Seachem's Prime- Ingredients?
- Thread starter AL ur Pal
- Start date
As best I can tell, Seachem does not reveal exactly what is in Prime, and that description does not say much.
Hydrosulfite is a reducing agent, so it is there for the chlorine and chloramine. This wikipedia page describes hydrosulfite reasonably well:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_dithionite
It may even be a weird (and iinentionally vague/misleading) way of saying that it contains hydroxymethanesulfonate, such as is in Amquel, or similar compounds.
Hydrosulfite is a reducing agent, so it is there for the chlorine and chloramine. This wikipedia page describes hydrosulfite reasonably well:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_dithionite
It may even be a weird (and iinentionally vague/misleading) way of saying that it contains hydroxymethanesulfonate, such as is in Amquel, or similar compounds.
johnd651
Member
just an FYI
the MSDS for prime is also very unhelpful
http://www.seachem.com/support/MSDS/Prime.doc.pdf
the MSDS for prime is also very unhelpful
http://www.seachem.com/support/MSDS/Prime.doc.pdf
The conversion of ammonnia to ammonium ion is just a pH effect, but ammmonia does not react with dithionite.
Does anyone know what these chemicals are/could be?
Not really but it is not the same as hydroxymethanesulfonate. Using hydroxymethanesulfonate in a product would infringe on the patinet rights of the inventor Dr. John F. Kuhns, under the trade name Ultimate sold by his company the AquaScience Research Group, Inc., where that name and product is didtrubted by Reed Mariculture under their trade name ClorAm-X. Khuns's, then sold rights to Kordon only, who then relabled it Amquel. There is also a distinct smell difference between the two where Prime has a much more 'Sulfur' like smell to it and a reason for many why it is not as popular as Amquel. Prime also has in it bisulfites, besides the hydrosulfites but so do others.
Mardle use things like Aliphatic Amine salts, hydrosulfite salts or sodium hydroxymethane sulfinic acid. Tetra uses Sodium hydroxymethylsulfinate ( different than "sulfonate"). Wardley ChlorOut, uses Sodium hydrosulfite, Sodium dithionite or Sodium hydrosulphite and Monopotassium phosphate. Other stuff found in some of these is Sodium formaldehydebisulfite.
Not really but it is not the same as hydroxymethanesulfonate. Using hydroxymethanesulfonate in a product would infringe on the patinet rights of the inventor Dr. John F. Kuhns, under the trade name Ultimate sold by his company the AquaScience Research Group, Inc., where that name and product is didtrubted by Reed Mariculture under their trade name ClorAm-X. Khuns's, then sold rights to Kordon only, who then relabled it Amquel. There is also a distinct smell difference between the two where Prime has a much more 'Sulfur' like smell to it and a reason for many why it is not as popular as Amquel. Prime also has in it bisulfites, besides the hydrosulfites but so do others.
Mardle use things like Aliphatic Amine salts, hydrosulfite salts or sodium hydroxymethane sulfinic acid. Tetra uses Sodium hydroxymethylsulfinate ( different than "sulfonate"). Wardley ChlorOut, uses Sodium hydrosulfite, Sodium dithionite or Sodium hydrosulphite and Monopotassium phosphate. Other stuff found in some of these is Sodium formaldehydebisulfite.
The ratio of ammonia to ammonium is determined by the pH of the tank:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-02/rhf/index.php#2
I don't think the ammonia binders are acidic or basic enough on their own to change pH much. They might not change the ionic status of the ammonia, for that matter. A real chemist might be able to comment on that.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-02/rhf/index.php#2
I don't think the ammonia binders are acidic or basic enough on their own to change pH much. They might not change the ionic status of the ammonia, for that matter. A real chemist might be able to comment on that.
AL ur Pal
The ammonia reacts with products like hydroxymethanesulfonate and gives a byproduct know as aminomethanesulfonate, which goes through normal nitrification. For all practical purposes see "amino" above ? That more or less means ammonia. A inorganic derivatives of ammonia is called an amine. Meaning, more or less, if Ammonia (NH3) looses one or more Hydrogens, i.e. NH2 or NH, it is called an Amine/Amino.
It is all explained here:
Chloramine and the Reef Aquarium
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-11/rhf/feature/index.htm
The ammonia reacts with products like hydroxymethanesulfonate and gives a byproduct know as aminomethanesulfonate, which goes through normal nitrification. For all practical purposes see "amino" above ? That more or less means ammonia. A inorganic derivatives of ammonia is called an amine. Meaning, more or less, if Ammonia (NH3) looses one or more Hydrogens, i.e. NH2 or NH, it is called an Amine/Amino.
It is all explained here:
Chloramine and the Reef Aquarium
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-11/rhf/feature/index.htm
Billybeau1
Premium Member
Hey, are you back up north buddy ?
HighlandReefer
Team RC
Send me some heat, lots of heat. :lol:
There is not heat hear either Cliff. I'm in souther Texas and it s 47 outside 
And winds 20-40 mph almost every day and if not that it is raining, like there is a big leak in the sky :furious: At night it has been in the mid-30's. Last year it was in the 70-80's and 50-60's at night at the lowest. I think we need to re-look a things and call this "Global Cooling" and no "Global Warming" :lol: Quite whining about a couple of inch's of snow and being cool 
or I'll send some northern Minnesota air your way @ - 25 F to go with that "tad" of snow you got :lol: Thursday, it snowed in every state, accept Hawaii. That means 49 of 50 states which is a FIRST.
And winds 20-40 mph almost every day and if not that it is raining, like there is a big leak in the sky :furious: At night it has been in the mid-30's. Last year it was in the 70-80's and 50-60's at night at the lowest. I think we need to re-look a things and call this "Global Cooling" and no "Global Warming" :lol: Quite whining about a couple of inch's of snow and being cool or I'll send some northern Minnesota air your way @ - 25 F to go with that "tad" of snow you got :lol: Thursday, it snowed in every state, accept Hawaii. That means 49 of 50 states which is a FIRST.
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HighlandReefer
Team RC
NO don't do that.
You are already sending maybe 6" more to us Tuesday. :hmm4:
You are already sending maybe 6" more to us Tuesday. :hmm4:
HighlandReefer
Team RC
That's exactly what I need. :lol:
Even a backhoe had a hard time removing some 3-4' drifts we had over the driveway. I just got out yesterday from the second storm.
You getting cramped yet in your road trip mobile?
Even a backhoe had a hard time removing some 3-4' drifts we had over the driveway. I just got out yesterday from the second storm.
You getting cramped yet in your road trip mobile?
