How Do You Dose Prime? Is Overdosing A Big Deal?

This seems like a dumb question when the bottle comes with instructions, but I have one issue: this stuff seems like it's really concentrated, and my tanks are not even close to the size that the instructions talk about.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who just has tanks that are 20 gallons or below and wants to use Prime. So how much Prime do y'all use per gallon and how do you go about measuring that out properly?

Also, how much of an issue is it if you overdose on prime? I don't wanna hurt my fish by accident.

 

They make a small bottle that has a flip up dropper. Then its two drop per gallon. If you can find that size just save the container and refill it from the larger size bottles when it runs out. I guess an eye dropper will be pretty close for that dose too.

 

I had a few droppers from pet meds that are 5ml or 1 ml, you may find you have something similar laying around

 

I don’t use prime, I use stress coat. The instructions say 10ml per gallon. I use a spray bottle that I got a a Wal-Mart and one squeeze is 10ml.

So I just pour the whole thing into the squeeze bottle and each squeeze of the handle equals to 1 gallon.

 

On the small bottle, when you get a new one, don't remove the foil seal, just puncture it a bit. It helps to slow down the prime.

Triple doses of prime are relatively safe, so a small overdose won't hurt anything. When I had a 10 gallon, I started with the small bottle and did the drop method. Then I found a farm store that sold syringes. You can get them at any pharmacy also. They may look at you funny, but they will usually sell them to you.

 

I poke the foil seal with an embroidery needle and it lets me dose single drops.

The one time I forgot the seal had popped off, and without looking I squeezed a half bottle into my 20 gallon. HUGE water change for safety, but there was absolutely no effects. Seachem's website at the time said it was tested safe at 100x a normal dose. I would never use it at that, but I never worry about a little extra!

 

The very first bottle of liquid ferts I bought forever ago had a little blue measuring cap on it. It has a mark for 1, 5, and 10 mL. So I saved the cap and use it for all my measurements. I dose 1mL per 10 gallons.

 

I use a 5ml and 10ml syringe with a 4" blunt luer lock needle for Prime and ferts. Both can be bought off Amazon.

 

2 drops covers 4ltr or gal for prime you dose up-to 5x recommend amount for 24hr protection in extreme cases

 

All of my tanks are 20 gallons and under.
I have on of the small Prime bottles that I refill from a larger one.
I dose 2 drops per gallon (full tank volume) when I do water changes.

 

Do you dose the full amount all the time? If you have a 100 gallon tank, and you change 50% of the water do you just add enough for 50 gallons?

 

You dose what your changing out

 

If I have a 10 gallon tank and do a 50% water change I dose 10 gallon amount of prime. That’s what I was always told.

Dose the full volume of how many gallons the tank holds?

 

Unless there is ammonia or nitrite problem dose what you change out waste of product if it's not needed

 

I will be saving a lot of money from now on! Lol

 

Esp on larger tanks no need to treat water that's been treated save product and money for more fish and tanks lol I'm about minimal chemicals as much as I love Prime and think it's better then sliced bread still like to be minimal with additives keep the water pure as possible

 

Esp on larger tanks no need to treat water that's been treated save product and money for more fish and tanks lol I'm about minimal chemicals as much as I love Prime and think it's better then sliced bread still like to be minimal with additives keep the water pure as possible

Well thank you, I am glad I caught this post! I have 2 large tanks and 5 smaller one and go through prime pretty fast! Lol After years I am just finding this out!

 

over dosing can waste the prime but also have a worst effect, it can kill you fish if you put way too much of it in your tank and it is more severe in a smaller tank than a bigger tank.

 

over dosing can waste the prime but also have a worst effect, it can kill you fish if you put way too much of it in your tank and it is more severe in a smaller tank than a bigger tank.

It takes a lot of prime to kill a fish. You can put in up to 5 times the recommended dose and your fish will be fine.

 

I say this in all these threads, but I once dumped an entire brand new bottle of tetra's version of Prime into my 20 gallon tank on accident and nothing bad happened.

