Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => New Fishkeepers => Topic started by: Diz1 on August 27, 2014, 07:35:36 AM
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Morning everyone,
I'm going to start my QTTank up soon so that I can add more fish to my main tank. I'm going to use some filter material and water from the main tank for an instant cycle so that fish can go in straight away.
I've been using Tetra safe start dechlorinator with no issues, but have come to the end of the bottle. I've been looking at API stress coat as a new one to try, just because it claims to do all the water detox stuff and also has beneficial effects for the fishes' coats and I thought that this might help the new (as well as old fish in my main tank) fish to remain healthy whilst in QT.
What does everyone think, is API good, bad or indifferent? ???
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I use API's stuff all the time and used it since I started fish keeping and never had any issues with it, I would say order it online though if you can as the prices are a lot cheaper on the web!
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I use an API one but not Stress Coat because I don't want all the stuff that 'helps the slime coat'.
I use API Tap Water Conditioner (http://www.apifishcare.co.uk/product.php?sectionid=1&catid=3&subcatid=28&id=121)
Advantages for me:
It doesn't have anything for the slime coat, it just removes chlorine and detoxifies metals
The dose rate for chlorine is 1 drop per US gall/3.75 litres (for chloramine, it's 3 drops) - one bottle lasts ages
Disadvantages for some people:
It doesn't detoxify ammonia so if you have chloramine in the tapwater you have to use ammo lock as well.
It doesn't promote the slime coat, if you really want that
Not many shops sell it, I have to buy mine on line or stock up when I visit the one not-so-local shop that sells it when I go there.
Other people swear by Seachem Prime (http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/Prime.html). This is also very concentrated, therefore economical. But this one does detoxify ammonia and it contains something for the slime coat. It also claims to detoxify nitrite and nitrate but since no-one knows what's in it, it's hard to say if it actually does this.
Prime is another product that a few shops, but not all, sell, though it isn't much cheaper on line as the company have banned Ebay and Amazon sellers from selling it cheap. On line shops other than these charge the same as real shops.
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Thanks Rich D (sorry, can't find the underline on my keyboard) and Sue.
Sue, why wouldn't you want something that helps with the slime coat? Just curious. ???
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I don't want to add anything to my tanks. I have to use something that detoxifies metals because of the shrimps and snails, and rather than have a ton of buckets hanging round, I want something to remove chlorine. But I don't want to add anything else. The reason for not having buckets hanging round is that I change 50 to 55 litres on the 180 litre tank, and around 25 litres on the 2 kitchen tanks every week and 75/80 litres of water is a lot to have standing round in buckets :-\
The slime coat is a natural function of fish. They'll have a slime coat regardless of what we do, except for those unscrupulous people who strip the slime coat off so they can dye the fish :vcross:
However, this is in my main tanks; those fish have not been subjected to netting etc which can damage the slime coat. I suppose there is some justification for using one of those dechlorinators in quarantine tanks where the fish are quite likely to have been damaged by some over-enthusiastic shop worker.
One thing I would say is don't use a product that contains aloe vera as they have been known to reduce the oxygen content of the tank water.
Stress Coat contains aloe vera. Not all dechlorinators do, some contain other 'slime coat promoting' chemicals.
Underscore _ is on the same key as - just use the shift key ;)
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Thanks Sue, so would you say that API Tap Water Conditioner is better than Tetra Safe Start then? Also, for use in my QT tank, do you know the names of any water conditioners that might help QT fish in case they've been roughly handled and which don't contain aloe Vera? Apologies, I know it's a heap more questions, and thank you for your patience. :)
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Tetra Safe Start is a bacterial thingy, one of the couple that actually contains the correct species of bacteria. But it's not a dechlorinator.
Aqua Safe is Tetra's dechlorinator. From what I can find it contains 'bio-colloids' for the slime coat. I don't think that's aloe vera.
