Prime and Nitrates

[bidkev]

Seachem don't know exactly how it works but are convinced that Prime in large doses reduces nitrates. Anybody used it for this purpose and at what dosages ie how much prime reduces how many ppm of Nitrate?

kev

[frinkie]

Not to sure how it works either, but have heard the same thing before - on a side note theres another product by seachem avaliable called alpha, its the hot younger sister of prime - does the exactly the same stuff except its 5ml/300L so its more concentrated, very similar in price aswell. Is 50% more active (giggity) than prime aswell - but i'm not to sure what that means (maybe detoxifies faster?)

However its only avaliable at aquariums (general petstores won't have it).

Edited August 26, 2011 by frinkie

[nativecollector]

Not to sure how it works either, but have heard the same thing before - on a side note theres another product by seachem avaliable called alpha, its the hot younger sister of prime - does the exactly the same stuff except its 5ml/300L so its more concentrated, very similar in price aswell. Is 50% more active (giggity) than prime aswell - but i'm not to sure what that means (maybe detoxifies faster?)

However its only avaliable at aquariums (general petstores won't have it).

I thought Alpha was for saltwater/marine... I use Seachem Safe, seems to work well.

[frinkie]

its marketed for saltwater but its perfectly fine for freshwater use

[steve6610]

i've used prime, and it did lower my nitrates, i liked it so much we bought 2 more 500ml bottles, i add it every time we add water to any of our tanks, works out a little on the $$$$ side, but nothing compared to losing a few L'S

[The Tech Den]

Note on the FAQ's part of the Seachem site it states about how Ammonia tests generally do not work if they are a salicylate kit so is it actually getting rid of Nitrite and Nitrate or are you just getting a false read from your test kit due to the chemicals in Prime reacting with the test kit??

Seachem. Prime FAQ

[DeadFishFloating]

safe is powdered prime

alpha is the reboot by seachem of prime

I dunno how similar to the prime recipe it is

but I'd hazard a guess of very

should probably ask the rep about it though

the whole range of stuff that alpha is part of are quite good btw

[bidkev]

Note on the FAQ's part of the Seachem site it states about how Ammonia tests generally do not work if they are a salicylate kit so is it actually getting rid of Nitrite and Nitrate or are you just getting a false read from your test kit due to the chemicals in Prime reacting with the test kit??

Seachem. Prime FAQ

No, not false readings. Just thinking of ways to keep nitrates down in the big fish tanks...........2 @ 6x2x2. 1@8x2x2. 1x6x3x2............I do 60% water change weekly and am still between 20-40ppm. Just looking for ways to reduce further without dropping food levels

[bidkev]

i've used prime, and it did lower my nitrates, i liked it so much we bought 2 more 500ml bottles, i add it every time we add water to any of our tanks, works out a little on the $$$$ side, but nothing compared to losing a few L'S

Did you double dose mate, or more?

[ash]

Rather than using chemicals, If I were you, I'd be trying a DSB....

or increase the depth of substrate in your tanks, so long as it is fine allmost like sand.

I have a deep substrate in my display tank, no water changes for a long time and have zero nitrates.

quote from link below

One of the principal benefits to deep sand bed methodologies is the potential for natural nitrate reduction (NNR). The speed and extent to which a DSB can reduce nitrate in an aquarium amazes many aquarists… especially those that have struggled with nitrate control for any length of time through other means. The benefits to an established tank with the upgrade to a DSB are apparent in just a few weeks with potential for complete nitrate reduction (to “zero”)!

have a look at the link, I dont know why more people dont employ this method, because quite frankly... it works!

DeepSandBeds

another bonus is no need to gravel vac anymore lol

[steve6610]

Did you double dose mate, or more?

if they are high yes i don't quite double dose, just under, if its just a water change, i only single dose for the total tank lts,

i started using it after i lost 1 x L066 and found very high nitrates, we tested our tap water and found it was high so now we use it every time we add tap water,

[steve6610]

thats sounds good ash, but what about when you add water, my system loses about 100lts every week, so i'm topping up at least once a week, sometimes twice if i sell or move fish,

[bidkev]

Rather than using chemicals, If I were you, I'd be trying a DSB....

or increase the depth of substrate in your tanks, so long as it is fine allmost like sand.

