Does Prime really get rid of ammonia, nitrites and nitrates?

Does Prime really work? It says that it gets rid of ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, chlorine and chlorimines. Is this true? Why do people cycle their tanks fishless if this product does this? Has anyone actually tried cycling with it and lost no fish?
Thanks,
Brianna

 

Well, Prime is what I use to treat water going into my tank. It is really good for treating your water, but it does not provide the bacteria that you need for a cycled tank. It might be good to use while your tank cycles, but the cycle would still need to happen.

--R

 

I use it as a conditioner for removing chlorine/chloramines during water changes. You can use it to detoxify ammonia and nitrites if you get a surprise spike or minicycle, but you really should not try to use it as a substitute for a proper cycle.

 

I think I will try completely cycling with prime with a few minnows maybe and see if they all survive.

 

yea, it's a great water conditioner, great for uncycled h/q tanks and a little bottle goes a long way, but it won't help a tank cycle any faster. Good luck with the cycle.

 

She's not asking if it will help the cycle, but rather if it will keep the fish healthy during the cycle... and yes it will. I cycled my tank with fish (and Prime) and have not to this day lost a single one. I highly recommend it even after your cycle to treat your water. Just a note, I run with activated charcoal in my tank, and the plus side of this is that any unused Prime can be removed with fresh AC. So there won't be a lot of it in your tank over time.

Now would I recommend cycling with fish after having done it once before... no. Now that I have a cycled tank, I will put my bio media (either sponge, or bio-wheel, or whatever you use to collect the good bacteria on in your filter) into my tank for a few weeks before a set up a new tank. Also during this time, I will up the amount of food I feed my fish by just a little. This will have them make a little more waste and provide enough extra need for good bacteria, which will make their homes in this extra bio-media. Then move it to the new tank and hopefully be able to add fish to a close to fully cycled tank. At least that's the plan, will let you know if it works when I eventually get my Dwarf Puffer tank going in the next month or two ;D.

 

ah, I misread.. sorry about that Brianna. Right now we have 2 small tanks with a Betta in each that we are cycling using Prime as the water conditioner and will soon have 2 more doing the same. I believe it will help the 3 show bettas (the one in the 2nd cycling tank now has either constipation or swim bladder trouble brought on by the show stress) and our rescue betta (who had fin damage and missing scales with major stress lines) do fine during the cycle. we will let you know how it goes, but so far the 2 bettas in the cycling tanks are happy and doing well.

I think people cycle fishless (like our 5g) to take no chances with a fish dying and I believe it takes longer to cycle a tank with a fish in it and using prime than a fishless cycle.

 

Thanks everyone. I can't wait to see how it goes. I don't care how long it takes, I am so impatient about getting fish that if this works I will get fish as soon as I get my 20 gallon. Which will be late july/early august... so plenty of time to see how the cycle goes with you and your bettas, you certainly have quite the parade of fish there! Are you planning to open a public aquarium? Good luck with them, espicially your new ManchaI bettas.
Brianna

 

I don't think it's that it takes longer, it just appears to. The bound up ammonia and nitrite take longer for the good bacteria to eat then the regular stuff. So you will still get readings of ammonia and nitrite even though you are probably done with the cycle. Yes they will eventually go away and be 0 all the time from then on, but since there are so much for that short time they just take a bit longer to be consumed. But yeah, as long as the fish are safe and healthy when you are done, length of the cycle didn't matter to me either.

 

Thanks everyone. I can't wait to see how it goes. I don't care how long it takes, I am so impatient about getting fish that if this works I will get fish as soon as I get my 20 gallon. Which will be late july/early august... so plenty of time to see how the cycle goes with you and your bettas, you certainly have quite the parade of fish there! Are you planning to open a public aquarium? Good luck with them, espicially your new ManchaI bettas.
Brianna

lol, sure, the entry fee is 1 new betta. the mahachaI bettas are gong to spawn before too long with how much they are enjoying each other's company.

 

Thanks everyone. I can't wait to see how it goes. I don't care how long it takes, I am so impatient about getting fish that if this works I will get fish as soon as I get my 20 gallon. Which will be late july/early august... so plenty of time to see how the cycle goes with you and your bettas, you certainly have quite the parade of fish there! Are you planning to open a public aquarium? Good luck with them, espicially your new ManchaI bettas.
Brianna

lol, sure, the entry fee is 1 new betta. the mahachaI bettas are gong to spawn before too long with how much they are enjoying each other's company.

Do you have videos of your betta couple together? Not doing anything. Just swimming around and getting on. That would be special to see.

 

I posted one vid of them (click on the 'our tanks' link at the bottom of this post).. for some reason, no matter how much I try, youtube won't upload the other vid of them.