GTR73 Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 Does everyone in Sydney use Prime? Could be just me, but seems like quite a few mention it in discussion. Up here in Brisbane there's stuff called "Water Ager Cn". I'm sure it'd be in NSW. It's apparently exactly the same stuff as Prime but is imported in bulk, re-labeled and distributed by a local Aussie company. I buy a 250ml bottle for $15. Removes 3ppm chlorine, 1.5ppm chloramine and 0.1ppm ammonia, as well as detoxifies the metals, at 1ml to 38L. I started out on Prime, a great product no doubt, but I find it too expensive. I've found Water Ager Cn just as good. There's also another cheap but quality water conditioner up here called "Aqua Star" which neutralizes 5ppm chlorine, 2ppm chloramine and 1ppm ammonia. I believe it's the same story as Water Ager Cn - local distributor re-badging an OS product. Aqua Star is a couple of bucks more for a 250ml, but it does 1ml to 70L. I don't use it as it's not as readily available, however a fellow enthusiast uses it and I'm envious he doesn't need to use as much water conditioner as me. Just got me that everyone was talking "Prime" and thought I'd mention the pseudo-Aussie alternatives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeWs Fish Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 Prime and Aquatan are good IMO. IF you have a lot of tanks why not get a water filter? Cost about the same as buying few months supply of aquatan or prime etc,. You can use it for years and years. LOL If you keep discus and americans etc get one with an adjustable R/O unit, so u can make softer water. Surely beats dosing the fish with something that looks a bit like cordial LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mianos Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 ACN has worked well for me for the last year or so. I've got a mix of fishlies, including discus. They all seem to be completely unaffacted by my 20% weekly water changes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaZ Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 I was using ACN, buying it from Age of Aquariums but they stopped selling it a few months back. I've since been using Aquastar (also from AOA) and it's also been good. 3ml treats 70L of water so it's very affordable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gav Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 safe would have to be close to the most economical water ager around. a kg worth will last you forever and a day. one sccop treats 40 litres for chloramine. 10 scoops to the teaspoon, 2000 sccops to the kg. works out at 80,000 litres of treated water per kg. retail is $100 or so a kg. at 1cent for every 8 litres, its hard to beat in price Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaZ Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 So safe does 80000L per $100? 1L of Aquastar costs only $55, and treats 70000L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 I think you are wrong there Gav. 1Kg of Safe treats 150.000 liters according to the information I have from Seachem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markus13 Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 FYI, AquaStar is the all new 'beefed up' Water Ager ACN more concentrated, has a broader spectrum of chelating agents, and as Baz has stated, is good value for money and is available from AOA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaZ Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 I think you are wrong there Gav. 1Kg of Safe treats 150.000 liters according to the information I have from Seachem. ← Is that for Chloramine too Nigel? I remember looking at safe and finding it fairly confusing. At the time they gave one figure for Chlorine, one for Chloramine and another for Ammonia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 I don't know Glenn its just the volume quoted on the wholesale list from the importer. I use both Safe and Water Ager ACN I guess there both cheap for me as I get them direct from the importers. As for the Safe I do use double the dose if I remember that is the correct dose for chloramine. As long as the water ager you use removes chloramine it does not matter. So go with the cheapest and best you can get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeWs Fish Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 I don't know how you go past an aqaurium grade water filter? its about $340 as a once off and then you end up changing the media once a year or so for around $50. Makes as many litres of pure water as you can be enthusiastic about the water changes. This means you dont need water conditoners ever again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaZ Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 As long as the water ager you use removes chloramine it does not matter. So go with the cheapest and best you can get. ← Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaZ Posted September 3, 2005 Share Posted September 3, 2005 I don't know how you go past an aqaurium grade water filter? its about $340 as a once off and then you end up changing the media once a year or so for around $50. Makes as many litres of pure water as you can be enthusiastic about the water changes. This means you dont need water conditoners ever again ← Do you have a picture of yours Mike? I use a tap just outside the fishroom door for all my water changes, I'd need to see how it was connected to work out if it was an option here. The thing which worries me with one of those filters is I might forget to change the media. At least with ager I have to use it each time I do a water change so I do not forget. But I imagine forgetting