Too much water conditioner?

[escapay]

Is it really possible to put too much water conditioner in water aimed for your tank or the water in your tank? What if you aren't fully accurate on the measurements because you have an odd number of gallons that doesn't calculate nicely?

Does it matter which conditioner it is?

Mostly asking because I told someone I would rather a little more than not enough water conditioner. And someone else said it is possible to put too much in. Of course, what I was referring to is as long as it is the ballpark, the fish most likely will be fine. Did I get that wrong and this other person is right?

 

[Jaysee]

If you REEEALLY overdose the tank it will react with the oxygen in the water, which the fish need. By really I mean several times the recommended dosage.

It is better to add a little too much than not enough, for sure.

 

[Aquarist]

Good morning,

I have moved your thread from Cleaning and Maintenance to Aquarium Water/Water Conditioners section of the forum.

Thanks!

Ken

 

[garlicrbrian]

Hello! I just started using my Python water changer for the first time recently and...let's just say I got a little nervous when chlorine water went into the tank from the sink. I know nothing probably would have happened, but I probably added a LOT of water conditioner, and that's just for a 10 gallon tank.

Is there such thing as too much water conditioner? Not saying I added an insane amount or anything, I'm sure everything will be fine, but I'm just curious to know anyway.

Thank you!

 

[Sien]

Hi! Yes there is such thing as too much water conditioner, but you really have to go overboard. I bough a water conditioner once and got used to using the dosage. Well, I ran out of that bottle and purchased another (same brand). I thought this was the same dosage so I dosed the same. Turns out it was a super concentrated version made by the same brand and I ended up using like 20x more than I was supposed to. It killed my fish. He was a gorgeous hot pink king betta. Happened like 6 years ago and I was devastated. Now I always check the dosage even if I have used that bottle and brand 100 times.

 

[lilirose]

It depends on which brand you use, but most of them should be safe with the possible exception of the ones like Stress Coat which contain Aloe Vera as it could be harmful to have too much of that in the water.

Seachem Prime (which is the conditioner I recommend most) is safe to use at five times the recommended dosage, but anecdotally I once accidentally squirted 5ml into a 5 gallon shrimp tank, which is a 10x overdose, to no ill effect.

 

[Fanatic]

You'd need to be putting a lot of it into the water for it to make any visible effects. If it was something like a fertilizer, then it would be dangerous to overdose.

 

[garlicrbrian]

Alright thank you everyone! The brand I used was Aqueon, and I've been using it for a while. Like I said, I didn't use a crazy amount or anything like that, just trying to make sure. I feel much better about it now though.

 

[aimh]

Hi. I did a 50% water change yesterday for my 3.5 gallon tank with one betta. I added prime (regular dosing) to the new water before the change. I then added a regular dose of Stress coat because it has seemed to help recently. by the instructions on the bottle of Stress coat it seemed I could dose daily to help with healing. I did give another regular dose of Stress coat today - no water change was done. Should I do another 50% water change since possible too much product has been added?

 

[mattgirl]

Are you getting an ammonia reading in this tank? If you aren't, just use the stress coat when you do your water changes. There is no need to do a water change to dilute the prime and stress coat you have added. It would take a LOT of water conditioner to affect the water.

If you feel the stress coat is making your little guy feel better then by all means continue to use it.

 

[aimh]

Are you getting an ammonia reading in this tank? If you aren't, just use the stress coat when you do your water changes. There is no need to do a water change to dilute the prime and stress coat you have added. It would take a LOT of water conditioner to affect the water.

If you feel the stress coat is making your little guy feel better then by all means continue to use it.

Thank you! I am getting an ammonia reading in the tank. I did a 50% change yesterday but ammonia is between 0.25-0.5 today. I was going to do another change tomorrow - but then worried I had added too much stress coat by adding it again today (on top of yesterday with a water change) but without a water change
Should i be okay dosing daily with the stress coat if there is an ammonia reading? Or how often should be okay to addit? I am still using prime to condition my water

 

[mattgirl]

Thank you! I am getting an ammonia reading in the tank. I did a 50% change yesterday but ammonia is between 0.25-0.5 today. I was going to do another change tomorrow - but then worried I had added too much stress coat by adding it again today (on top of yesterday with a water change) but without a water change

I will recommend you continue using prime with your water changes as long as you are getting ammonia readings this high. Does it ever go above .5?

 

[aimh]

I will recommend you continue using prime with your water changes as long as you are getting ammonia readings this high. Does it ever go above .5?

It has not gone above 0.5 in awhile. I had to do an incycle fish cycle about 2 months ago and it was higher at that point

 

[mattgirl]

It has not gone above 0.5 in awhile. I had to do an incycle fish cycle about 2 months ago and it was higher at that point

It is good that it is no longer going any higher. I do have to wonder though why it is still there after this amount of time.

 

[aimh]

Should i be okay dosing daily with the stress coat if there is an ammonia reading? Or how often should be okay to add it? I will continue to use prime to condition my water

 

[mattgirl]

Should i be okay dosing daily with the stress coat if there is an ammonia reading? Or how often should be okay to add it? I will continue to use prime to condition my water

Stress coat isn't going to do anything about the ammonia. I've never used it so don't know what affect it will have by adding it daily.

 

[aimh]

THanks again. So waiting until tomorrow should be okay for another water change should be okay?

 

[mattgirl]

THanks again. So waiting until tomorrow should be okay for another water change should be okay?

You are so very welcome. That should be fine as long as the ammonia doesn't go any higher than it is right now.

 

[dmk164]

my ammonia spiked to .5 for some reason in my little 10 gal tank and i gave it a does of quick start by API and my tank seemed cycled again later that day and the next day my ammonia was 0 nitrites0 nitrates .5