So I don't have any clean 5 gallon buckets since we used all of ours to haul bricks after tearing down our fireplace and carrying dirt to fill in the garden, so I'm wondering if there is a way I can make a couple of them aquarium safe for water changes. Secondly, when I did my last water change, I had to use a pitcher that was either 1 quart or half a gallon and it doesn't say on it, so I just added probably more than enough water conditioner to the water each time before pouring it in just to be sure. It's been about a week and due for a another water change and it didn't seem to have affected the fish at all. The 4 harlequin rasboras I have at the moment are doing really well, although I will be getting 4 more to complete the school this weekend or early next week (I didn't want to overload the bio filter at once since I had just finished cycling). It is stress coat+ by the way. I just used a turkey baster to get the water conditioner since the cap only has 1ml, 5ml, and 10ml and 1ml would treat 2 gallons so I just guessed with the turkey baster and ended up probably putting more than I needed just to be safe. I assume it's safe, but if I repeat this in my upcoming water change since I don't have clean 5 gallon buckets to measure more accurately yet, could this be bad for my fish? I probably ended up putting more than 1ml in each 1q-2q bucket each time because I didn't want to undershoot it and kill the bacteria or fish with chlorine.
Don't think so, even the label on Prime says you can dose up to 5x in case of emergencies. Sent from my iPhone using Fish Lore Aquarium Fish Forum
I don't think you can add too much, IMO all it would do is just condition the water quicker and more effectively.
I usually use more conditioner than recomended Sent from my iPhone using Fish Lore Aquarium Fish Forum
You can make the buckets aquarium safe by rinsing them out well with a 1:20 solution of either bleach or vinegar to water. As for conditioner I agree with the above posts. You could also add the correct amount of water conditioner straight to the tank right after you take the water out and not worry about each individual bucket.
If you add water directly to the tank with out treating it first, you are supposed to dose based on the aquarium volume not the amount you take out. Is this what you meant by saying "correct amount"?
Adding to the above posts as long as you are using Prime just add at least enough for the entire size of the tank.
Gekco Yep, that's what I meant. I didn't really explain it well enough though, thanks for clearing it up
So if I were to add 10mL for the full 20 gallons even though I only took 5gallons out, and then add the untreated water I would be okay? I always wondered how people used those water changers that connect to your faucet when chlorinated water would come out, so I guess they just put the water conditioner in first, right? If I were to get a larger tank in the future I would want one of those, but I wasn't sure how they worked when the water wasn't treated yet
Yes, that is correct. So any new water gets treated right away as it comes in. The dechlorinating effects work almost immediately. Sent from my iPhone using Fish Lore Aquarium Fish Forum
Yes, that is exactly how that works, put in water conditioner then add water. If you get a python they make water changes way easier and way quicker. I am assuming that your water conditioner does 10 per 5ml, if you get prime 5ml does 50 gallons. It's more expensive but in the long run save more conditioner. Sent from my iPod touch using Fish Lore Aquarium Fish Forum
By the way, just to let you know, your profile says one of your tanks started in August 2015. Are you a time traveler?? Sent from my iPhone using Fish Lore Aquarium Fish Forum
Wait what? Lol I'll have to check that out when I get home. Sent from my iPod touch using Fish Lore Aquarium Fish Forum
Nice going, Batman! To the OP, I don't think you can really have any problems from overdosing unless you overdose by an extreme amount. I treat for the entire volume of my tank at every water change just to be sure. I think I'm a bit late to this discussion though lol!
Can you add "too much" water conditioner? Yeah, once I had already bought all of my supplies, I started to research more on everything and saw that prime seems to be favored, but I've already got the stress coat, so I'm going to use it up and buy prime once I run out
I bought API water conditioner before I found out about Prime a couple years back. I ended up throwing it away, nothing comes close to the detoxifying properties of Prime. Sent from my iPhone using Fish Lore Aquarium Fish Forum
Yeah, I was using Seachem Betta Basics before I discovered Prime through here, and turns out, it's actually a lot cheaper!