Waterlife's Haloex contains aloe vera.
eSHa don't make a dechlorinator
King British DE-chlorinator doesn't say
Interpet Bioactive Tapsafe contains aloe vera
Aqua One make a couple of products. One says it contains "other substances to the water to re enforce your fish's immune systems and really boost their health" and the other just removes chlorine and removes ammonia (presumably that which comes from chloramine). Neither of them mention detoxifying metals or enhancing the slime coat. When I got a new Aqua One tank for my betta last year it had a bottle of their Water Conditioner, which isn't on their website currently. My bottle says removes chlorine, deals with metals and enhances the slime coat but doesn't say what that ingredient is.
Sorry those are all a bit mixed up, I googled them as i thought of them ;D If anyone else can think of other makes, we'll add them to the list.
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Thanks Sue, I'm sorry, I was very muddled, which isn't the best when asking for help!
I meant that I've been using Aqua Safe from Tetra. Perhaps I should just stick with that, as it's been fine so far. I think that I've been so upset about the whole whitespot thing that I just want to make sure I'm doing the best for my fish.
Unless there's a glaringly obvious method in my thinking, then the fewer chemicals involved, the better? It's probably good to keep all the other stuff to hand if you need it rather than jumping in with a load of stuff that might not be needed?! :)
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Don't worry Diz just call me rich anyway! I use the api stress coat and dechlorinator it has added aloe Vera in it bust as my tank has a lot of oxygen in it anyway with my co2, bubbles and spray bar it's not as much of an issue for me and I've never had much of an issue since using it but it's each to there own, what some people swear by others have had mixed results with, best bet is to find a brad that works for you and you trust and stick with it! ;) :cheers:
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i to have been using the api stress coat and have not had any problems that i can directly pin point to it but iam the same as rich i have 2 spray bars 3 bubble makers and a wave maker so i think i iam fairly covered for oxygen i did have a bottle of api tap water conditioner with out the stress coat which i bought when i first got the tank then quickly realised the size of the bottle was far to small and went and got the stress coat , the only thing i have had lately is a green slimy layer of algae and someone has suggested that this could be caused by the aloe vera in the stress coat treatment but i have not had time yet to look into that further.
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I've just changed from Tetra's AquaSafe to Fluval Aqua+ Water Conditioner. It claims to remove Chlorine and Chloramine, neutralise metal toxins, coats and protects scales and fins. The dosing says to add 5ml/40litres to make tap water safe, and 10ml/40litres for complete protection of scales and fins.
I only changed 'cos my local MA stopped stocking the Tetra line of products.
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Thanks Colin, so you would've stuck with AquaSafe if you'd still been able to get it then?
Also, a specific question for you if you don't mind, since I know you've posted about this before. As you know, i have 2 male platies in my 180 Juwel Rio, and they get on really well – I know your 2 platy males didn't. I really would like to add more platies, but i really don't want to cope with the fry. I realise that i may be just lucky with my 2 boys, but if I were to add more male platies (a total of 6), would that help to protect against agression at all? I'm sorry if this is a dumb question, but I really do like platies! ???
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In my experience with platies which was a short but sweet time the more u add the less aggression as its spread over the group but make sure its males or the 6 could become 60 very shortly! I had a mixed group of 12 in my old tank and when i eventually found someone to take them off me i had about 80 fry with the adults!
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Thanks Colin, so you would've stuck with AquaSafe if you'd still been able to get it then?
Yes, but only out of inertia.
Also, a specific question for you if you don't mind, since I know you've posted about this before. As you know, i have 2 male platies in my 180 Juwel Rio, and they get on really well – I know your 2 platy males didn't. I really would like to add more platies, but i really don't want to cope with the fry. I realise that i may be just lucky with my 2 boys, but if I were to add more male platies (a total of 6), would that help to protect against agression at all? I'm sorry if this is a dumb question, but I really do like platies! ???
Go with Rich's answer as I've never had more than two male platies at any one time.
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Thanks again Colin and Rich, that's a great help :)
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The dosing says to add 5ml/40litres to make tap water safe
With mine, I'd add 11 drops for 40 litres! The dosage rate in mls as stated on the bottle is 1.25ml per 76 litres water for chlorine or 3.75ml per 76 litres for chloramine.
This is the main reason I started using it, the lack of aloe vera was just a bonus when I found out about not using it.
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Also, thanks Chris, I didn't include you earlier!