# Sea Chem Prime



## kimon201 (Sep 5, 2009)

Is it true that Seachem Prime doesen't show up on most tests because it only turns ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites non toxic? Which brand can read it correctly if that previous is true?
thanks


----------



## Toshogu (Apr 24, 2009)

Please restate your question in a more concise manner. I'm not sure what you are asking.


----------



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

> A Nessler based kit will not read ammonia properly if you are using Prime®... it will look "off scale", sort of a muddy brown (incidentally a Nessler kit will not work with any other products similar to Prime®). A salicylate based kit can be used, but with caution. Under the conditions of a salicylate kit the ammonia-Prime complex will be broken down eventually giving a false reading of ammonia (same as with other products like Prime®), so the key with a salicylate kit is to take the reading right away. However, the best solution ;-) is to use our MultiTest: Ammonia™ kit... it uses a gas exchange sensor system which is not affected by the presence of Prime® or other similar products. It also has the added advantage that it can detect the more dangerous free ammonia and distinguish it from total ammonia (which is both the free and ionized forms of ammonia (the ionized form is not toxic)).


 from http://www.seachem.com/support/FAQs/Prime.html 

You will have to research to find out which reagents are in which test kits. If you want to know if your fish are "safe" (that you used enough Prime), you'd want the third test mentioned, if you are tracking a cycle and need to see the ammonia, complexed or not, you'd want the second test mentioned, salicylate and wait awhile. The API test http://aquariumpharm.com/Products/Product.aspx?ProductID=69 is of this type. Apparently, you'd never want the Nessler test. I'd guess that other products that make the same claims (detoxifies ammonia & nitrite), such as Amquel+ would have the same test kit issues. But because none of these products disclose ingredients, I can't say whether they use the same chemistry.

If you are doing a fishless cycle you could try just using sodium thiosulfate (in products that claim to remove chlorine, but not chloramine) for clarity of testing. However, if you are cycling a tank with fish I highly recommend Prime to help them survive the cycling and would even go so far as to tell you to use a double dose until nitrite are back to 0.


----------



## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

kimon201 said:


> Is it true that Seachem Prime doesen't show up on most tests because it only turns ammonia, *nitrates*, and nitrites non toxic? Which brand can read it correctly if that previous is true?


Ki:

Prime is basically marketed as a dechlorinate.

It will reduce ammonia to nitrites and nitrites to nitrates.

Nitrates must be removed by WC's.

TR


----------

