Can you overdose seachem safe?

[wtusa17]

I just got 2 bottles of seachem safe and they each treat 60,000 gallons. I’m going to get some measuring spoons that measure 1/64 teaspoons. This is still enough to treat 18 gallons. If I used 1/64 teaspoon to treat a 5 gallon tank, would it have an affect on the fish or plants? I know you can overdose to combat nitrite but if I just dosed 1/64 on my 5 gallons would it hurt them?

 

[Byron]

First, Safe is a conditioner and should never be used to "treat" nitrite, except at a water change if nitrite occurs in the source water, or is present in the tank but that should not occur normally.

Overdosing conditioners is risky and the amount required to condition the fresh water is all that should be used; I am assuming fish are present. Substances added to the tank water will get inside fish if the ions are able to permeate the cell walls (this depends upon the size). The fish "drink" water by osmosis through every cell, and the water along with substances dissolved in it enter the fish's bloodstream and internal organs. The less the better.

If no fish are present, I guess it really doesn't matter, but I can't speak for invertebrates, plants or bacteria. Adding any chemical can have follow-up reactions chemically.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

If you have doubts, preform a large water changes, and keep/add active carbon in your filter - this will remove most of the chemical.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

If you have doubts, preform a large water changes, and keep/add active carbon in your filter - this will remove most of the chemical.

Sorry, but have seen you do this a lot and gotta let you know - it's 'pERform', not 'preform'

 

[wtusa17]

First, Safe is a conditioner and should never be used to "treat" nitrite, except at a water change if nitrite occurs in the source water, or is present in the tank but that should not occur normally.

Overdosing conditioners is risky and the amount required to condition the fresh water is all that should be used; I am assuming fish are present. Substances added to the tank water will get inside fish if the ions are able to permeate the cell walls (this depends upon the size). The fish "drink" water by osmosis through every cell, and the water along with substances dissolved in it enter the fish's bloodstream and internal organs. The less the better.

If no fish are present, I guess it really doesn't matter, but I can't speak for invertebrates, plants or bacteria. Adding any chemical can have follow-up reactions chemically.

I’m not using it to treat nitrites. Seachem recommends 5x the dosage so I was thinking it’s safe if you overdose a little

 

[Essjay]

Just because Seachem say it's safe doesn't necessarily mean it is safe. Many companies sell things which shouldn't really be added to an aquarium so I wouldn't trust everything they say.

 

[Naughts]

How much would 1ml treat? 1 teaspoon=5ml, 1ml=25 drops (use a pipette to dose drops) so you could measure out a few drops for 5 gallons.

 

[AbbeysDad]

I’m not using it to treat nitrites. Seachem recommends 5x the dosage so I was thinking it’s safe if you overdose a little

The trouble with additives that the manufacturer says is 'safe' when overdosing is the definition of 'safe'. Many harmful things won't kill you right away, but may shorten your life span...and what about repeated 'safe' overdoses?
As Byron points out, everything in the water gets into the fish through osmosis. So our best approach, whenever we can, is to limit what we put in the water to only that which is absolutely necessary.
In another example, a manufacturer recommends a certain amount of fertilizer. But I've found that my plants grow just fine with about half that amount. So why add more even though it 'might be safe'? Perhaps not the best example as to back off on water conditioner could be a big mistake, but then so could overdosing.

 

[seangee]

I’m not using it to treat nitrites. Seachem recommends 5x the dosage so I was thinking it’s safe if you overdose a little

Of course they do. That means you buy 5 times as much and they get 5 times the profit.
Safe is exactly the same as prime but in a much more concentrated form as it is intended for use in ponds. The easiest way to use it for a tank is to make up a solution and use it in the same way as prime. You will have to do a little arithmetic to work out the concentration for the solution and the dosage.

I use it in a 7000 litre pond so have no incentive to do the arithmetic as teaspoons are fine for my needs