Clean filters

[rodger]

Yea theres a problem with green tint in api test kits making it a false positive. Prime or safe are known to cause false ammonia readings. The reason why is a bit of an explanation but in a short explanation prime/safe and just about all water conditioners have the ability to bond to ammonia and nitrite when the dosage is at a high level, the chemicals in the ammonia test kits picks up these premature bonds leading it to think there is ammonia. But your tank is cycled and your fine.

Wrong. Those products don't cause false readings. They show positive for ammonia that was bound but rendered harmless by their product. Prime doesn't make ammonia disappear, it just makes it into something else for a day that won't hurt the fish. If your bio filter doesn't eat that in a day it becomes straight ammonia again.

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[DDK]

Wrong. Those products don't cause false readings. They show positive for ammonia that was bound but rendered harmless by their product. Prime doesn't make ammonia disappear, it just makes it into something else for a day that won't hurt the fish. If your bio filter doesn't eat that in a day it becomes straight ammonia again.

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Ok good sir ill try my best to explain this in a short fashion.

You are correct that it "makes it into something else" that wont hurt the fish. This actually a bond that is created from prime/safe to be detoxified until the bb can consume it. And that is what i was trying to say here.

The reason why is a bit of an explanation but in a short explanation prime/safe and just about all water conditioners have the ability to bond to ammonia and nitrite when the dosage is at a high level, the chemicals in the ammonia test kits picks up these premature bonds leading it to think there is ammonia.

But you are wrong when you say

Wrong. Those products don't cause false readings. They show positive for ammonia that was bound but rendered harmless by their product.

So lets break down into it and i can hopefully explain why your incorrect. If this was a nessler based test kit (one solution) then it wouldn't be the case and you would be right. But the api test kits are salicyate test kit which is a two step test kit and and gets its reading from combining two sources not one.

A salicyate test kit detects ammonium which is thre premature or "mature" bond that gives the API test kit the green tint. Safe and prime have addressed this many times and if you search you will find countless threads. The api test kit being salicyate based tests for ammonia and ammonium. Ammonuim which is the pre bond structure of ammonia therefore leading salicyate test kits to have the green tint.

Heres some reading if you have any questions for debate, it clearly states it on their web site.
http://www.seachem.com/support/FAQs/Prime.html

Q: I am using Prime® to control ammonia but my test kit says it is not doing anything, in fact it looks like it added ammonia! What is going on?
A: A Nessler based kit will not read ammonia properly if you are using Prime®... it will look "off scale", sort of a muddy brown (incidentally a Nessler kit will not work with any other products similar to Prime®). A salicylate based kit can be used, but with caution. Under the conditions of a salicylate kit the ammonia-Prime complex will be broken down eventually giving a false reading of ammonia (same as with other products like Prime®), so the key with a salicylate kit is to take the reading right away. However, the best solution ;-) is to use our MultiTest: Ammonia™ kit... it uses a gas exchange sensor system which is not affected by the presence of Prime® or other similar products. It also has the added advantage that it can detect the more dangerous free ammonia and distinguish it from total ammonia (which is both the free and ionized forms of ammonia (the ionized form is not toxic)).

 

[DDK]

One more ? Can I clean all my filter pads in my 3 canister the same day or should I do every other day.

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Just clean one whole filter every month and you're golden. Less maintenance on you and its more than enough to keep your stock happy.

 

[xraycer]

Just clean one whole filter every month and you're golden. Less maintenance on you and its more than enough to keep your stock happy.

This works for me

 

[pcfriedrich]

But your not answering the most important question, how much are you feeding? And ps you're not over stocked so i think your killing off your BB by cleaning it before they get a grasp of the amonia and nitrite. Just add some BB and problem solved.

That's exactly what I was thinking. If you have ammonia issues, you are cleaning your filters too well and probably too often.. I never really clean mine, just rinse them off in a pitcher of aquarium water.