to change the media in one of those filters could be bad news for a lot of tanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeWs Fish Posted September 3, 2005 Share Posted September 3, 2005 http://psifilters.com.au/Reverse%20Osmosis%20Laundry.htm Mine is the PSI-020A. I was put onto there by quite an expericed breeder of fish. Not changing the media just means that it could clog or the R/O wont work as well as it could. There is a meter showing how many parts per million it is releasing, so if it is working properly, you will know to change the media. As for the two stage filters, I will be changing them every 6 months to ensure optimum peformance. I'm doing small water changes every day at the moment and my peppermints look like spawning very soon. I have a female interested in the males log. She is hanging around there like a bad smell. A couple of low conductivity water changes around 3dH should make her spawn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gav Posted September 3, 2005 Share Posted September 3, 2005 Replacement cartridges price with us $38.10 (set) or ($25.00 if a replacement set is ordered with the unit) RO has to be more expensive. i doubt many people will change more than 500l a week. and with a cost annually of $38.10 as opposed to $30 or so with using one of the high value water agers, how can RO ever be better value? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeWs Fish Posted September 3, 2005 Share Posted September 3, 2005 Yea RO is more expensive.... of course it is... its another filter cartridge. For African cichlids, you dont need R/O its absolutely pointless, so a cheaper 2-stage filter will be more than sufficient. Replacement cartridges price with us $38.10 (set) or ($25.00 if a replacement set is ordered with the unit) This is what you will pay for replacent cartridges for 2-stage (carbon and sedimant). Anyways, I'm not trying to flog these off LOL I though it would be beneficial for enthusiasts to be aware of these options. I'm pretty confident its a money saver and arguable better for the fish in the long run. Hope this helps Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Posted September 3, 2005 Share Posted September 3, 2005 The other problem with R/O water is that its to pure for aquariums. It takes out all the trace elements and dissolved solids so you have to add them back into the water before you can use it. It might be ok for discus and tropicls but you would still have to put some trace elements back but no good for Africans. Sydney tap water has about 90 parts per million total dissolved solids and most Africans need at least 180 - 260 parts per million total dissolved solids. So you have to add some sort of buffer or what ever to raise it. I think not only is R/O expensive to run but it also will cost you more to bring the water back up for Africans. Just my 2c worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prince Posted September 3, 2005 Share Posted September 3, 2005 where can you get 1L of Aquastar ? i havent seen them in my LFS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeWs Fish Posted September 3, 2005 Share Posted September 3, 2005 The other problem with R/O water is that its to pure for aquariums. It takes out all the trace elements and dissolved solids so you have to add them back into the water before you can use it. Nigel I couldnt agree with you more.. Pure R/O water will simply kill your fish. But...... The unit that I have is abjustable TDS. This means that the unit cuts the pure R/O water with normale filtered water. You can choose how soft you want the water to come out as. I like making mine at about 60-70ppm (pure R/O is around 0ppm). This is about half the softness of normal Sydney water in my area. As I said before, there is no point making soft water for African cichlids. If anything it is bad for them. IF you have Americans or Catfish or Discus, the unit is perfect, for their requirements IMHO. For African cichlids, a cheaper two stage filter will do the job. The water will be the same as tap water minus all the nasties Anyways, I'd make a good sales person for them wouldnt I heheheh. I make about 200L of water a day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Posted September 3, 2005 Share Posted September 3, 2005 I agree also there is not problem with them I just thought I should explain for those that did not know. I think if you can afford it R/O is the best for getting pure water to start with then you can add what you like to make water ever water conditions you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaZ Posted September 3, 2005 Share Posted September 3, 2005 where can you get 1L of Aquastar ? i havent seen them in my LFS ← I get mine from Age of Aquariums. Check the sponsors buttons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Posted September 3, 2005 Share Posted September 3, 2005 Hrm, I had been using Wardley Tri-Start - it treats 250l with 5ml, but doesn't do ammonia - just chlorine, chloromine & heavy metals I might have to switch to this Aquastar stuff, sounds like a good thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTR73 Posted September 4, 2005 Author Share Posted September 4, 2005 where can you get 1L of Aquastar ? i havent seen them in my LFS ← One of the forum sponsors Age of Aquariums sells it. You can order it online or over the phone and they'll mail it to you for about $7.00 postage. Age of Aquariums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catcher Posted September 5, 2005 Share Posted September 5, 2005 I'll second Aqua Star it's very good, and I also combine it with Ezy - life, when I do my changes. glenn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.