# treating water with sachem prime



## okoolo (Nov 1, 2009)

not sure about this: do I add prime to every bucket of tap water I pour in the tank or can I dechlorinate it once I fill the tank up (changing about 30%, with fish & plants in the tank)

it's a bit of a pain, treating every bucket separately..


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

I would treat each bucket separately. If not, you would have chlorine sitting in your aquarium for some time before you (finally) added the Prime.

Alternatively, why not add the Prime to the aquarium before you start adding in the buckets of new water?


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

I usually fill my tank with the python connected directly to the water supply. Add the prime while it is filling.


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## okoolo (Nov 1, 2009)

hmm so I could add prime to the tank and then add tap water and the fish will be fine?


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

okoolo said:


> hmm so I could add prime to the tank and then add tap water and the fish will be fine?


Yep, I have been doing so for years.

Also you don't need much Prime a little goes a long way.

Just make sure the tap water is close to the same temp as the tank.

Also some fish don't do well with large water changes. Example: Neolamprologus multifasciatus IMO


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## Mr Fishies (Sep 21, 2007)

When prime is added to a bucket, all the prime for that water is working only on that water. When you add it to the tank first, it's diluted by water already in the tank so it mixes in at a lower concentration.

This is just based on intuition (perhaps misguided) but I think you need to add more to have the same result if you do it that way.

Since were trying to get Prime in contact with chlor(am)ine moleclues, I draw the same idea in terms of soap and dirt molecules. Wouldn't adding the prime first be like bathing by getting into a tub of water with soap and shampoo pre-mixed into the water?

Maybe someone with of a chemistry background can "confirm or deny the allegation"?


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

It would be more effective done in a bucket, but I think many/most just add it to the tank first then add the new water.

In terms of tank vs bucket, in the end there is no difference - eventually all the chloramine/chlorine will be neutralized if you've used enough prime.

In the smaller bucket, the concentration of prime would be a lot higher - so the chance that the dechlorinator will come into contact with a chlorine or chloramine molecule (and vice versa) is a lot higher. If diluted first into a larger volume, then the water is added, the dechlorinator might take longer to do it's thing.


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## xbacala (Jan 9, 2009)

when you have big tank, no way to do with bucket  

I have 100G and 120G fresh water.

I add water directly from the faucet and add Prime at the same time. Change water 20% to 30% weekly. 

Doing that for 4 years no problem.


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## Mr Fishies (Sep 21, 2007)

ameekplec. said:


> If diluted first into a larger volume, then the water is added, the dechlorinator might take longer to do it's thing.


That's assuming there is nothing else in the water that the Prime will [bind or bond with / break down] other than the chlorine though right? ie: Water in the tank will have a lot of dissolved organics and maybe other compounds not present in tap water that may have an unexpected effect on the Prime's ability to do it's thing?



xbacala said:


> when you have big tank, no way to do with bucket
> 
> I have 100G and 120G fresh water.
> 
> ...


I do the same thing, direct from tap, but I more than double dose when adding my water. I follow EI so I do %50 (~35G) changes weekly on a 75G. I'll add the recommended amount for 50G (1 cap) just as I am starting to add water back, then when I am about 2/3 - 3/4 done, I dose the same amount again. I still get 50 water changes from a single bottle, so it's about $0.25 a change.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Mr Fishies said:


> That's assuming there is nothing else in the water that the Prime will [bind or bond with / break down] other than the chlorine though right? ie: Water in the tank will have a lot of dissolved organics and maybe other compounds not present in tap water that may have an unexpected effect on the Prime's ability to do it's thing?


yep, that's right.


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