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Prime stuff?

captmicha

Members
What's that stuff called that's stronger than Prime?

Can you DIY Prime?

I've been sick for a couple of weeks and haven't done tank cleanings.

I'm afraid to see my tanks in the basement. Thankfully doesn't look like I lost anyone upstairs or on the kitchen level.

Need to be armed for the future.
 

mchambers

Former CCA member
Gee, I've never overdosed Safe. For smaller tanks (less than 20 gallons), I dilute a dose of Safe large enough for two or three tanks into water, then divide the water among the tanks.

For 20 gallons and larger, I use small measuring spoons. I've never had a problem.
 

mchambers

Former CCA member
I'll never discourage DIY, but my sense is that even those here with lots of tanks use Safe, because it's easier to use than sodium thiosulfate, and not much more expensive. I do water changes weekly on about 500 gallons of tanks, and Safe seems to last forever.

Either way, you'll need a way to measure small amounts. For Safe, I use one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Stain...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B0009X1P9S

Or you can be more fancy, and use something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Seachem-Digital-Aquarium-Supplement-Dosing/dp/B00VKOUBEK
 

DiscusnAfricans

Past President
I use safe for all tanks, 10 gallons and up. I have a small measuring spoon, and I guesstimate the amount for smaller tanks, knowing that 1/4 TSP is the dosage for 50 gallons.

Such a small amount is used that it lasts for a very long time. I feel better using something made by professionals that is essentially keeping my fish alive at every water change. Same reason I don't change the brakes on my car, even though I probably could.
 

JLW

CCA Members
Safe basically is sodium thiosulphate.

As to overdosing it, I gotta ask what you mean by "overdosing." If you mean "put in so much that it killed my fish," yea, it's hard to do that. It takes something like 300 mg/L to start to kill fish, although it'll deplete oxygen before that.

However, sodium thiosulphate isn't a good thing to add to aquariums anyhow. It's an irritant, and it can produce some interesting chemical reactions in the aquarium. It's a carcinogen, and it tends to bioaccumulate (this is why it is not to be used on food fish). Overall, it's a pretty harsh chemical.

Its byproducts in the reactions with chlorine aren't really that bad, but you really don't want to overdose. Keep in mind that the proscribed dosage of most dechlorinators is WAY overkill anyhow -- especially in the winter. So, if you're dosing a portion of a portion of a teaspoon into the tank, you're probably way overdosing it.

Sure, you might not be noticing any problems after overdosing it, just like you can walk around with a bar of uranium stuck in the back of your shirt every Sunday for like 23-seasons without feeling sick, but eventually it's going to catch up to you. I wouldn't be surprised if you get more tumours, lower fecundity, etc with Safe than you would with a properly measured amount.

I've been pretty critical of heavy overdoses of sodium thiosulphate based dechlorinators in the past, and am again here; I want to emphasize that it's probably the best and safest method to dechlorinate water rapidly IF YOU DO NOT OVERDOSE. You can, of course, also use carbon filtration, evapouration, bubbling, etc.
 

FishEggs

Well-Known Member
When I figured out dosage for Safe I figured 1/4 teaspoon for my 220 gallon and that's what I've been using for over a year now. I think I have to check my calculations again.

Will chloramines disappear through evaporation or bubbling?
 

mchambers

Former CCA member
When I figured out dosage for Safe I figured 1/4 teaspoon for my 220 gallon and that's what I've been using for over a year now. I think I have to check my calculations again.

Will chloramines disappear through evaporation or bubbling?
Chloramines will not disappear through evaporation or bubbling, at least not very quickly.
 

DiscusnAfricans

Past President
So Michael has been dosing 5 times more than needed and I'm guessing the fish have been OK?
Now I'm hoping I was wrong and that I was using less than 1/4 teaspoon. But, I've never lost a fish during or after a water change, and have lost very few fish at all in the recent past. That includes discus that I was doing daily changes, or every other day changes on for a while.

I guess my dechlor will last even longer now, but I'm not sure how to measure it now. Guess I'll have to get a new measuring device, don't think I have anything that would measure 0.0167th of a teaspoon for a 20 gallon tank.
 

mchambers

Former CCA member
Now I'm hoping I was wrong and that I was using less than 1/4 teaspoon. But, I've never lost a fish during or after a water change, and have lost very few fish at all in the recent past. That includes discus that I was doing daily changes, or every other day changes on for a while.

I guess my dechlor will last even longer now, but I'm not sure how to measure it now. Guess I'll have to get a new measuring device, don't think I have anything that would measure 0.0167th of a teaspoon for a 20 gallon tank.
If you look at this, https://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Stain...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B0009X1P9S you'll see a set of spoons that will measure all the way down to the dosage about a 20 gallon tank.

Tad= ¼ tsp = 300 gallons
Dash = 1/8 teaspoon = 150 gallons
Pinch = 1/16 tsp = 75 gallons
Smidgen = 1/32 tsp = 37 gallons
Drop = 1/64 tsp = 18

Now, I'll concede it's hard to measure with great precision doing this for smaller tanks. You'd probably dose more accurately by diluting an amount for a larger volume of water into a jar or other container, marked in increments, perhaps quarters or sixths.
 

JLW

CCA Members
There appear to have been different concentrations of safe made at different points, which use a quarter for 50, 200, and 300 gallons ....
 

mchambers

Former CCA member
There appear to have been different concentrations of safe made at different points, which use a quarter for 50, 200, and 300 gallons ....
Actually, I think it is just that Seachem has changed its mind. On the webpage, it says: NOTE: These directions supersede all other prior packaging.

EDIT: Seachem says it changed its advice due to changes in the way local governments use chlorine and chloramine: http://www.seachem.com/support/forums/forum/general-discussion/2653-correct-safe-dosage
 
Last edited:

Becca

Members
I've seen both dosages on the seachem website- the smaller bottle comes with a dosage guide that suggests it's less concentrated.
 
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