Fish Conditioner Confusion

[Karplunk]

Hi, I just have a question. Are water conditioner and ammonia neutralizer basically the same thing?

I read the label and it said that Ammonia Neutralizer neutralizes ammonia and nitrites that can build up in aquarium water and acts as a water conditioner by neutralizing chlorine and chloramines, preparing tap water for fish.

The water conditioner said that it neutralizes choline and chloramines in tap water. Also, detoxifies heavy metals, ammonia and other elements released from fish waste.

Are they the same thing?

 

[fatheadminnow]

Not really.

Some water conditioners will "remove" ammonia while other will not. When the product claims to "remove" ammonia, it is actually converting ammonia into ammonium. Ammonium is still detectable by our tests kits and comes up as ammonia but it is not as harmful to fish and our beneficial bacteria can still utilize it as a food source.

Just stick to a good water conditioner such as API Stress Coat or Seachem Prime, etc... and you should be just fine. I would not bother with any product solely claiming it "removes" ammonia and/or nitrites.

-FHM

 

[Anna Robinson]

This issue is a little confusing these days, as there are a lot of cross-over products. I have seen products marketed as both dechlorinators and ammonia-removers, especially in the coldwater market.

I find it helpful to think of a water conditioner as something that neutralises chlorine and chloramine, then neutralises the residual ammonia resulting from the breaking of the chloramine bond. It usually improves the tapwater in other ways as well, such as binding heavy metals, or boosting the fish's slime coat.

An ammonia 'remover' is a product designed to neutralise larger amounts of ammonia (e.g. in emergencies). It may also take care of chlorine and chloramine as a sort of side-effect, but it will not have the added extras that a water conditioner has, such as the ability to bind heavy metals.

As FHM has already said, if treating tapwater is the goal, you would opt for a product from a respectable company which was marketed as a water conditioner.

 

[Ghost9001]

Stick with API stress coat, as said before products that claim to "remove" ammonia typically do not work too well or are harmful to your tank.