API Stresscoat good for detoxifying heavy metals?

[Joker666]

Hi, I had a question that, can API Stresscoat detoxify heavy metals such as lead, copper, zinc? I know it says it can but I wanted to ask out with other people to see if this is accurate.

 

[Lucy]

Hi
It's water conditioner, so it's supposed to. I've used it many times over the years without issue.
If you're wanting a scientific 100% analysis, I doubt anyone here has the equipment to do so.

 

[OBWanKenobi]

I was basically going to say the exact same thing that the person above me said.
I have no scientific data or anything that proves anything other than years of experience with the product and never having a fish pass away from heavy metals…

 

[Zer0]

Studies of farmed fish show aloe vera coat the gills and damages them.
You don't need this product. All you need is a conditioner to neutralize chlorine/chloramine.

 

[86 ssinit]

When stresscoat came out it was for acclimating new fish. You added a drop or more to the bag to calm the fish. Seems like the makers of it want you to use it more. It’s not needed.

 

[OBWanKenobi]

I think people should also include studies so other people can make an educated opinion and not just go off of what everybody else thinks or what you want them to think. I’m aware of a study that took place in 2005 almost 20 years ago where 80% mortality rate after 96 hours using 50 p.m. to 150 ppm of stress coat versus they left the other fish in clean water and the consensus was the fish in the high ppm pond swam a erratically and died 24 hours to 96 hours.
In my opinion, if you overdose most of the meds in the aquarium, hobby, you’ll find similar results.

 

[kansas]

You can't trust the sellers in this hobby. They'll tell you that you need things you don't, and they won't give information that you know they have.

 

[86 ssinit]

Again you can’t trust the sellers! That’s a given. This is to new people just coming into the hobby. To most on this site were preaching to the choir . I buy nothing from the big pet stores and very little from the lfs’s. They are all selling product. There are no regulations in this hobby here in the states. So it’s really up to us what we buy and the sellers are there to entice us. Or really new people getting into the hobby. They want to sell stuff that takes away from maintenance and makes fish keeping easy That is a great sales pitch. Sell them whatever we can. People spend more money on addatives than the tank and equipment.

Fishless cycling. Yes it makes manufactures money. Ammonia,bacteria,water clarifying…. Fish in cycling didn’t sell product. Ok yes feeder goldfish. How can we sell this. Ok we care about fish being killed in fish in cycling. In reality more fish dying because most have no idea how to do a fishless cycle. Yes here we know how.

Media that removes nitrate! 30yrs ago nobody cared about nitrate. It really means nothing to the average fish keeper. Sellers tell us nitrate is very bad. Sellers come up with product to remove nitrate. No proof but they are great salespeople. This for some reason people bought into. It was a craze for yrs and may still be? But in reality not true. None of these products do what they say all they do is made the manufacturer’s rich. Who cares about studies. We’ve heard from many people here who were running tanks for years with nitrates well past 180ppm with no effect to their fish. Yes new fish couldn’t survive but adapted fish had no problem. Their problem came when the tank was cleaned and they couldn’t adapt fast enough to the lack of nitrates.

And so on and so on. Do we need more regulations here. I don’t know. But the Meds used in the hobby are getting out of hand. Do I want our government regulating? No! They would only regulate to manufacturers needs. And raise prices . What it really comes down to is people need to think before they buy. Rant over .

 

[Lucy]

I think people should also include studies so other people can make an educated opinion and not just go off of what everybody else thinks or what you want them to think. I’m aware of a study that took place in 2005 almost 20 years ago where 80% mortality rate after 96 hours using 50 p.m. to 150 ppm of stress coat versus they left the other fish in clean water and the consensus was the fish in the high ppm pond swam a erratically and died 24 hours to 96 hours.
In my opinion, if you overdose most of the meds in the aquarium, hobby, you’ll find similar results.

So basically, what the study said was the fish will die if you over dose?
150 ppm? why would a casual aquarist use that much anyway

I think most times that's a given with anything.
Is there a study you're aware of that shows it's harmful if used as directed?

All these years and I've never killed a fish with stress coat,

 

[MacZ]

Stress coat is a joke. Sodium thiosulfate (the de-chlorinator), Aloe extract (which is useless for aquatic animals) and water. Gross overdosing causes oxygen depletion. It takes high concentrations to directly kill, but before those are reached the side effects are fatal.
So by itself it's harmless, it "just" ruins the water at some point that is unlikely to ever be reached without emptying several bottles into the tank at once.

 

[John58ford]

To eliminate or "neutralize" metal at least one of few very specific and very different processes would need to take place. The metals most conditioners claim to treat require varied and different treatment processes. Often these processes themselves would require strong chemicals including acids and oxidizers, ionization, binding agents; many of these methods require additional and specialized mechanical means of separation after the break down or binding occurs. Many of these methods could not be done in a live tank as the conditions may not support life.

