Too much or too little Prime?

[dnas17]

Hey everyone, today I filling up my new saltwater tank with tap water. I am using Prime to cure it and I was just wondering is there anyway to know if I've used enough too much or too little because I have a feeling I may have used a little too much or too little and I'm scared it may harm the fish. Is too much dangerous for the fish? It says use a cap full for every 50 gallons. I have a 75 gallon tank but I fear I may have added a little too much cause I was adding it to the tank 17 gallons at a time so when I went to add the Prime to the 17 gallons I don't know if I put in too much or too little. So is there anyway to test if the conditioner worked and will too much harm my fish?

[fischkopp]

No worries, adding a little more won't harm your fish. Even 5x the recommended dose is fine and used by some in emergency situations. A good measure practised by many folks (who usually change 50% water or more) is to dose according to the aquarium size, not the amount of water changed.

Adding too little is not a good idea though, you want to make sure that your water is always treated. Fish can be harmed severely within minutes ...

[dnas17]

So are you saying that cause my tank is 75 gallons and lets say i do a ten percent water change so like 8 gallons even thought it says 1 cap per 50 gallons i should put in cup and a half into the new water anyway?

[76brian]

If by cup you mean cap, yes that would be fine.

A CUP and a half is a little much 

[dnas17]

Yes lol by cup i mean cap

[Darth]

even still by the time you add fish, any ill effects would have been gone, since the tank is new I would hope you are not adding any fish right away

[exv152]

One capful and a half (7.5 ml) is all you need to treat the entire 75g tank. But the extra shouldn't be harmful. Some test stips test for chlorine, I think it's either the tetra or api five in one.

[dnas17]

alright thanks for the info everyone!

[dnas17]

Okay I have another question regarding Prime, I recently added my first bit of live rock to my 75 gallon tank (32 lbs) it was said to be cured howver i am getting small readings of ammonia between 0.25ppm and 0 (its hard to tell with the kit) my question is with this level of ammonia is it safe to add a clean up crew or even damsels? And to lower the ammonia should i add some prime. Also my PH is at 8.0, nitrite 0.25 and nitrate 0. I adde the rock sunday afternoon. Thanks

[Stussi613]

Okay I have another question regarding Prime, I recently added my first bit of live rock to my 75 gallon tank (32 lbs) it was said to be cured howver i am getting small readings of ammonia between 0.25ppm and 0 (its hard to tell with the kit) my question is with this level of ammonia is it safe to add a clean up crew or even damsels? And to lower the ammonia should i add some prime. Also my PH is at 8.0, nitrite 0.25 and nitrate 0. I adde the rock sunday afternoon. Thanks

You aren't cycled yet, you still have ammonia and nitrite, but no nitrate. Adding prime will lower the ammonia, but adding too much of it will probably crash your cycle too.  I wouldn't add anything to it until you have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and a positive amount of nitrate.

[dnas17]

I thought cured rock wont cycle a tank? Or if it does it will be minimal

[bt]

Adding prime will lower the ammonia, but adding too much of it will probably crash your cycle too.

It won't crash the cycle.  The bacteria can still feed on the ammonia bound up by the Prime, the same way most ammonia tests will read positive for it.

[dnas17]

Oh I've also talked to a few people who have said that the test kit may be picking up the traces of chloramine from the tap water is that possible?

[exv152]

Oh I've also talked to a few people who have said that the test kit may be picking up the traces of chloramine from the tap water is that possible?

It's very possible. Does your test kit say it reads both NH3 and NH4? If it does then you'll be seeing both ammonia and ammonium, respectively, the first being more toxic than the latter.

[dnas17]

Yes it does, says it reads NH3/NH4+. Is this my problem? Do you think its okay to add some live stock?

[Stussi613]

It's very possible. Does your test kit say it reads both NH3 and NH4? If it does then you'll be seeing both ammonia and ammonium, respectively, the first being more toxic than the latter.

I forgot about this, thanks for pointing it out.

The biggest thing I've seen in the test results, however, that cause concern is nitrates = 0.

Has the OP been doing anything to cycle the tank?

[dnas17]

If it matters nitrates are at 0, nitrites have been weird, at times it measures about 0.25 ppm and sometimes 0. usually 0. also ph is sitting at around 8.0

[exv152]

Yes it does, says it reads NH3/NH4+. Is this my problem? Do you think its okay to add some live stock?

Yeah it could be the reason you're seeing some green on your test kit. If you take chloramine (which comes in the city water) and remove the chlorine you're left with ammonia. The ionized form of ammonia - ammonium, is far less harmful. I would try testing the water a day or two after doing a water change, so your biological filter has a chance to consume the ammonium NH4, if that's what it is.

[exv152]

If it matters nitrates are at 0, nitrites have been weird, at times it measures about 0.25 ppm and sometimes 0. usually 0. also ph is sitting at around 8.0

Your nitrates should be higher than 0, to show the tank is somewhat cycled. Nitrates are the end product of a cycled tank and zero just means it's not there yet. I wouldn't add fish yet.

[dnas17]

Alright gonna wait a bit ill continue testing, but if the cured rock is truly cured and the test kits only picking up some traces of chloramine then how could i expect nitrates to show up if they cant convert from ammonia>nitrite>nitrate?