I have been recently using Aquarium Pharmacuticals "Stress coat" water
conditioner with weekly water changes. There has been an increase of
noticable algae in the aquarium not seen before. I have heard that some of
these conditioners while neutralizing chlorine and chloramine also affect
the water chemistry by adding phosphates and nitrates as a bi-product? If
so, doing PMDD already, I might be over-fertilizing.

Does anyone know if Aquarium Pharmacuticals conditioners do this?

Anyone's ideas?

Thanks
Dave.

What does PMDD mean?

Dan

It's not from the water conditioner.
You can use Amquel to see. It has a long history and has no influence.

Regards,
Tom Barr

www.BarrReport.com

Dave@aquaflora wrote:
I have been recently using Aquarium Pharmacuticals "Stress coat" water
conditioner with weekly water changes. There has been an increase of
noticable algae in the aquarium not seen before. I have heard that some of
these conditioners while neutralizing chlorine and chloramine also affect
the water chemistry by adding phosphates and nitrates as a bi-product? If
so, doing PMDD already, I might be over-fertilizing.

Does anyone know if Aquarium Pharmacuticals conditioners do this?

Anyone's ideas?

Thanks
Dave.

Why are you using Stress Coat? It's never been shown to do anything for
healthy fish and actually degrades water quality (as you're seeing).
Folks have measured and the aloe vera extract increases DOC and
conductivity. I'm not surprised you have an algae bloom.

Go with AmQuel for chloramine or thiosulfate (Genesis is one) for
chlorine and avoid adding "slime coat enhancers" to your tank.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

The only reason I'm using it is to get rid of the cholorine in the water. I
used to sit buckets of water out for this to evaporate over a couple days
but the extreme temperature drop (with 50% water changes) when added to the
tank were detrimental to some sensitive fish I keep.

Dave


"Elaine T" wrote in message
. ..
Dave@aquaflora wrote:
I have been recently using Aquarium Pharmacuticals "Stress coat" water
conditioner with weekly water changes. There has been an increase of
noticable algae in the aquarium not seen before. I have heard that some
of these conditioners while neutralizing chlorine and chloramine also
affect the water chemistry by adding phosphates and nitrates as a
bi-product? If so, doing PMDD already, I might be over-fertilizing.

Does anyone know if Aquarium Pharmacuticals conditioners do this?

Anyone's ideas?

Thanks
Dave.
Why are you using Stress Coat? It's never been shown to do anything for
healthy fish and actually degrades water quality (as you're seeing). Folks
have measured and the aloe vera extract increases DOC and conductivity.
I'm not surprised you have an algae bloom.

Go with AmQuel for chloramine or thiosulfate (Genesis is one) for chlorine
and avoid adding "slime coat enhancers" to your tank.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

Poor man's dosing drops...just a homemade mixture of macronutrient
fertilizer.

"Dan" wrote in message
...
What does PMDD mean?

Dan

Thanks! I seriously didn't know what it meant. Duh!

Dave@aquaflora wrote:
The only reason I'm using it is to get rid of the cholorine in the water. I
used to sit buckets of water out for this to evaporate over a couple days
but the extreme temperature drop (with 50% water changes) when added to the
tank were detrimental to some sensitive fish I keep.

Dave

Then definately go to a straight thiosulfate product. No need for
anything else. You can even add the thiosulfate to the tank and then
the tapwater at the right temperature. I've done this for discus.

HTH

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

So is Amquel such a product? BigAls doesn't seem to carry Amquel but they do
have the Genesis you were talking about. Should I get the 4 oz or 1 pint
container...if it deteriorates over time then...

thanks!!

Dave.


"Elaine T" wrote in message
...
Dave@aquaflora wrote:
The only reason I'm using it is to get rid of the cholorine in the water.
I used to sit buckets of water out for this to evaporate over a couple
days but the extreme temperature drop (with 50% water changes) when added
to the tank were detrimental to some sensitive fish I keep.

Dave

Then definately go to a straight thiosulfate product. No need for
anything else. You can even add the thiosulfate to the tank and then the
tapwater at the right temperature. I've done this for discus.

HTH

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

Oh! I read about how some simple dechlorinaters can react with the chlorine
and leave ammonia free in the water. So, removing the chlorine I can
introduce a new problem of ammonia. Does this Genesis remove ammonia as
well?

THanks!

Dave.
"Dave@aquaflora" wrote in message
news:%TvTe.232121$tt5.195156@edtnps90...
So is Amquel such a product? BigAls doesn't seem to carry Amquel but they
do have the Genesis you were talking about. Should I get the 4 oz or 1
pint container...if it deteriorates over time then...

thanks!!

Dave.


"Elaine T" wrote in message
...
Dave@aquaflora wrote:
The only reason I'm using it is to get rid of the cholorine in the
water. I used to sit buckets of water out for this to evaporate over a
couple days but the extreme temperature drop (with 50% water changes)
when added to the tank were detrimental to some sensitive fish I keep.

Dave

Then definately go to a straight thiosulfate product. No need for
anything else. You can even add the thiosulfate to the tank and then the
tapwater at the right temperature. I've done this for discus.

HTH

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

Dave@aquaflora wrote:
Oh! I read about how some simple dechlorinaters can react with the chlorine
and leave ammonia free in the water. So, removing the chlorine I can
introduce a new problem of ammonia. Does this Genesis remove ammonia as
well?

Municipalities use one of two chemicals in water to keep it safe for
drinking, chlorine or chloramine. Chloramine is a very stable complex
of chlorine + ammonia and will not even dissipate if the water sits in
sunlight for a week! Sodium thiosulfate detoxifies either, but releases
ammonia from chloramine. I assumed you had chlorine since you said
letting the water sit makes it suitable for fish, and because you were
treating with Stress Coat which is a thiosulfate based water conditioner.

It's best to find out from your water company which one is in your
water. Use sodium thiosulfate (Genesis for example) on chlorine. Use
AmQuel on chloramine to detoxify both chloramine and the resulting
ammonia. Ghuck Gadd explains chlorine vs. chloramine much better than I
can. http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_chlorine.htm

http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/rev-cond.htm has a list of some water
conditioners and what they do. My favorite Genesis is missing, but many
others are there.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

Thanks for the information and VERY useful chart from Chuck's page! I have
asked a local water purifying company regarding how the city treats the
water and it is only chlorine...so yes, that's why I used to just evaporate
it before in pails.

The weird thing is I don't know when or if they would change treatment if
ever to chloramine.

Thanks again,
Dave.

"Elaine T" wrote in message
...
Dave@aquaflora wrote:
Oh! I read about how some simple dechlorinaters can react with the
chlorine and leave ammonia free in the water. So, removing the chlorine I
can introduce a new problem of ammonia. Does this Genesis remove ammonia
as well?

Municipalities use one of two chemicals in water to keep it safe for
drinking, chlorine or chloramine. Chloramine is a very stable complex of
chlorine + ammonia and will not even dissipate if the water sits in
sunlight for a week! Sodium thiosulfate detoxifies either, but releases
ammonia from chloramine. I assumed you had chlorine since you said
letting the water sit makes it suitable for fish, and because you were
treating with Stress Coat which is a thiosulfate based water conditioner.

It's best to find out from your water company which one is in your water.
Use sodium thiosulfate (Genesis for example) on chlorine. Use AmQuel on
chloramine to detoxify both chloramine and the resulting ammonia. Ghuck
Gadd explains chlorine vs. chloramine much better than I can.
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_chlorine.htm

http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/rev-cond.htm has a list of some water
conditioners and what they do. My favorite Genesis is missing, but many
others are there.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com