PDA

View Full Version : Premixing, or "Chemical Cocktails"



Mickey C
Wed Sep 08, 2010, 04:51 AM
Please don't read this wrong, I don't currently do this it was just an idea that I've been thinking of to stop myself making any silly mistakes.

With any chemicals you may dose regularly, could you potentially premix them without side effect? I would think that any chemical trying to remove things from the water (eg, Prime) would be a no-no, but chemicals trying to add (Discus Trace, Excell) might be ok? The intent would be to make one bottle for my display tank, and another for my second tank (I don't put anything in the QT tank on a regular basis) where I simply add 10mL from the bottle and it's all correctly made up so 10mL of chemicals and water is the right "cocktail" for that particular tank.

The reason for the question is that twice this week I've been a bit sleepy and put Excell in my display tank (5mL) then walked over to another tank and put 5mL when it should really only be half that. Lucky it only has half a dozen guppies to cycle that tank (yes it has plants there too).

I guess a second reason is that if I'm doing 10% changes per day, then by the end of the week up to 70% of the water (and trace elements!) have been replaced. Would it therefore be better to have a tiny amount of trace elements being added every day, or one larger batch once a week?

I know people will say "don't put so much crap in your tank" but I'm only going to use Prime, Excell, Flourish and Discus Trace. That doesn't seem too much different from most people here (I think!).

ILLUSN
Wed Sep 08, 2010, 07:02 AM
ok first off there no point putting anythin into a tank untill 24hrs after you add prime, prime will lock away anything reactive this include trace elements. prime isn't too stable and will be inactive within 24hrs.

trace elements will be replaced from your tap water, you will only need to re dose them if your using RO water

Excell breaks down on exposure to light, its made of phtosynetic intermediates (carbon chains) being inter mediates they are quickly converted into other molecules (sugars in the plant tissue or fed into the phosphorilation chain) I wouldn't mix it with anything as its shelf life would be severly reduced.

maybe concider an auto doser that you can just pre load with your liquid chemicals and it will automaticly dose them for you, eheim make a dosing pump i believe a few other manufacturers do too.

Mickey C
Wed Sep 08, 2010, 07:14 AM
It was sort of a toss up between an auto doser and an idea like this. Your explanation of prime also explains a lot, as does Excell. They certainly don't put anything like that in the brochure :lol:

For now I'll have to pay double close attention - maybe wake up a little more before waking the fishies up.