Best water conditioner

[Tyler777]

I need advice bout which water conditioner is the one to have n keep.
I used the Api one but I ran out of it n my wife got the tetra one.

What u guys think is the better one to keep all the time ?

 

[Essjay]

The answer depends on whether your water provider uses chlorine or chloramine.
For chlorine, the best is API Tap Water Conditioner. This contains just two chemicals, one to remove chlorine and one to bind metals.

For chloramine, it is better to use a conditioner which also temporarily detoxifies the ammonia made by splitting chloramine.

The conditioners to avoid are those which contain something to "promote the slime coat" or similar wording. These additives can coat the fish's gills over time.


If the Tetra water conditioner is AquaSafe, I would use the bottle then don't get any more.
From Tetra's website

Instantly removes dangerous chlorine, chloramine, copper, zinc and lead from tap water

Removes chlorine; breaks chloramine into chlorine & ammonia then removes the chlorine; binds metals. Does not mention detoxifying the ammonia from chloramine so I wouldn't use it when there's chloramine in tap water.

Contains a natural plant extract to protect fish gills and mucous membranes

This could well be aloe vera, one of the things that coats fish gills.

 

[Fishfunn]

I use SeaChem Prime and like that very much.

 

[10 Tanks]

Hello. I used Seachem's Prime for years. Now, I use API products. I think they're a lot less expensive and seem to work just as well.

10

 

[Fishfunn]

Prime will detoxify ammonia and nitrites temporarily in a tank for 48 hours until it goes inactive, which allows a biological filter to remove them. You only need 2 drops per gallon unless you have chloramines, then you double the dose. Prime is great for the prevention of ammonia poisoning.

 

[sharkweek178]

Byron recommended to me API Tap Water Conditioner over Seachem Prime so that's what I use. I add a little extra to deal with chloramine.
I think it was because Prime neutralizes some of the nutrients in liquid fertilizer.

 

[Tyler777]

The answer depends on whether your water provider uses chlorine or chloramine.
For chlorine, the best is API Tap Water Conditioner. This contains just two chemicals, one to remove chlorine and one to bind metals.

For chloramine, it is better to use a conditioner which also temporarily detoxifies the ammonia made by splitting chloramine.

The conditioners to avoid are those which contain something to "promote the slime coat" or similar wording. These additives can coat the fish's gills over time.


If the Tetra water conditioner is AquaSafe, I would use the bottle then don't get any more.
From Tetra's website

Removes chlorine; breaks chloramine into chlorine & ammonia then removes the chlorine; binds metals. Does not mention detoxifying the ammonia from chloramine so I wouldn't use it when there's chloramine in tap water.


This could well be aloe vera, one of the things that coats fish gills.

Thank you for your advice. I'm not a big fan of tetra bcause I read they sell several products that are worthless dunno if that's true but I read bad reviews several times n I had a bad experience using their anti cloudiness water product, it made my water 3 times clouded than it was.
In the other hand I liked the Api but I'm new on this hobby so I rathered ask for advice than just go with what I like. I can't always trust what I like my first wife n presidents I liked bfore betrayed my trust ... lol

Byron recommended to me API Tap Water Conditioner over Seachem Prime so that's what I use. I add a little extra to deal with chloramine.
I think it was because Prime neutralizes some of the nutrients in liquid fertilizer.

 

[Fishfunn]

Per API Tap Water instructions are 1 ml per 5 gallons, which is 20 drops. For Prime, it is 10 drops per 5 gallons. So you need twice as much API Tap Water conditioner as opposed to Prime. That balances out the cost.
Plus Prime will temporarily detoxify ammonia and nitrites to prevent ammonia and nitrite poisoning. This could solve the transportation issue raised by some of the members by adding a couple of drops to a holding bag to prevent ammonia poisoning.

 

[Naughts]

Per API Tap Water instructions are 1 ml per 5 gallons,

That's not what my bottle says...it's 1ml for 20 gallon/ 76 litres.

 

[Essjay]

Different size bottles are different concentrations so the dose rate varies with bottle size. For chloramine the dose rate is 3 times the chlorine dose rate.

I have the 118 ml/4 fl oz bottle and for chlorine the dose rate is 1 ml per 15 gallons, though for chloramine it is 1 ml per 5 gallons. For chlorine, that's 1 drop per gallon. But it doesn't detoxify ammonia.

 

[Naughts]

Different size bottles are different concentrations so the dose rate varies with bottle size.

How confusing! I have 16 fl oz/ 473ml. And Fishfunn has another dose rate again.

 

[Essjay]

Fishfunn's dose rate is what my bottle says for chloramine.


I know the largest bottles are more concentrated than the smaller bottles - they're so big they're probably intended for ponds rather than tanks.

@Naughts what size bottle do you have?

 

[Naughts]

473ml/ 16 fluid ounces.

 

[Essjay]

You have a bigger bottle than me, probably why the dose is a bit different. I suppose it could be they changed the concentration and we have bottles from different batches? I'm almost out of mine so I'll see what the new bottle says when I get one.

 

[Fishfunn]

That's not what my bottle says...it's 1ml for 20 gallon/ 76 litres.

I apologize, I got the dosage wrong. It was for chloramines, 3ml for 15 gallons or 1ml per 5 gallons