 

I think you guys are being too vague.

You dose just the amount of water you change IF you fill a bucket and treat it before putting into the tank. It only needs to sit for a few minutes.

If you fill your tank straight from the tap (like using a Python), you need to treat the full amount of the tank, not just the volume changed.

I use a 5ml or 10ml luer lock syringe with a 4" blunt nose needle for exact dosing and I've noticed my bottle of prime lasts MUCH longer. Basically 1ml per 10 gallon so .5ml for a 5 gallon bucket.

 

It appears we have conflicting opinions here.

EDIT- Well heck, I called Seachem direct. For the example, if you have a 100 gallon tank, and you change 50% (50 gallons) of water directly back into the tank.

You dose for the full 100 gallons, period.

This also means if you only change out 10% (10 gallons), you still dose for the full 100 gallons.

 

Go on the seachem website and look at their info on prime and the questions and answers. That will give you lots of info.

I agree with DarkOne If going straight from tap to tank, dose for the full tank volume. If going in a bucket first, you dose just what you are adding.

BUT, if you are having an ammonia or nitrite issue and are adding prime for detoxification purposes, then you need to dose for the full tank volume always.

I overdose a lot because I am lazy. I have 18 tanks of all different sizes. So when I am spending a whole afternoon doing water changes, I don't even bother getting perfect measurements for the smaller tanks. I just eyeball it. I have often overdosed my small tanks with no issues. But I am not overdosing them HUGELY or anything.

Again, go on the Seachem website. You can even send them a message with your specific questions and they will respond.

 

This seems like a dumb question when the bottle comes with instructions, but I have one issue: this stuff seems like it's really concentrated, and my tanks are not even close to the size that the instructions talk about.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who just has tanks that are 20 gallons or below and wants to use Prime. So how much Prime do y'all use per gallon and how do you go about measuring that out properly?

Also, how much of an issue is it if you overdose on prime? I don't wanna hurt my fish by accident.

You could do 100 drops if you wanted to nothing more than x5 your tank size every 24 hours so 20gal times 5 is 100

 

It appears we have conflicting options here. Looks like nobody knows.

Options or opinions?

Most have stated their experiences (data points) whereas you just stated an opinion on how you feel with no actual data to back that up.

Someone posted that 100x the normal dosage was ok for fish as per Seachem's website. That is in an extreme case.

The general dosage for Prime is 1mg per 10 gallon (directions on the bottle is 5mg per 50g). The directions state that you can dose up to 5x to detoxify ammonia and nitrites. 1 dose per 1ppm of ammonia and/or nitrites.

bizaliz3 You really should get a dropper or graduated syringe. I did the same as you with my first bottle of Prime (500ml) and it lasted about 3 months with the eyeballing method. I have since added a few more 10 gallon and 20 gallon tanks and my current bottle of Prime is about 1/3 full after 8 months or so using the syringes.

Has anyone notice that Prime cost 50% more now? I usually have a brand new bottle on hand and since I was getting low with the one that I'm using I looked and it's $13 or more. I paid $9 shipped for the last bottle I bought.

 

bizaliz3 You really should get a dropper or graduated syringe. I did the same as you with my first bottle of Prime (500ml) and it lasted about 3 months with the eyeballing method. I have since added a few more 10 gallon and 20 gallon tanks and my current bottle of Prime is about 1/3 full after 8 months or so using the syringes.

Thanks for encouraging me to do that. I really should for the sake of money for sure. I go through a LOT of prime in my house doing weekly water changes on like 13 tanks and a minimum of 3 times per week on my 5 fry tanks. haha

 

Options or opinions?

Yeah, darn spell check ;-). Got it sorted. You are correct above.

 

Thanks for encouraging me to do that. I really should for the sake of money for sure. I go through a LOT of prime in my house doing weekly water changes on like 13 tanks and a minimum of 3 times per week on my 5 fry tanks. haha

Most syringes have a universal locking system called a luer lock. 5ml is big enough for Prime dosing for most people. I use the syringes for ferts too so 10ml works for that so I have both on hand. The rubber stopper in the syringe can expand and be not as smooth. Washing it will help but you will eventually need to replace the syringe but the needles are good for much longer. I use my syringes 4-8 times per week and they last a few months.

