Using Too Much Prime?

I read using too much prime can cause oxygen to be limited. Is that true?
We still have nitrites in our tank and have been using 5x the recommended amount to get them
Under 1.0 and our fish have been gasping at the top for air after every water change now.

After our water change:
Ammonia 0
Nitrite .50
Nitrate 5

 

Tell us more about your tank, it's age & size, and about your fish. Which fish are gasping at surface?

 

Tell us more about your tank, it's age & size, and about your fish. Which fish are gasping at surface?

A month old tomorrow, 10 gallon, 3 mollies, 4 snails, 5 fry. Yes we accidentally over stocked because petco said this was ok. The 2 female dalmation always gasp. One more than the other but the one that barely does has been doing it this last water change. Male Balloon molly never does.

 

I overdose prime everyday and never had a problem... I'll keep watching your thread though because I want to see if anyone has something to say about that.

 

Maybe try an air stone to help oxygenate the water? The gasping is probably due to overstocking and the fish using up the available oxygen

 

What's the pH? Have you added anything like Stability to get the tank cycled? If not, buy Stability right away and add to tank!

 

What's the pH? Have you added anything like Stability to get the tank cycled? If not, buy Stability right away and add to tank!

Yes been using stability for a week and a half. Ph 7.6

 

I have never heard of prime deoxygenating the water...

Have you tried adding an airstone? Or a sponge filter?

 

Well....sometimes too much of a good thing...can be a bad thing. I.E./FYI, Prime usually lasts only about 24-48 of peak effectiveness. Beyond that, even with 2-4 times the dose, it will inevitably render any or all dosage moot...and ineffective. Ever see the film Logan? When Logan/Wolverine juiced himself up using that green serum in order to restore his healing factor? And then the serum wore of rapidly? That's the same concept with Prime--it will eventually wear off. What Prime does, it bonds the bad chemicals together, therefore "shielding" the fish from the negative effects. Furthermore, when Prime's chemical effects wear off, nitrite, ammonia etc. will restore to it's original potencies.

 

I have never heard of prime deoxygenating the water...

Have you tried adding an airstone? Or a sponge filter?

Not yet

 

I just have Prime to use my in emergency type situations and in my small betta tank. So far so good...

I was using it heavily for a while and didn’t have much luck...

Can prime kill established bacteria? I’m sill unclear on this.

 

I have never tried to use Prime at 5x the amount, I only ever use it at the regular dosing. The bottle says "to detoxify nitrite in an emergency up to 5x the normal dose may be used". I interpret that to mean its not recommended but can be done for a short time if there are extenuating circumstances.

Nitrite is at .5ppm correct? Not an emergency IMO, I would cut back the dosing to a normal dose.

 

I have never tried to use Prime at 5x the amount, I only ever use it at the regular dosing. The bottle says "to detoxify nitrite in an emergency up to 5x the normal dose may be used". I interpret that to mean its not recommended but can be done for a short time if there are extenuating circumstances.

Nitrite is at .5ppm correct? Not an emergency IMO, I would cut back the dosing to a normal dose.

Yeah after last night we plan on doing that.