# Seachem's Prime



## leogtr

a highly recommended water dechlorinator that removes ammonia detoxifies nitrites and nitrates and provides a slime coat(shime coat for the fish?)

It says to use 1 capful for every 50 gallons.

I find it really crazy that a little cap can do all that in a 50 gallon. 

I have a 20 gallon aquarium so should I add half of the cap? I mean is it really that concentrated?

I just want my fish to be safe from any toxic amount of chemicals.

thank you guys for your help


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## aunt kymmie

Yes, it's that concentrated, and at the same time, up to five times the normal amount can be used in an emergency, so even though it's concentrated the risk of overdosing is small. I don't consider Prime a "toxic" chemical.


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## iheartshishies

I love Prime! I use it with every water change even though I don't have chlorine in my water. 1 little drop per gallon and a quick stir is all I add for my weekly water changes. I use it for the slime coat benefit to my fishy friends. I highly recommend the stuff!


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## badxgillen

*yup*

prime is good stuff ..i use it in fresh and salt..it alows for much more wiggle room especially in the begining of a tanks life when there are ammonia and nitrate swings.and a little bottle can treat 500 gallons so its a win win scenario.


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## Lupin

Expiration is indefinite.


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## Steph211

Is it really 1 drop per gallon? I've been wondering how to do smaller doses of it (I have a 20g tank). I have an eye dropper, but wasn't exactly sure how much to use. I know it says that the first thread mark on the cap is enough to treat 10g, but the thread marks are slanted, so that seems pretty vague. I tried sucking up that amount in the eyedropper and it seemed more like 15 drops. Is 1 drop/gallon really enough? Seems like such an imperfect science. I don't want to waste it, but I don't want to harm the fish either (with too little, sounds like it would be hard to OD on it). Btw, my tank is still (still!) cycling and I have pretty high nitrites. I'm doing daily or every other day 50% water changes and using Prime, so it probably can't hurt to do a little extra.

Thanks!


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## iheartshishies

I think the actual dosing is 2 drops per gallon, but I just add 1 drop to my water because it comes straight from the tap with no chlorine so I don't have that worry. With a tank that is still cycling it's safe to use a little extra. And if you are wanting to make your tank a little safer for your fishy friends I would feed a little more sparingly than you have been, and make sure to keep your substrate super clean. I have sand in my tanks and I only use the hose from the vacuum to go over everything lightly and it works better than using the actual siphon vacuum if that makes sense. Also, some foods decompose a lot nastier than others putting off high levels of ammonia which will bog down your biological filter. I would make sure you are feeding high quality foods to your fish as well. I hope that helps. It's a pain to cycle a new tank, but when it's done (and done right) you'll be able to relax and enjoy your tank with a lot less maintenance.


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## Steph211

Thanks! I am trying to be patient. I was wondering if I should be vacuuming my gravel or not. The guy at Petsmart said not to, while cycling, but it seems like a lot of crud would build up. So I've been doing it with every other water change. I'm using Seachem's Stability as well, but I would have thought that would have hurried up the process. Not so it seems. On the bright side, all my fish seem perfectly fine. My ammonia is now 0, nitrites are pretty high still, up to 5 even, and my nitrates are beginning to appear. Thank goodness for Prime and frequent water changes!

Thanks!


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## iheartshishies

I understand why a person would tell you not to clean your gravel, but I don't agree with it. I think the Petsmart employee was probably advising you to do it that way so your biological filter would be forced to skyrocket to keep up with the demand. In reality though, that's really not how things happen. Bacteria need time to grow and your fish need to be able to survive that period of time. It may (or may not) take a little bit longer to complete the cycle by trying to keep your ammonia producing waste down, but at what cost? Ammonia spikes can be immediately toxic to all fish, and extended levels of ammonia and nitrite will slowly poison your fish. This is why I feel it is better to build your biological filter slower over time instead of trying to force it to be stronger than it really even needs to be - unless you plan to keep your gravel dirty all the time... And either way a large portion of any biological filter is in your filter media. Yes it is in your gravel also, but if you only clean half your gravel or less each time you will be doing way more good than harm.


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## stevenjohn21

does this stuff smell really bad ? i was given a bottle that was thrown in with a tank i bought recently from craigslist and i opened the bottle. . . . OMG ! i nearly gagged ! the smell is horrible !!!! Has mine gone off or is this the usual smell ?


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## Lupin

It does smell sulfuric. Perfectly normal. Plug your nose when you use it.lol


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## stevenjohn21

Ok good i was going to throw it out thinking it had gone bad.


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## Steph211

That is the usual smell. It's disgusting, isn't it? I believe the label mentions that a bad smell is normal and I've also read on Seachem's website that the sulphur-like smell is completely normal. It's worth it though. It works great. I cycled my tank with it and I didn't lose a single fish!


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## Blabomb

Ever since I have started using it all of my levels have stayed in check. I will never use anything else.


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## 1077

I love the smell of Prime in the morning!


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## lorax84

If you are looking to dose prime on an amount of water less than 50 gallons I recommend using a 2-5ml plastic syringe. I got mine for free from my LFS when I was buying ferts, but you can purchase them at any pharmacy if you ask for an oral syringe. Obviously you can just eyeball it without hurting your fish but if you are looking to save a little money in the long run an oral syringe is the way to go.


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## stevenjohn21

I used this the first time today whilst doing water changes on my tanks, its been an hour now and when i walk into the room i can still smell it !


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## leogtr

stevenjohn21 said:


> I used this the first time today whilst doing water changes on my tanks, its been an hour now and when i walk into the room i can still smell it !


yess it does that stuff is crazy strong!


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## aura09

lol well if u stick your nose in it silly it stinks haha! (just smelled mine to make sure ) eww lol.


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## konstargirl

I love Prime. When I use this product, it made my fish very active.


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## Tomsk

1077 said:


> I love the smell of Prime in the morning!



Apocalypse now .. I love that movie! :greenyay:

Tomsk


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