SeaChem "prime" any good?

[CStrickland]

Your welcome.
Do you know what the lfs uses for topoffs? Many stores here will sell rodi filtered water. Maybe they would let you buy some topoff water from their system? If you do it this way you should buy a tds reader to measure the purity of the water, just in case their filters become exhausted.

If you do get your own rodi, there are styles that partially filter the water to make it safe to drink and a switch that you flip to send the water through another super-filter when you are filling tank. An arrangement like that could save a lot of money you currently spend buying drinking water.

 

[Reef Frog]

I am QT'ing 3 fish right now so have a bottle handy & just read the label again. It actually says that "It detoxifies nitrites & nitrates, allowing the tank's bio filter to more easily remove them." It makes a similar claim with ammonia. The label also endorses its use during the cycle. Hmm.

I have always agreed with the idea expressed above that it shouldn't be used during a cycle as it's almost always better to just let nature to take its course. Not sure how this detoxification& uptake by bacteria is accomplished on the molecular level or if it's just some kind of marketing jibber jabber.

The label also states it promotes & enhances the production of the "slime coat" in fish. Double hmm. Why's that? Excess slimming is a reaction to irritants, no? Is this a benefit?

Despite these questions I must say it is indeed a good and essential product to have. I saw it save a QT'd fish right before my eyes. I had to set up a new observational QT on short notice (LFS fot a fish on my list while my main QT was in use). This was about 6 weeks ago. It was only 5 gallons & I was certain I had enough seasoned LR rubble & sponges to handle the waste of this tiny Possum Wrasse. Ammonia was zero for a few days & all was well. Well, one morning the little wrasse was sideways trapped by the flow from the HOB filter intake grill. It was listless. Administered Prime & the fish recovered right before my eyes. It took about 15 minutes to do an ~80% water change and the fish was just fine. It will be going into my display shortly. BTW ammonia had tested between 1 & 2 mg/L. I was extremely lucky as I'm sure it would have perished in a couple of hours had I not noticed it.

 

[roostertech]

I use Prime on tap water for my FW tank. As I understand it, the detoxification is temporarily, to give your filtration a chance to catch up. It does not remove ammonia/nitrite/nitrate and your water will revert back to previous condition as soon as Prime binding wears off (in 24-48 hrs).

 

[NguntalKawat]

Your welcome.
Do you know what the lfs uses for topoffs? Many stores here will sell rodi filtered water. Maybe they would let you buy some topoff water from their system? If you do it this way you should buy a tds reader to measure the purity of the water, just in case their filters become exhausted.

If you do get your own rodi, there are styles that partially filter the water to make it safe to drink and a switch that you flip to send the water through another super-filter when you are filling tank. An arrangement like that could save a lot of money you currently spend buying drinking water.

Most of the LFSes have an RO/DI unit, so I assume every shopkeeper would use the RO/DI water to do the top-offs, although I haven't asked whether they sell it or not. :beachbum:

Yes, I think I'm gonna get my own RO/DI unit. I don't really understand about the specs though, typical RO/DI unit sold by the vendor consists of 4 - 8 steps of purifying, they cost around $120 - $200 and are Chinese made, and yes, most household who has them also use it as drinking water supply. By the way, what's the super-filter that you mentioned?

 

[Reef Frog]

I use Prime on tap water for my FW tank. As I understand it, the detoxification is temporarily, to give your filtration a chance to catch up. It does not remove ammonia/nitrite/nitrate and your water will revert back to previous condition as soon as Prime binding wears off (in 24-48 hrs).

This is interesting - never heard this before. It's not on the label but I am not saying it's not true.

But I always assumed there is a limit of what a given amount can absorb/bind. And fish will continue releasing ammonia to the point of overcoming and exceeding the ability of the product in your tank to bind it. Unless more is continually added to keep up with production. The label states some maximum amounts to use for certain scenarios.

 

[CStrickland]

By the way, what's the super-filter that you mentioned?

Oh, just the di resin. Rodi goes through 4 stages no matter how complicated the system. 1) a sediment filter removes big chunks; 2) a carbon filter polishes the water and soaks up other stuff like chlorine that might damage the membrane in the next stage; 3) the ro membrane takes most of the non-water out; 4) the di resin soaks up the last bits. Each of the 4 jobs is a little different, and the di is what makes the water perfectly clean for a reef, as measured by zero "tds." That's uneccesary for drinking, so units that make both skip the di until it is needed.

The units that have many stages are sometimes needed for different water supplies. Like here in the US, some cities put a lot of chloramine to disinfect the water, but that is very damaging to the membrane. So those residents might have 2 carbon filters for extra security, as membranes are expensive but last a long time if well cared for, and carbon is cheap.

The three stage units lack a di, making them less acceptable for a reef. One reason is because the di removes copper which is fine for drinking but bad for tanks even in very small amounts.

 

[NguntalKawat]

Oh, just the di resin. Rodi goes through 4 stages no matter how complicated the system. 1) a sediment filter removes big chunks; 2) a carbon filter polishes the water and soaks up other stuff like chlorine that might damage the membrane in the next stage; 3) the ro membrane takes most of the non-water out; 4) the di resin soaks up the last bits. Each of the 4 jobs is a little different, and the di is what makes the water perfectly clean for a reef, as measured by zero "tds." That's uneccesary for drinking, so units that make both skip the di until it is needed.

The units that have many stages are sometimes needed for different water supplies. Like here in the US, some cities put a lot of chloramine to disinfect the water, but that is very damaging to the membrane. So those residents might have 2 carbon filters for extra security, as membranes are expensive but last a long time if well cared for, and carbon is cheap.

The three stage units lack a di, making them less acceptable for a reef. One reason is because the di removes copper which is fine for drinking but bad for tanks even in very small amounts.

I just realized that what sales people sell around here isn't even an RO/DI. It lacks the DI resin like you said. The fourth cartridge is commonly a post-carbon.

 

[jayball]

I just realized that what sales people sell around here isn't even an RO/DI. It lacks the DI resin like you said. The fourth cartridge is commonly a post-carbon.

The post carbon filter is usually there in drinking systems to eliminate any remaining taste. It does nothing when using it for reef top off or waterchange water.