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Seachem Prime vs Nutrafin Aqua Plus for water changes.

Started by Amsterdom, October 01, 2017, 06:35:09 PM

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Amsterdom

I recently switched over to aqua plus because I ran out of Prime, and needed something that day.

It seems fine, and by what the bottle tells me, it provides more than Prime.

Thoughts anyone?
130g Jardini Arowana
120g Rainbowfish, Tetra, Gourami, Angelfish (Planted CO2)
120g Angelfish, Denison Barbs, Diamond Neon Tetras, Rummy Nose Tetras, Rainbow Sharks (Planted)
120g Mixed African Cichlids
75g Electric Blue Acara, Green Texas Cichlid, Tinfoil Barb, Snow King Pleco
75g Red Devil Cichlid
55g Angelfish, Live Bearers (Planted)
55g Discus
55g Figure Eight Puffer (Brackish)
29g Quarantine System (Planted)
10g Crowntail Betta, Diamond Neon Tetras (Planted)

Mike L

 I bought a bottle of the aqua plus for the same reason last year.It doesn't treat the same amount of water that prime does. 500 ml prime does 5000 gallons aqua plus 1000. Prime does cost a few dollars more but that alone is worth it. What does the aqua say it does that prime doesn't.
Mike

Amsterdom

Quote from: Mike L on October 02, 2017, 02:31:11 PM
I bought a bottle of the aqua plus for the same reason last year.It doesn't treat the same amount of water that prime does. 500 ml prime does 5000 gallons aqua plus 1000. Prime does cost a few dollars more but that alone is worth it. What does the aqua say it does that prime doesn't.
Mike

The scale and fin protection. Unless Prime says it does that too, and I never looked haha.
130g Jardini Arowana
120g Rainbowfish, Tetra, Gourami, Angelfish (Planted CO2)
120g Angelfish, Denison Barbs, Diamond Neon Tetras, Rummy Nose Tetras, Rainbow Sharks (Planted)
120g Mixed African Cichlids
75g Electric Blue Acara, Green Texas Cichlid, Tinfoil Barb, Snow King Pleco
75g Red Devil Cichlid
55g Angelfish, Live Bearers (Planted)
55g Discus
55g Figure Eight Puffer (Brackish)
29g Quarantine System (Planted)
10g Crowntail Betta, Diamond Neon Tetras (Planted)

Mike L

I could be mistaken but I think prime has ingredients that promote fish immunities and scale protection. It's number one for a reason. Having said that I haven't always used it. And as has been said on this site it stinks.
Having said that. Expecting additives to give your fish protection is not the way to go. Regular water changes and cleaning will always garentee heathy fish so what is in one or the other water conditioner shouldn't matter. As long as it gets rid of clorimine.
Mike

tanksalot360

Ok, I'll bite.
Both are great products, acting in similar ways. Both will eliminate chlorine and break the ammonia-chlorine bond of chloramine - leaving ammonia.
Chloramine & Ammonia: With Prime, this ammonia is temporarily bound and unstable, released over a day or two. With Aquaplus, the ammonia is released at treatment. When simply treating new water, the amount of ammonia is negligible, and its toxicity is dependent on the pH of the water (high pH= toxic; low pH= non-toxic). But if you are trying to treat elevated ammonia in your tank (larger doses) with Prime, you may run into issues when the ammonia is released. Prime also removes nitrite/nitrate which can be useful when resolving water problems. That said, Aquaplus is extremely safe because its difficult to overdose.
Aquaplus has a mild sedative that reduces stress during transportation and waterchanges.
Aquaplus may overactivate protein skimmers, where as Prime does not.
Beyond that the high concentration of Prime is its "primary" selling feature, treating 5000 gallons (500mL) 23.99 vs Aquaplus 1000 gallons (500mL) 8.99 [amazon pricing].
Check out Seachem SAFE - 60000gallons for 15.99, yes sixty-thousand. Its a dry concentrate - treating chlorine, chloramine, nitrite, nitrate, just without the slime coat additives.

I was buying the large 2L jugs of Aquaplus, and changed to Prime, eventually buying the 2L bottles as well, and now I have a tiny 250g container of SAFE and I don't see myself running out anytime soon :)