Prime smell

[Zander_The_RBP]

Hi everybody recently i started using Prime (great stuff smells bad) and according to my parents now my tank smells like sulphur. does prime cause a sulphur smell even AFTER its put in the tank ? if not what could it be ? the tank is still cycling and has an ammonia level of about 2ppm right now could that be the source of the smell ?

 

[Lupin]

Well, Prime does reek of sulfur. What substrate do you use? How long has the tank been set up?

 

[Sab_Fan]

assuming you are doing your first set-up, you probably used the most amount of Prime you would ever use, so right now the smell is probably at its peak. in future, you will use Prime only for water changes, so you won't be using as much and the smell will not be as strong

when I first used Prime, I was pretty turned-off by the smell, but it is no longer of much concern. and it's not just that I've gotten used to it, because on those rare occasions where I use more than usual, I can tell (and so can my GF)

 

[Toby_H]

At the regular recommended dosages my tanks do not have a sulfur smell at all...

During the cycling process there are a few things that aren't yet settled and could allow odor...

I would encourage your parents to give the tank some time to allow it's natural balance to take affect and reevaluate the odor then...

 

[trebor69]

I use Prime all the time. Yes it stinks Pee U

But once I add it to my tanks I don't notice the smell at all.

Prime goes through all sorts of chemical and biological processes once added to an aquarium. A cycled tank vs. an uncycled one should be a little different but I am not a chemist.

Read the Prime reduces oxygen thread for a good read and better explanation from Seachem.

I will also add....I have used Prime on new tanks that weren't yet cycled and I do not remember the water smelling....but its been awhile so I am not sure.

 

[Itsadeepbluesea]

I have used prime as well. It smelled really bad when you open the bottle but after putting it in the tank I never had issues with smell.

 

[Zander_The_RBP]

Well, Prime does reek of sulfur. What substrate do you use? How long has the tank been set up?

the tank has been up for about a week i am using sand as a substrate

i went down there this morning and it smells alot less

hmm maybe the sand it creating anaerobic zones ? ill try raking the sand

Edit : pushed the sand around with a gravel vac (turning it over) and no bubbles or anything came up and the smell didnt get any worse so its definatly not the sand which means its eitehr the ammonia or the prime i had my mom smell a bucket or water with a standard dose of prime in it and she said she couldnt smell anything so i geuss the odor might have been cause i used a little too much prime yesterday when i was topping off the water

 

[ward1066]

it will definately smell more when cycling, may get a piss yellow tint also. keep up with water changes every few days with prime and it will get better.