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Anyone use Safe?

Pat Kelly

CCA Member
Staff member
For the last couple years I have been using Prime to dechlor.

This gets pretty expensive so I decided to use the powdered version. Safe.
I got it Friday and mixed some up and put into some empty Prime containers.
Anyone else using this?
 

Tony

Alligator Snapping Turtle/Past Pres
Personally, I love the stuff. Best invention imo since the Python. :)

Careful with pre-mixing Pat. Seen threads on Seachem's own forum that says that it is not stable if premixed and won't be effective for very long (not sure how long or if it is a marketing ploy or whatever..)

I keep mine in a small Tupperware with a 1/4 tsp measure. This is good for 50 gallons. With that measure, I can eyeball 10 gallons, 20 gallons, etc. Add it directly to the tank just like Prime.
 

dogofwar

CCA Members
I just put a small pinch in each tank when I'm doing water changes. Probably (way) too much but, c'est la vie.

Matt
 

chriscoli

Administrator
I switched from Prime to Safe. I don't pre-mix it.

I make sure to occasionally weigh a dose so that I remind myself how much to add.

Here's why:

Although it is difficult to overdose, it IS possible to do, which I did a few months back. There was sort-of a cascade of bad decisions on my part....I had a partially-filled (less than half-full) 10 gal tank that I was using to hold some fish before the Feb meeting. To start with, I was using way to big a scoop for 10 gal, and it wasn't even a full 10 gal, and I forgot whether I had even dosed it, so I did it again just in case, with another way to big scoop. Anyhow....way overdosed what ended up being probably only 3 or 4 gal of water.

What happens when you overdose, you might ask.....I did some searching and it turns out that it pulls the O2 out of the water. I suffocated my fish. :(

Chris' lesson learned: Slow down. Measure. If in doubt, start over. (and I work in a lab...you'd think I would apply these skills at home!)
 

Tony

Alligator Snapping Turtle/Past Pres
I switched from Prime to Safe. I don't pre-mix it.

I make sure to occasionally weigh a dose so that I remind myself how much to add.

Here's why:

Although it is difficult to overdose, it IS possible to do, which I did a few months back. There was sort-of a cascade of bad decisions on my part....I had a partially-filled (less than half-full) 10 gal tank that I was using to hold some fish before the Feb meeting. To start with, I was using way to big a scoop for 10 gal, and it wasn't even a full 10 gal, and I forgot whether I had even dosed it, so I did it again just in case, with another way to big scoop. Anyhow....way overdosed what ended up being probably only 3 or 4 gal of water.

What happens when you overdose, you might ask.....I did some searching and it turns out that it pulls the O2 out of the water. I suffocated my fish. :(

Chris' lesson learned: Slow down. Measure. If in doubt, start over. (and I work in a lab...you'd think I would apply these skills at home!)

Dang, good to know, Chris. I often dump a bunch into a 5g bucket of fresh water for bagging - or additional straight into a fish bag. Haven't had a problem before, but will be careful from here on out...
 

Pat Kelly

CCA Member
Staff member
Hmm, I was afraid of that. I made like 4 large prime bottles of stuff. Each one treats 5000 gallons.

I ordered a large container of it from YourFishStuff.
Treets like 800,000 gallons. LOL
 

mscichlid

Founder
I love Prime. Especially the convienence and the smell ( I also like the smell of skunks and film developer fixer, go figure). When I refill the resevior, if I don't smell the Prime it means I didn't add it.
 

mchambers

Former CCA member
I use Safe and have for several years. I don't premix, but I've read of folks doing it without a problem, despite Seachem's warning. I've never overdosed it, but I don't sniff it like Matt Quinn.

For small tanks, I mix up enough for two or three tanks in a plastic jar, with water, at the time of the water changes.
 

Andrewtfw

Global Moderators
I use pond prime. Safe is probably cheaper but I prefer liquid dosing.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
 

Avatar

Plenipotentiary-at-large
Things I’ve learned from this thread

Pat is planning to stick with the hobby a while;
love is where you find it;
someone had an early childhood association linking sulfur with death;
certain trips to Uruguay may not be strictly fish-related;
a possible reason for why Matt and Tony are so invariably upbeat/energetic;
that some fish should hope to not get bought at auction by some people;
Francine is not just another pretty nose;
Prince needs a research assistant.
:D

I use both Safe and Prime, liquid for convenience/precision in water changes on small tanks, and have a 1/8 tsp. measure as well as a 1/4 tsp. for powder apps. Lots of people on the web that pre-mix, ultimate shelf-life probably depends mostly on purity of water used for mixing - chemistry never sleeps.
 
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