doesn't claim to do anything for ammonia anyway. I wasn't clear really, I think if your going to do this, you might as well get a bottle of Prime since it's a great thing to keep around anyway, rather than this one that just breaks down chlorine and buffers metal. fwiw the metal is still in the tank too, just a diff form. It's highly unlikely it would ever be unbound, I think a huge ph dip would do it maybe, but it is still there

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Ammonia is needed to start a cycle and create that biofilter you are speaking of if you neutralize the ammonia to begin with can't be created. The bacteria isn't there at the beginning of the cycle and ammonia is what kicks it off. So if you get rid of that ammonia how will the bacteria ever get started?

 

[JMorris271]

I have Prime already to kill the ammonia until I can cycle some floss for in the QT's. I got the Instant Ocean to take care of the metals and chloromine to do the initial setup only. The RODI is on the way. I just hate to waist so much water to get the product for that first fill. THATS about 700 gals down the drain. We are in the middle of a drought herein SC.

 

[CStrickland]

Ammonia is needed to start a cycle

Ammonia (nh3) isn't needed, ammonium (nh4) works just fine. Bacteria are perfectly capable of consuming buffered ammonia. Prime doesn't get rid of it, it just changes it a little.

@OP the prime you have will do the same thing for chlorine and metal as the instant ocean brand. It just also has the extra ingredient to convert ammonia to ammonium. Is your tank too big to buy distilled water? Or maybe even sw from an lfs?

 

[JMorris271]

160 GAL system 60 gal Qt's

 

[julie180]

Start with RODI. No substitute for doing thing right from the start.