thumper

what do you all think of this water conditioner?
Ultimate® is the world's first full-function water conditioner. With everything you need in one bottle to maintain a superior environment for your aquatic pets. For new setups Ultimate® instantly "ages" water allowing you to enjoy your pets in action quicker without fear of the negative impact of toxic chloramine, ammonia, chlorine, heavy metals or nitrite.

Key Benefits
Destroys Chloramines
Removes Ammonia
Removes Chlorine
Detoxifies Nitrite
Detoxifies Heavy Metals (including Copper)
Adds Essential Electrolytes
Boosts alkalinity
Replaces Skin Slime-Coat
Reduces Fish Stress
Instantly "Ages" Water
Makes A Safe Environment For Your Aquatic Pets

non-Toxic To Humans, Pets & Aquatic LifeDirections For Use:

To fully condition water for (1) new aquariums or ponds (2) after or during water additions, or (3) before adding new fishes, amphibians, invertebrates or plants, add 1 teaspoonful (5 mL) of Ultimate® per 10 gallons of water. For larger applications use the following dosage: 1 oz per 60 gallons of water.

Ingredients: ClorAm-X, electrolytes, buffers and a proprietary polymer formula in aqueous solution

Recommendations: Perform regular water changes to keep the alkalinity (acid-nuetralizing capacity) and pH stable. Use Ultimate® as needed to eliminate and control ammonia at the regular dosage rate for each 1 mg/L, or fraction therefore of measured total ammonia or for each 0.85 mg/L of measured total ammonia-nitrogen. Use a salicylate (indolphenol) type total ammonia test kit. For dissolved-oxygen (DO) testing use either a DO meter or an indigocarmine test. May be used at the regular dosage to stop or destroy permanganate treatments.

Contraindications: Do not use with permanganate-based or chlorite-based treatments. Nessler's total ammonia test will give false, high (or off scale) readings. Winkler dissolved oxygen tests will give false, low (or zero) readings.

Because We Care: Ultimate® has been developed to offer a completely safe environement for aquatic life and for ease of use by the user. Look for the ClorAm-X® logo and the U.S. patent number to assure yourself you are getting the original ammonia removing product!

sorry for the long post. but this is what the web site says, and this is what i am useing to cycle my tank.

aquarist48

hmmmmm I've never heard of it. Will be looking forward to more replies on this one.

thumper

my LFS uses it they say it is really good but i would like to find out if anyone else is useing it. cause i see alot of people on here useing prime and stress coat alot and recommending it to alot of people would like to get as much info as i can about it!

http://www.hikariusa.com/home.php

here is the web site if you all wanna have a look at it!

Shawnie

sounds very interesting..and it makes a specific betta formula also......the only concern I would have is using it while cycling as it sounds like it might bind up the ammonia (which is needed to cycle a tank) but it sounds like a great conditioner after a cycle is completed ...just my 3 cents (inflation ya know )

thumper

that was one of my concerns about it. what would you suggest that i do?

Shawnie

keep an eye on things? if you think its stalling, maybe switch it out? the more I read, the more I am thinking it doesnt detox the ammonia, it sound like it removes it ...do you think the same?

thumper

yes and no cause i have been useing it since i started the tank and me being not to smart did a fish in cycle and i am still getting ammonia reading for my API tests!

Lucy

It sounds to me like it won't let your tank cycle properly because it "Removes Ammonia"

Shawnie

hmmmmmmmm so maybe it doesnt remove....

"Contraindications: Do not use with permanganate-based or chlorite-based treatments. Nessler's total ammonia test will give false, high (or off scale) readings. Winkler dissolved oxygen tests will give false, low (or zero) readings."

would that have anything to do with the reading of ammonia do you think?

if it were me, id continue trying it out with your water changes because that seems to be the way to see if a new product fails or not..if your fish are acting/eating/playing around normally, id keep using it....at least you know the water changes are keeping them safe

thumper

ok i am use the api master test kit it the liqld one from what i have been told its the best

thumper

this is what my lfs said to cycle with and yes they did ask if the tank was cycled and i said no of course they said it would cycle with this product but we all know about bad advice from lfs,s right!

Snowblood

I found myself an excellent "fish guy" to be my guppies' "family physician" and my own all-around fish consultant, after doing really thorough research into ALL the aquarium shops in the South Bay, he's fantastic - Jim's Exotic Fish in El Segundo, if anyone wants to know. Anyway, so Jim sold me the Ultimate,back when I was finally able to go get new guppies after the cycle was done, and I've been using it ever since with wonderful results. It's all I want to use, now, I'm nervous about all the other conditioners. I'm completely new at aquatic animal/fish-keeping, just started in late February, so my little tank's water isn't even all that old yet, cycle-wise. It IS cycled, though, has been for awhile.

So yeah, I'd definitely give this product high marks. I HATE Prime and hate even MORE that Cycle stuff which just seems like a watery sludge of long-dead useless bacteria.I've got this bottle of Nov-Aqua, but haven't used it, mainly because I don't yet know much about Nov-Aqua, so it's just an emergeny stash in case I run out of my Ultimate unexpectedly or whatever. But this Ultimate stuff, I have no anxiety at all about using it, which is a big deal, for me!

aquarist48

I use Nova Aqua, Amquel + and Immune Plus. I've used these same chems for about 10 years now.

thumper

yep snowblood it has been doing a really great job for me as well!