I have a deep substrate in my display tank, no water changes for a long time and have zero nitrates.

quote from link below

have a look at the link, I dont know why more people dont employ this method, because quite frankly... it works!

DeepSandBeds

another bonus is no need to gravel vac anymore lol

No need anyway with big americans shifting it all the time. A DSB wouldn't work with any of my big fish as they're constantly shifting it. the 8x2x2 currently has about 15cms of substrata in one half and the other half bare glass. I may awake tomorrow to find the gravel where the bare glass is now.

[ash]

I use sachem safe to remove chlorine etc from tap top up water.

And even if any nitrate was added to tank with top ups the amount would be negligible and easily consumed by the denitrifying bacteria.

[steve6610]

your using chemicals in your top up water, as 99% of us do, so i can't see any difference to using it to aid in the lowering of nitrates,

and as kev said, the big guys will never let the gravel or sand stay still for long, but you should see our multis move their sand, lol, they never stop,

[DeadFishFloating]

I rarely see much reduction of nitrates in deep sand bed tanks until about the 6 month mark

[ash]

You could still employ a dsb externally as another tank or an IBC, with nothing else in except the sand or selected substrate and have it plumbed to your tanks you want to treat like a sump. Easy done.

[ash]

your using chemicals in your top up water, as 99% of us do, so i can't see any difference to using it to aid in the lowering of nitrates,

,

Eh?

Whether you use chemicals in your top up water or not is irrelevant. You are still going to have nitrates present as that is the final product of the bio cycle in your filter.

Employing a DSB will grow de nitrifying bacteria, to get rid of the nitrates.

[steve6610]

You could still employ a dsb externally as another tank or an IBC, with nothing else in except the sand or selected substrate and have it plumbed to your tanks you want to treat like a sump. Easy done.

but thats not possible for everybody, myself i couldn't warrant having an ibc set up with just sand in it, i don't have the room, but if you have the room its not a bad idea,

also won't work unless you have a plumbed system, lots just have single tanks running, not connected,

but i do like having substrates in my tanks, (well jules does) lol,

Edited August 26, 2011 by steveandjules

[steve6610]

Eh?

Whether you use chemicals in your top up water or not is irrelevant. You are still going to have nitrates present as that is the final product of the bio cycle in your filter.

Employing a DSB will grow de nitrifying bacteria, to get rid of the nitrates.

sorry i must have misunderstood your first post, i thought you didn't like using chemicals, my bad, ,

[ash]

Lol no worries... I know it's not for everyone, but I know kevs been battling these nitrates for a while now so if all else failed it could be an option to try if you had the room.

[DeadFishFloating]

I'd use aquaponics before I'd use a whole IBC.

then again though

I stock a hell of a lot more heavily than any sort of denitrate system is likely to be able to handle.

At best it can lessen my partial water changes

[steve6610]

no worries ash, i do know kevs tanks aren't plumbed, so its hard to do much with the big guys apart from try the prime, much like we have had to use prime, but you have given me an idea as i was thinking about using an ibc for a sump, but just don't have the room for another one, unless i put a heap of sand in the one i'm seting up for growing out fry,

[Steve_bsc]

Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't Prime bind the aqueous Nitrate/nitrites into a safe sulphur based compound?? Also from memory doesnt the bottle say it can safely be used at 5x normal dosage in emergency denitrification, so I would assume regular addition to a tank would help keep nitrates low.

Secondly, would the regular addition of live denitrifying bacteria like bio aid help?

[steve6610]

hmmm good point steve, i have used stress zyme+ for setting up new tanks, i didn't think about using it all the time,

just read the back, it helps to eliminate ammonia and nitrite, but it would still be a help,