Can Prime Actually Kill Bacteria?

Hmph. I used to have a link directly to the seachem support site where a seachem tech said prime converts ammonia to ammonium and BB can still utilize it.... I don't think it has any truly harmful affect on the cycling process if both are applied correctly.

Let's face it. How many newbies start out trying to treat every symptom of the tank to clear the water or change the ph or medicate randomly. I think stuff like that is probably the more likely culprit than the use of prime in combination with tss.

 

There is a lot of debate over whether cycling with fish using TSS is harmful for fish or not.

I fall into the "it's not harmful" camp. But at the end of the day, it really comes down to what the user decides.

I personally don't think it's "cruel".

However, if you don't know EXACTLY what you're doing, I think it can be risky.

For example, I did mine with 3 Platys & 3 Neon Tetras. In trying to increase my kh & gh to the right levels where it would suit both my types of fish (because I stupidly added both species not realising their needs), I didn't realise I was raising the pH at the same time to a point where the low ammonia actually became highly toxic to them all. It all but destroyed my fish & now I'm struggling with the aftermath. Yea it was more to do with not knowing about ammonia toxicity as oposed to TSS - but wouldnt have happened if I knew what I was doing with using fish for a cycle.

I think if you're gonna go that route, do your research first so you're certain you're doing the utmost best for your fish

 

People have kept fish for a thousand years. Hundreds of varieties of goldfish and bettas were created without filtration, and the concept of the nitrogen cycle was nonexistant. That’s how I see it.

So is ammonia bad? Sure. Is .25-.5ppm of it going to be a problem during a fish-in cycle? From my experience, probably not. In fact, at those levels, I haven’t seen any ill effects. I even had fish breed, the eggs hatch, and the fry live and grow in those conditions. It’s why total newbs who don’t know what they’re doing get away with a neglected tank for months without a water change and they think they must be doing something right.

 

That is correct, that's why you need to use the proper sized bottle of TSS, to ensure there will be enough bacteria added to the tank to keep the ammonia level low.

I don’t find fish-in cycling cruel at all, if done properly.

If Prime killed beneficial bacteria, then I wouldn’t be using it, but I do.

IF there is enough BB from the bacteria in a bottle, then it is not cruel because it's almost as if you're doing an instant cycle. If you follow the dosing instructions that the company gives, however, I find that you will often have a dangerous ammonia spike. That's why I recommend dosing more BB than on the instructions

This has been a great conversation, though, thank you to everyone who has contributed!

 

IF there is enough BB from the bacteria in a bottle, then it is not cruel because it's almost as if you're doing an instant cycle. If you follow the dosing instructions that the company gives, however, I find that you will often have a dangerous ammonia spike. That's why I recommend dosing more BB than on the instructions

This has been a great conversation, though, thank you to everyone who has contributed!

I agree, I alway use more B.B. than what is recommended. Right now I have a brand new uncycled tank for 5 of my new zebra plecos. I had no choice in the matter and I have been cycling my tank this way. I have been watching my ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates . My tank is slowly cycling and my fish seems happy. They are eating and getting bigger. I haven’t had any ammonia spikes but I know my tank is cycling and my fishes are healthy. I suspect that if something was wrong they wouldn’t be eating or growing and dying, THANKFULLY nothing like that is happening and while I would have rather have done a fishless cycle, but I believe that, if you know what you are doing and are aware of what’s happening in your tank it can be done safely

 

I hope this is ok to be in the beginners section, as a lot of newcomers to this hobby are confused about this subject & using Prime during their cycle.

Does Prime kill BB during the cycling process? Some say it does, some say it doesn't.


After looking into what I can find on line, & speaking with the micro biologists where I work - it would seem that there's no reason why the first stage BB can't convert ammonium to nitrite, just the same as it does with the conversion of ammonia to nitrite.

If that's the case, I don't see why it's advisable NOT to use Prime in the initial stages of a 'bottled bacteria' fish-in cycle. If it can be used along with Stability, which is essentially BB - then why not other bottled bacteria products? They all contain the same 2 species of nitrifying bacteria, right? We all know Prime is a godsend for keeping our fish safe at certain times, so it would be really good to know when we should use it to be able to avoid messing up the cycle

It will help your cycle, not hurt it. It will detoxify the ammonia, making it easier for the BB to digest, according to Seachem. Excel can kill bacteria in a cycling tank but Prime is only going to help.

 

New guy here.....Good conversation here.... my question is does prime/safe or hikarI ultimate inhibit or damage the growth and or stability of the anaerobic bacteria ( denitrifing) we're all trying to grow in our tanks and media when we're doing water changes?