insomniac

So hello everyone, and I've got a question about using Prime. I've read the discussions about using Prime with Bio-spira (and had issues with it myself on a tank), but I was wondering if it will mess with the biofilter after the tank is fully cycled. You see, both of my tanks got a kick-start to their cycle using Bio-spira, and if Prime causes issues during the cycles, maybe it will afterwards as well. The only reason I use Prime at all is to treat my tap water which contains a healthy dose of chloromines. The standard de-chlorinators turn the chloromines into chlorine, which is neutralized, and ammonia (about .25 PPM) which isn't. I don't want to add water that has ammonia in it, but I don't want to mess up my biofilter either. At the moment I'm so paranoid that I've been making my own water from scratch using RO water, RO Right, and buffers. Yes, this is some great water, but it is a pain in the rear especially when one of my tanks is goldfish who generally like the hard water out of my tap. Any opinions out there?

Thanks,
Eric

kra-z-fishmumm

Remember the reason you don't use the Prime when you first start out with Bio-Spira is that you want the ammonia to go high to get the nitrites going to have the good bacteria grown so that what we then see in the end is nitrates at 10 (which is the result of the bio from our fish, their uneaten food etc...) or so and the amm./nitri. at 0, the Prime would just cut the cycle off and you'd have to start again. Hope that came out right. Once we are cycled, everything is set--0 ammonia, 0 nitrites. So we use the Prime to make sure the ammonia doesn't take off. Made it clear as mud didn't I?!!! Just wait, someone with the ability to explain what they understand will help.

Oh and WELCOME

Peterpiper

Once the tank is cycled you can use Prime to treat the new water.
If you are really worried about using Prime you can run a air stone in the water for 48hrs to remove the chlorine.

insomniac

Okay, then I guess there could be a concern if you add too much Prime to the change water and it keeps neutralizing ammonia in the tank as the fish produce it, thus starving the biofilter bacteria. The bottle claims that Prime converts the ammonia such that the bacteria still eat it, but the Bio-spira folks say otherwise. My tanks are fully cycled, but since I used bio-spira it makes sense to me that I have that same breed of bacteria even now. Hmmm, I guess can always use a combination of Prime (just enough to neutralize the ammonia in the tap water) and get rid of the remaining chlorine with Aquasafe or something similar.

Peterpiper

You have ammonia in your tap water ?

kra-z-fishmumm

lol ok like I said, I understand a concept, doesn't mean I can simplify it. lol