Anyone use Seachem Prime in shipping bags when acclimating fish?

[JoJosReef]

As stated in the title, does anyone inject Seachem Prime into the shipping bags with a syringe or drop it in right after opening the bag so that the fish don't suffer any ammonia burn?

I don't know how quickly the change in pH occurs in the bag after opening or how quickly the ammonia turns toxic. I don't know how fast Seachem Prime detoxifies ammonia. I have read posts of new fish having a rough start, where commenters said it looked like they might have gotten ammonia burn. I am just wondering if this is a way to provide a bit of extra protection for stressed fish when they arrive and are starting acclimation.

@Slocke @i cant think @Petcrazyson I'm thinking specifically about the blue star leopard wrasse coming from Dr. Reef, hoping to make things as easy on the new gal as possible.

Thanks!

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

I feel it is best practice to float then dump, making sure you discard the shipping water. Better yet in your case, find out the water parameters of Dr. Reef and match those in a separate QT/observation tank and put him in there. Even though he is pre-QT you will want to make sure he is eating and stabilized before you put him in your DT.
This goes for any fish, pre-QT or not. Most places have a lower salinity 1.021 ish. This way you can bring up the salinity slowly but in a fresh batch of water and observe and make sure the fish eats.

 

[gbroadbridge]

As stated in the title, does anyone inject Seachem Prime into the shipping bags with a syringe or drop it in right after opening the bag so that the fish don't suffer any ammonia burn?

I don't know how quickly the change in pH occurs in the bag after opening or how quickly the ammonia turns toxic. I don't know how fast Seachem Prime detoxifies ammonia. I have read posts of new fish having a rough start, where commenters said it looked like they might have gotten ammonia burn. I am just wondering if this is a way to provide a bit of extra protection for stressed fish when they arrive and are starting acclimation.

@Slocke @i cant think @Petcrazyson I'm thinking specifically about the blue star leopard wrasse coming from Dr. Reef, hoping to make things as easy on the new gal as possible.

Thanks!

Given that it has been proven that Seachem Prime does nothing at all to 'detoxify' ammonia, I see no reason to use it for that purpose.

It is a water conditioner, nothing more.

 

[JoJosReef]

Given that it has been proven that Seachem Prime does nothing at all to 'detoxify' ammonia, I see no reason to use it for that purpose.

It is a water conditioner, nothing more.

Didn't know that. Looks like I've got some reading to do. Le sigh...

 

[Petcrazyson]

As stated in the title, does anyone inject Seachem Prime into the shipping bags with a syringe or drop it in right after opening the bag so that the fish don't suffer any ammonia burn?

I don't know how quickly the change in pH occurs in the bag after opening or how quickly the ammonia turns toxic. I don't know how fast Seachem Prime detoxifies ammonia. I have read posts of new fish having a rough start, where commenters said it looked like they might have gotten ammonia burn. I am just wondering if this is a way to provide a bit of extra protection for stressed fish when they arrive and are starting acclimation.

@Slocke @i cant think @Petcrazyson I'm thinking specifically about the blue star leopard wrasse coming from Dr. Reef, hoping to make things as easy on the new gal as possible.

Thanks!

I know that @SaltyT does something with it, but not completely sure. She’ll help you better than I can. Great question though!

 

[dmsc2fs]

As stated in the title, does anyone inject Seachem Prime into the shipping bags with a syringe or drop it in right after opening the bag so that the fish don't suffer any ammonia burn?

I don't know how quickly the change in pH occurs in the bag after opening or how quickly the ammonia turns toxic. I don't know how fast Seachem Prime detoxifies ammonia. I have read posts of new fish having a rough start, where commenters said it looked like they might have gotten ammonia burn. I am just wondering if this is a way to provide a bit of extra protection for stressed fish when they arrive and are starting acclimation.

@Slocke @i cant think @Petcrazyson I'm thinking specifically about the blue star leopard wrasse coming from Dr. Reef, hoping to make things as easy on the new gal as possible.

Thanks!

I have done this multiple times with no ill effects. Use a syringe to inject prime when I drop the bag in the tank to float.

 

[SaltyT]

I know that @SaltyT does something with it, but not completely sure. She’ll help you better than I can. Great question though!

Actually I've never used Prime I've used Stress Coat, but for a different application.

My method for acclimating shipped fish is to test the salinity they're in using a syringe that I poke into the bag. If the salinity is close to my tank's salinity (within 2ppt) I temp acclimate for 20 mins then open the bag, dump out most of the shipping water and release the fish into the tank.

 

[dmsc2fs]

I feel it is best practice to float then dump, making sure you discard the shipping water. Better yet in your case, find out the water parameters of Dr. Reef and match those in a separate QT/observation tank and put him in there. Even though he is pre-QT you will want to make sure he is eating and stabilized before you put him in your DT.
This goes for any fish, pre-QT or not. Most places have a lower salinity 1.021 ish. This way you can bring up the salinity slowly but in a fresh batch of water and observe and make sure the fish eats.

As far as I can tell from a number of orders. The salinity Dr. Reef ships at is different and you can tell the difference based on the bags they are shipped in. From a few orders, as best as I can tell his salinity in "normal" LFS bags is different then the thermo-sealed bags that I believe always have been BIOTA fish.

 

[Baldguy]

Actually I've never used Prime I've used Stress Coat, but for a different application.

My method for acclimating shipped fish is to test the salinity they're in using a syringe that I poke into the bag. If the salinity is close to my tank's salinity (within 2ppt) I temp acclimate for 20 mins then open the bag, dump out most of the shipping water and release the fish into the tank.

So, bottom line, is there any product that can be added to a shipped bag that will eliminate, even temporarily, the ammonia so the fish can be dripped for an hour or two? Seems many vendors ship at 1.020 while my tank is 1.026.

 

[SaltyT]

So, bottom line, is there any product that can be added to a shipped bag that will eliminate, even temporarily, the ammonia so the fish can be dripped for an hour or two? Seems many vendors ship at 1.020 while my tank is 1.026.

I'm unsure. I do not drip acclimate, I haven't in many years. I adjust the salinity in my observation tank to match what the fish are shipped in so all I need to do is temp acclimate. Then I raise the salinity in my observation tank by 2ppt per day until it matches my display. Usually takes about 3 -7 days, but that gives me time to ensure the fish are eating well.

 

[Jgoal55]

Given that it has been proven that Seachem Prime does nothing at all to 'detoxify' ammonia, I see no reason to use it for that purpose.

It is a water conditioner, nothing more.

Wow. Where was this proven?