Basic description:
Current Methods For Removing Heavy Metals From Industrial Wastewater


Not so basic example of how to solve such issues:
Removal of Heavy Metals and Metalloids from Water Using Drinking Water Treatment Residuals as Adsorbents: A Review

There are many many studies, depending on the libraries you have access to you could find a works of information but ultimately, after much research on the subject, I do not believe that common water conditioners are specialized enough to actually do anything to heavy metals. More so I believe that so few people have high enough concentration to cause issues, and those that do certainly aren't paying to do a full chemical, biological and metallurgical analysis on a deceased decorative fin fish.

The fact some do not think they lost a fish to metals due to using a conditioner is about the same as thinking that you weren't hit by a train because you used hair gel, despite never crossing the tracks in the first place. Some people live in areas where rail crossing is actually a problem, most people do not, some fish company could surely figure out how to market anti train chemicals to the majority, to sell it blindly to those who have never seen one.
Tldr: The people with the issue have already been educated otherwise but they are not the majority voice. "'Everybody' uses water conditioner so it 'must' work". But I don't.

 

[MasterPython]

If you trust your local government not to give you water with illegal levels of heavy metals then the detoxifying qualities are irrelevant.

 

[Lucy]

The fact some do not think they lost a fish to metals due to using a conditioner is about the same as thinking that you weren't hit by a train because you used hair gel, despite never crossing the tracks in the first place.

If you're referring to me, my opinion was in reference to aloe vera and the study referenced to OD'ing a tank

 

[John58ford]

If you're referring to me, my opinion was in reference to aloe vera and the study referenced to OD'ing a tank

No not you, or any specific fishlorian; in general in the hobby there is a strong confirmation bias, the belief of "I used it and my fish didn't die so it must have done what it claimed", even if we never had the problem in the first place. We're all guilty of it in one aspect or another (perhaps my biggest confirmation bias issue is with some of the meds we use like Levamisole etc). The chemical neutralizer conversation has come up here more in depth several times and those statements have been made many times by many people, despite not actually ever having had a heavy metal report from their municipality or a laboratory specifically stating that they have any of the metals present in the first place. Last time I believe it was someone who had a confirmed positive for uranium in a well, who couldn't afford to use the bottled water they drink to fill their tanks that asked. Despite many people singing accolades to seachem and api; The long take was no, you can't neutralize it with any currently produced over the counter water conditioner.

No offense intended to any specific poster in these threads. Allot of people tend to use "product x" because they always have. It works for them, but to recommend product x or claim it is effective for a problem you do not have, is not well based. There are plenty of studies available that make it fairly obvious that these wonder materials can't do everything they say if you have an actual problem, the products are designed for "average use case" and heavy metals at the lethal level are not "average".

 

[Lucy]

Ah, I see, thanks for clarifying.

I absolutely see what you're saying. It removes/detoxifies heavy metals so that must mean I need it, but do i?
I dunno. I'll take the leap of faith and use it.

 

[Joker666]

Hi, i have a question, can this api tap water conditioner remove chlorine and chloramines? And heavy metals as well???? I wanted to be sure thats why I asked.

 

[BigManAquatics]

It's all i use and my fish are doing great. Granted , i use about 1 mL per 5 gallon bucket, so technically i overdose a little bit.

 

[Itiwhetu]

It's all i use and my fish are doing great. Granted , i use about 1 mL per 5 gallon bucket, so technically i overdose a little bit.

You are using about 3 times the recommended dose!!!

 

[BigManAquatics]

You are using about 3 times the recommended dose!!!

Either way, hasn't harmed the fish. Plus, i know the water supply gets a pretty good amount of chlorine in the system. Not to mention, the city gets its water from a river but the wells are 30-40 miles away, so an awful lot of piping between the source and my house.

 

[Joker666]

Either way, hasn't harmed the fish. Plus, i know the water supply gets a pretty good amount of chlorine in the system. Not to mention, the city gets its water from a river but the wells are 30-40 miles away, so an awful lot of piping between the source and my house.

Well can this API Tap Water conditioner remove chloramines, chlorine and detoxify heavy metals too?! Im telling like, it says add 1ml to 20 gallons to remove chlorine and detoxify heavy metals. And it also says that to detoxify chloramine, add 5 ml for 30 gallons. So in order to remove chlorine and detoxify chloramine and heavy metals, can i add the both types of doses?

 

[Frank the Fish guy]

There are regulations on how much chloramine they can add to your water so the dosage is given to cover the maximum.

There is no need to add the chlorine and chloramine dosage. If you know that your water has chloramines, then use the recommended dosage and you are covered for the maximum chlorine and chloramine treatment they can put in the water.

If there really are heavy metals in your water (this is rare) then you should have your water tested at your tap for the sake of the people. The city will keep their pipes free of heavy metals, but if there is a problem with old pipes on your end, that is something that you would need to address.