# Water Conditioners for African Lake Malawi Questions....



## Ed 718 (Dec 18, 2010)

Please help guys I'm so confused at this water conditioner, stress coat and stress coat+ products. Here is my question I have been using the API Tap water conditioner for some time with no ill effects ( So I think so ) and today I sent my wifey to the pet store to pick up some cichlid foods. I asked here to bring me some water conditioner and she brought back the API Stress Coat + which she was probally talked into getting. 
I did a water change and added the Stress Coat the tank and noticed after a while the fish were gasping for air. I'm confused on this product and if in fact it does not change the water chemistry ( PH ) or remove the oxegen to a level not suited for my African Cichlids. After reading many forums I'm still confused what would be the best water conditioner for my cichlids. I did find a thread on cichlids where the vast number of members claimed using Prime was the ideal conditioner for the cichids. So what would be the best conditioner or products to use after water changes and what do you use? Thanks in advance for any help........


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I don't need one (private well) but based on my reading of the forums since 2005 I would use Prime.


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## Ed 718 (Dec 18, 2010)

DJRansome said:


> I don't need one (private well) but based on my reading of the forums since 2005 I would use Prime.


Thanks Dj it seems prime is the more popular one. I'm wondering if this API stress coat did infact lower my PH. I'm gonna test my water and see just to be safe.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I doubt if stress coat is supposed to make your fish gasp. Maybe email the manufacturer who might have an explanation.

IME sudden, unexplained gasping has been one of two things: low oxygen or nitrite spike. The nitrite you can test for. Low oxygen can also be tested for by adding a filter to increase surface disruption. If the fish immediately swim around normally...that was it.

If you don't have a spare filter, you can adjust the filter return or lower the tank water level to create more splashing.


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## Kanorin (Apr 8, 2008)

I use Seachem Prime now, but I used to use Stress Coat. Is there now a stress coat and a stress coat plus? The regular stress coat never caused any problems like you are describing.

Do you have a test kit? If so, what are the ammonia and nitrite readings?
As DJRansome said, increasing surface agitation could help the problem.


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## goldcreek (Feb 4, 2011)

I don't need one now, but used Prime for years with good results.


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## Rhinox (Sep 10, 2009)

I use prime as well not because it is "better" than everything else but because it is more economical - it is super concentrated and a bottle lasts longer so it is much cheaper per gallon treated than anything else. I only have chlorine in my water no chloramine so I suppose I could buy some raw something <forgot> to use as dechlorinator some have recommended to me and it would be even more economical but eh prime is pretty cheap enough for my uses.

I would double check your bottle to be 100% sure it says it treats for chorine and chloramine if you have it in your water. When I was first getting started I had a bottle of "tap water condition" that didn't actually dechlorinate :? good thing I figured this out when I was just researching and cleaning rocks and not the first time I did a water change and killed my fish with chlorine. I suspect chlorine burns gills and can show the same symptoms as suffocation.


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## iplaywithemotions (Dec 18, 2008)

Can't go wrong with frequent water changes and PRIME! :thumb:


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## cichlid_baby (Jan 28, 2003)

I've always used Stress Coat products and have never had any problems in the past... then I switched to using AmQuel... that worked great too...

Eventually neither one of those products were economically feasible any longer due to the number of tanks I maintained.... that's when I switched to using Cloram-x powder.

It's the most economical water treatment product out there in my opinion and have never experienced any problems either.

I think they all work rather well so I highly doubt it's solely the water conditioner that is causing your fishes to stress out...

Have your tank water tested and see where your readings are at.


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## Ed 718 (Dec 18, 2010)

Kanorin said:


> I use Seachem Prime now, but I used to use Stress Coat. Is there now a stress coat and a stress coat plus? The regular stress coat never caused any problems like you are describing.
> 
> Do you have a test kit? If so, what are the ammonia and nitrite readings?
> As DJRansome said, increasing surface agitation could help the problem.


I'm gonna have my water tested today and the bottle the wifey brought is indeed Stress Coat +.


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## Malawi Mac (Aug 20, 2004)

I use both Stress Coat and Prime. I use Stress Coat for buckets of water; Prime if I'm dechlorinating a whole aquarium.

I buy Stress Coat by the gallon.


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