# Water Conditioner



## username321 (Jun 26, 2007)

I am currently using Top Fin's Water conditioner. however, i ran out of it recently. Before buying another bottle, i wanted to know if there are other superior products which you guys would recommend for conditioning the water.

Thanks,
UN321


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## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

Prime is very good.


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## Dr_House (Aug 15, 2006)

Nearly every fish-keeper that I respect uses Seachem Prime. They list a plethora of reasons, none of which I can recall right now. I use it for 2 reasons:

1. The people who I respect using it
2. Because it is concentrated, it is actually cheaper than most water conditioners. 1 capful treats 50 gallons, rather than 10.


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## username321 (Jun 26, 2007)

thanks dr_house and mousey. I think i read somewhere that prime also removes the ammonia from the tank, therby starving the bacteria. Can someone please verify this? Most likely i remember wrong!!!


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## Guest (Jul 14, 2007)

prime is a good product, i personally think it smells bad and is more expensive than you need to spend. i use genesis, if you can find that its a good product and its WAY cheap.


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## Guest (Jul 14, 2007)

I use Stress Coat because it dechlorinates water as well as aiding in keeping the fishes' mucus coats healthy. To each his own.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

> I think i read somewhere that prime also removes the ammonia from the tank, therby starving the bacteria


 No, it "detoxifies" the ammonia and nitrite, it is still available for the bacteria, but it is less likely to kill your fish. For this reason I always recommend Prime to noobs. (note: Prime is great for cycling and shipping, but it doesn't replace water changes). Ammocarb take the ammonia totally out of the water, thereby saving the fish, but starving the biology and disrupting the cycle. I keep using Prime because .5 mL treats 5 gallons and every time I price it out, Prime wins. Also, I trust Seachem and Prime has a long shelf life (those little black spots keep the solution level constant) it doesn't settle and doesn't seem to affect pH. I do think it can affect some ammonia test results. And yes, it does stink like sulfer.


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## Apotheosis (Jul 2, 2007)

Most fishkeepers use prime. Other brands will definitely work though.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I've used top fin, its fine. But where I live Prime is 2x the $, & treats 5x the water. You do need a pipette to measure it or end up wasting it.


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## username321 (Jun 26, 2007)

thanks guys for your replies. I think I will go and buy myself a bottle of prime. I have a dropper that measure in increments of .5ml. i was also told that if one has hard water, you would need to add double the recommended dosage. is that true?


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## Reefneck (Oct 15, 2005)

While I have nothing against "Prime" I prefer "Stress Coat" for freshwater. I buy it by the gallons for my African breeding rooms. Have used it for over 15 years. I love it.

Prime is the best for saltwater over Stress Coat because it does not contain Aloe Vera which makes skimmers go crazy. Prime does not cause that plus has the added benefit of detoxifying ammonia.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Nothing on the label about hard water needing a higher dose. Maybe if your water supplier ODs the chloramine. The 2x dose is safe, but I don't think you need it. Seachem's labeling is usually spot on.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

I use novaqua plus. I like it. You don't need much and while it does help with the slime coat it does not use aloevera, which also can coat the gills which is not good for the fish. So it makes a good coat without the downside.


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## username321 (Jun 26, 2007)

thanks for all your responses guys!


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

To throw a monkeywrench into the works, I no longer use any water conditioners on my fw tanks.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

lol, do plants dechlor or do you have well water?


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

technically i could get away with that if i were willing to put my water out overnight because our water company does not use chloramine, just chlorine which will dissipate out on its own. I still wouldn't do it though LOL.


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## Guest (Jul 14, 2007)

I hardly ever do use dechlorinator because our tapwater is very good and has minimal chemicals in it. But when I do, I do use stress coat.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

I use at least 50% R.O. water in all but my shellie tank. That tank has water that sits for 3-5 days with an airstone in it before I change it out.


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## foehammer306 (Jul 26, 2007)

I use topfin, but I want to start using prime.


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## Danh (Feb 19, 2007)

I use api pond coniditioner. Been using it for a while. It's a lot cheaper and very concetrated. I could easily let mine sit, but I don't want any more humidity than my tanks already create.


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