HELP NEEDED : PRIME and AMMONIA

[tableau]

I need some help dosing my tank with Prime to protect my fish from an ammonia peak. It is a 30 gallon tank that has been cycled for a year and a half. The ammonia peak is caused by an alteration of the biofilter from medication and the addition of new fish.

The ammonia reading has been less than 0.6 mg/L for the last 4 days so I dosed the entire tank with Prime. This morning the new ammonia reading is about 1 mg/L (nitrites 0 mg/L; nitrates 15mg/L).

1) Do I dose the entire tank with Prime each 24 hrs until the tank is recycled ?

2) Does Prime affect the ammonia reading ?

3) How does it neutralize the ammonia ?

4) Is it possible to overdose by adding prime each day ?


It would really help if you could tell me what you know about this product.

 

[bob965]

Use water changes as your primary method of removing the ammona and just add Prime as an extra safeguard.

 

[tableau]

I just did some tests and discover that prime is totally falsing ammonia testing, at least when using nutrafin nh3/nh4 tests. It seems to explain why my ammonia level rose significantly after adding prime. When adding one drop of prime in a bucket of tap water containing no amonnia, the tests indicates a high level of amonnia. I do not know how to explain it ? Maybe that prime produces non toxic amonnia when neutralizing chlorine ? Maybe prime contains in itself a form of non toxic ammonia ?

Someone have an idea ?

How can I know now what is the real level of ammonia in my tank ?

 

[bob965]

I would guess your water supply is treated with chloramine. When Prime breaks down the chloramine, it produces ammonia.

 

[OscarRobinson]

Prime will usually give a false ammonia reading for the first 24hrs after use. What meds did you use and what was the addition to the tank? Most meds when used properly will not cause an ammonia spike. Not saying that its not possible, it could happen. Like stated above I would do water changes to alleviate the ammonia and just use the prime to treat the water you're adding. Good luck.

 

[tableau]

You are probably right. I don't think that the meds (maracyn 2) are responsible for the amonnia peak. It's probably the important tank clean up (50% water change + meticulous gravel vaccum) made after the treatment.

 

[TheCanuck]

why would you even medicate a tank?

Medication kills more than it fixes. Good water quailty, feeding habbits, and proper maintence should never lead to having to medicate. If these things are not taken care of properly the answer is water changes. Not medication, the outbreak is what you see, not what is actually causing the problem. Which would be bad husbandry of a tank.

 

[tableau]

It's easier in a 210 g.

 

[TheCanuck]

It's easier in a 210 g.

fish tanks are hard work, you have to come to terms with that.

You need to water change and keep up with water changes. Everyone can fall behind but when your fish get sick its a sign. Though there will be some cases of random deaths, only you can judge if you have been up keeping.

 

[dwilder]

while i do think most problems can be avoided by proper care even the top fish keepers have to med once in awhile