Dechlorinator

[Mikee]

I use SeaChem Prime as my dechlorinator for my weekly 20% water changes. Just wondering for my 25 gal i take out 5 gals every week how much Prime would i need to add to the 5 gals?

[Baby_Girl]

depends on if you add water to the tank directly (like if you're using a Python), or if you put it in a bucket first. In the former, add enough Prime for the entire volume of the tank. That's what I do and that's what the instructions on the bottle say. If you use a bucket, just add enough to treat the volume of the bucket

[Mustafa]

Despite what the instructions say, using prime in a bucket or directly in the aquarium is the same. I have been using prime directly in my tanks and I just dose enough prime to dechlorinate the replaced water.

As for how much you need for 5 gallons...just read the instructions on the bottle and do the math. Because that's what we would be doing, too, to give you an answer Just a tip: I use a syringe to get the milliliter measurement exact.

[Mikee]

alright thanks for the help, do you let the water age over night with a airstone? or do you simply take the amount of water from your tap that you need to refill your tank then add the amount of prime you need for the water which you replaced?

[Mustafa]

Add prime first, then immediately add the water. No aging required, straight from the tap.

[TKD]

Add prime first, then immediately add the water. No aging required, straight from the tap.

So you don't let it sit at room temp for a while? Or do you add cold water to your tanks?
TKD

[Baby_Girl]

use a thermometer to match the temp of the tap water with that of your tank

[Baby_Girl]

Despite what the instructions say, using prime in a bucket or directly in the aquarium is the same. I have been using prime directly in my tanks and I just dose enough prime to dechlorinate the replaced water.

Is there a problem with Prime getting more concentrated in the tank? Is that why you only add enough to dose the new water? I do at least 50% water changes weekly (sometimes twice a week or more often as needed, based on liquid test results), so I'm not really concerned about concentrating the Prime, just curious.

p.s. i use a syringe, too. A 3cc oral syringe used for hand-feeding birds is the smallest I've found, without having to buy a 100-pack of 1cc syringes used by diabetics.

[badflash]

I don't worry about the temperature. I add cold water from the tap directly to the tank and normally do a 50% weekly water change. I add my Amquel+ bucket, not the tank. Next time I'll try the other way around.

[Mikee]

okay well that makes things easier i know some people that let the water age
overnight but never really knew if its actually neccessary. Good to know, so next water change ill take out 20% like normal then dose the prime that i need for the amount that was replaced and then add cool water directly from tap.

[Baby_Girl]

aging and aeration only dissipate chlorine. now most water supplies use chloramine because it's more stable than chlorine, thus it will not be removed with aging. chloramine can only be removed by a tap water conditioner.

i would still say try to get the tap water the same temp as your tank (you can do this by "feel" without a thermometer) because this poses less of a risk of shocking your fish/shrimp. I'm really more of a fish expert, so maybe this is not necessary for shrimp. But I find them to be very sensitive to any changes, moreso than fish.

[Mustafa]

So you don't let it sit at room temp for a while? Or do you add cold water to your tanks?

Just cold water directly...slowly though, especially in the winter, as to not "freeze-shock" any shrimp that decide to swim in the cold water's way. Letting the water sit in a bucket until it reaches room temperature is better in my opinion, but I don't have a choice. I have 30+ tanks and not enough buckets . Hence, I only do small water changes, especially in winter. There is a reason my tanks are chokful with Najas...they are my nitrate/phosphate/etc. filters. Just make sure that you *never* use the hot water tap to adjust your water temperature, as there might be dissolved heavy metals (and other bad things) in your hot water supply.

[badflash]

Just make sure that you *never* use the hot water tap to adjust your water temperature, as there might be dissolved heavy metals (and other bad things) in your hot water supply.

Has this ever been tested? I know it makes common sense, but at least in my tap water it isn't so. My hot water has a lower hardness and no measurable copper. Does anyone else have a copper test kit to give this a try? This may be a result of hot water standing in the lines for a long time, and not disolved in the short transit time from the water heater to the tap. I have to run my water for a while before it gets hot, so my lines are well flushed before I get any hot water.

[Ecir]

I've never checked my hot water but I always use it and haven't had any problems. The GF has been doing it for years with no effect on her fish... although it's granted that shrimp would be more succeptible to metals in the water.

[Neonshrimp]

The warmer water causes metal pipes to release some metals into the water but this does not happen with plastic pipes. Most metal poples are made of copper which will harm your shrimp