Here's a good kit of 10 - 10ml syringes and 1.5" 14g needles and caps. Everything you need for $8 shipped


I find the 4" needles are easier to suck Prime (or ferts) out of the bottle.
4" luer lock blunt needles



**Edit**
One tip for the syringes is to put clear packing tape over the graduated marks as they can wear off from the chemicals. I had to throw out a few syringes just because the markings were gone.

 

I think you guys are being too vague.

You dose just the amount of water you change IF you fill a bucket and treat it before putting into the tank. It only needs to sit for a few minutes.

If you fill your tank straight from the tap (like using a Python), you need to treat the full amount of the tank, not just the volume changed.

I use a 5ml or 10ml luer lock syringe with a 4" blunt nose needle for exact dosing and I've noticed my bottle of prime lasts MUCH longer. Basically 1ml per 10 gallon so .5ml for a 5 gallon bucket.

Ok that’s why I do that, I have a python
Thank you for that.

 

For syringes if you go into your local Drug Store and ask for a couple of 5 and 10 cc syringes they normally will give them to you for nothing if the people know you.

 

For syringes if you go into your local Drug Store and ask for a couple of 5 and 10 cc syringes they normally will give them to you for nothing if the people know you.

I don't know if it's a federal law but in NJ, it's illegal for drug stores to give out syringes.

 

I don't know if it's a federal law but in NJ, it's illegal for drug stores to give out syringes.

I'm not sure about the federal law, I know where I live they will give out syringes not designed to take the current selection of needles. The ones that are used to dose liquid medications for children etc... When you start talking about states like NJ I could be put in jail driving thru there due to their firearms laws.

 

I found out a few years ago when I needed some for mixing juice for vaping. Some said it was federal law, others said state. I just knew I couldn't get any from the pharmacy (RiteAid and Walgreens).

With a new Democrat governor, it's much worse now and it hasn't even been a year.

 

I found out a few years ago when I needed some for mixing juice for vaping. Some said it was federal law, others said state. I just knew I couldn't get any from the pharmacy (RiteAid and Walgreens).

With a new Democrat governor, it's much worse now and it hasn't even been a year.

Just another reason to stay in the south, plus the cost of living.

 

I use a 1 ml syringe and 5 ml syringe to dose Prime.

A syringe is the plastic barrel and plunger.

The needle attaches to the luer lock or hub of the syringe. They are two separate items.

Most syringes are sold separate of the needle.

DarkOne, so in NJ the plastic syringe without a needle can't be sold over the counter?

Can you order them from Amazon and shipped to NJ?

 

Walgreens and CVS wouldn't sell syringes from their pharmacy but I ordered off Amazon for my stash of syringes and 4" blunt needles (16g luer locks).

 

One of the kids gets antibiotics a couple of times a year that often come with a syringe to dose. We don't use them as he does better with the cup, so I repurposed the syringes for aquarium stuff

 

My son is a diabetic so I've got syringes up to my ears lol

 

In my 33gal, I change 10gal per week, using two 5 gal buckets. I treat each bucket with Prime, but not the whole tank.
The normal dose for 5 gal water is 1/2 mL Prime. For those that don't know, 1mL is VERY close to 20 drops, so 1/2 mL is 10 drops.
I have a couple of the 50mL prime bottles that Als sells at their cash counters, which come with a dropper lid. I buy a slightly larger prime bottle when I need refills, then I refill the dropper bottles from the larger ones. 10 drops is super easy to count out, no mess, no cup, no syringe.
Although I have a selection of cups and syringes for ferts, stressguard, and etc, so I'm not underestimating their value.

 

My son is a diabetic so I've got syringes up to my ears lol

Are the syringes up to your ears in a 2,000 gallon tank, or is it up to your ears in a 1.79 trillion gallon tank? LOL LOL!!