Fish: Re: [tropical fish club] OK, Talked to Dr. Tim again....

Good ideas, Ray, I will see what my water tests at through this next week.
Each time I was adding Prime I was doing 2 tsp for the whole tank thinking
there was a high ammonia problem. So I probably have a high amount of Prime
in my tank.

Looking at my journal for the tank I first added Prime on 9-15-12
I added 3/4 tsp. to the tank.
Didn't know at this time how often to add Prime and didn't add more
Prime until 9-22-12...added 1 tsp to tank.
9-24-12 added 1 tsp to tank
9-25-12 added 1 tsp. Prime to 8 gallon PWC water
9-27-12 added 1 tsp Prime
9-28-12 added Prime with PWC
9-30-12 added Prime 1 tsp.
10-02-12 added Prime 1 tsp. PWC
10-04-12 added Prime 1 tsp
10-05-12 added Prime with PWC (Last day tank Free Ammonia read zero)
10-07-12 added 1.5 tsp Prime to tank, at this point the Free Ammonia test
started going up so
I started adding more Prime. Was told it isn't effective after 48 hours so I
started dosing the tank
every 24-48 hours as long as I had a high ammonia reading.
10-08-12 added 2 tsp. Prime with PWC
10-09-12 added 2 tsp Prime to tank
10-11-12 added 2 tsp Prime with PWC
10-12-12 added 1 tsp Prime to tank
10-14-12 added 1 tsp. Prime with PWC
10-17-12 added 2 tsp Prime to tank, ammonia reading continues to be going up

10-18-12 added 2 tsp Prime to tank, called SeaChem
10-21-12 added 2 tsp Prime with PWC
10-23-12 added Dr. Tim's One and Only, Nitrites are at 0 from this point on.
.
10-24-12 added 2 tsp Prime to tank because ammonia keeps going up.
10-26-12 added 2 tsp Prime to tank, API Ammonia at 2.0 and Free Ammonia at
2
10-27-12 Called Dr. Tim and he said tank is cycled because Nitrites are at 0
He advised to stop using Prime
and use a cheap de-chlorinator for the water.
10-28-12 PWC of 3 gallons, did NOT use Prime....used Stress Coat.
Water tests today after PWC with API:
PH - 8
GH - 6
KH - 7-8
Ammonia - 2.0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 25 - 30

So you can see there is a lot of Prime in my tank if it doesn't dissipate
over time.
So 10-26 was the last time I added Prime to the tank in any way.
I will stop using it and see if I get a zero ammonia reading at some point
in the future.
I tend to agree with Dr. Tim. It makes sense why the Nitrites are staying at
or near zero
while the Ammonia is staying high. But I am sure no expert like Dr. Tim is!
LOL!
Connie

-------Original Message-------

From: sevenspringss@wmconnect.com
Date: 10/28/2012 12:33:50 PM
To: tropicalfishclub@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [tropical fish club] OK, Talked to Dr. Tim again....

Connie,

I'm no chemist, but getting a zero ammonia reading (if you have zero
ammonia) may be the only way to know if your Prime is completely removed.
It's
effectiveness lasts about 48 hours, but just like any other chemical you add
to a tank, it would seem to me that once you add it, it's in there until you
remove it -- or dissipates through the surface if it's a gas. In the case
of Prime, its hydrosulfite salts probably change form as another similar but
uneffective compound, which may possibly still give a false ammonia reading
until it's removed physically (via PWC's), but maybe someone more familiar
with it may know better. Here's a case where you may want to call SeaChem
about this, to find out if the Prime remains in the water in another form
after its usefulness is gone. Then too, Dr. Tim may also know the answer to
this, and it's association with false Ammonia readings..

Once the tank is cycled, Prime is no longer needed, except with PWC's, and
is to be discontinued for the purpose of rendering Free Ammonia built up in
the water harmless. I don't know how you can completely eliminate Prime in
your water though when you need to add it each time you make a PWC.
Perhaps, if Dr. Tim (or SeaChem) indicates that after 48 hours, that Prime
will no
longer give false Ammonia readings, then all you'll have to do is wait it
out until after this time period, but I don't have the answer to this,

See what kind if test results you get after two days -- without doing any
PWC's -- and/or call Dr. Tim again to discuss this point and run by him
whether this water conditioner remains in the water as another chemical
after
its effectiveness is used up -- and still give false results then.

Ray

Ray</HTML>

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