Seachem Safe

[grindman620]

So I have been reading a lot of different posts from you guys around here in regards to water conditioners. I am planning on keeping Discus in the next several months (after I have my planted setup perfected) and I want to get all of my supplies readily available. I have heard that many people are using Seachem Safe (basically the powdered version of Prime). I know there are loads of different threads and debates on the performance of this product, but I believe that I want to go with Safe as it seems to be a bit more cost effective.

I wanted to know where you guys buy your Safe from? Do you just get a large order so that its cheaper?
I am looking at this......(it will last me quite some time I believe lol):

http://www.petblvd.com/cgi-bin/pb/JRP03890.html?mv_pc=froogle

Thoughts?

[rdiscus]

Sponsor here: IGO PRO (David Rose) - Harrisburg, Pennsylvania http://www.igopro-online.com/Seachem-SAFE-4K-p/scsafe4k.htm

[DiscusOnly]

4Kg price is very attractive, especially if you get it from David Rose BUT are you sure you want to get 4Kg? That's a lot of SAFE. Might want to stick with the 1Kg to start out.

Van

[Chad Hughes]

Grindman20,

If you'd like to try this product, I'd be willing to send you a sample of the product to try. Shoot me a PM with your shipping details and I'll get it in the mail tomorrow. No charge. :D

Best wishes!

[phat nguyen]

Hello,

I got my Seachem Safe at dtpetsupplies.com for $72.99/ 4 kg.... I'm not sure if the price is still the same.

HTHs,

Perry Nguyen

[Bill63SG]

+1 to Dave Rose.

[ericatdallas]

I bought mine from Ken's fish... also a sponsor. Ken's might be a few bucks more expensive... can't remember.

[ericatdallas]

Hello,

I got my Seachem Safe at dtpetsupplies.com for $72.99/ 4 kg.... I'm not sure if the price is still the same.

HTHs,

Perry Nguyen

I just checked, they're $80.24. I've bought from them and they're fine... I prefer to support the people that support this forum (and the other forums I visit) with all else being equal though. In this case, the sponsors are cheaper, so it should be an obvious choice :)

Ken's Fish, $76.95
http://www.kensfish.com/product2841.html

Igo-Pro, $75.99
http://www.igopro-online.com/Seachem-SAFE-4K-p/scsafe4k.htm

[seanyuki]

Seachem Safe .......being using it for a long time and imo worth buying it......imo this site has a good deal for 4kg for US $80.24

http://www.dtpetsupplies.com/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=seachem+safe&x=0&y=0

hth

[lipadj46]

Safe is a no brainer IMO, from kensfish for me

[grindman620]

Thanks guys for your replies. Chad Hughes is generous enough to send me a sample. I'm gonna try it out and then make my decision.

[rostick555]

+1 for Dave Rose great customer service and best price I could find have been using it for 2 months now on my planted setup and it works great I desolve it in a cup and add directly to the tank.

[grindman620]

Thanks for the response rostick555. Does anyone else prepare Safe this way? By adding it to water in a cup so it dissolves before putting it into the tank? Or are these instructions that are written on the bottle itself?

[Cambik]

Personally. I just add it directly to the tank and put it right where I am going to start filling it. It goes on a fake rock cave thing. That way it is going to start working on the water as I fill the tank.

[rdiscus]

I just add it directly to the tank and put it right where I am going to start filling it.
+1

[grindman620]

Awesome.......so its not an actual instruction/direction on the bottle

[Cambik]

Just remember if adding it to the tank you have to treat for the entire water volume. Not the amount of water you are adding. So for example if you have a 55 gal tank and are adding 30 gallons of water you treat for 55 gallons.

[grindman620]

So I have a 60 gallon tank.............even if I do a 20 or 40 gallon water change. I will make sure to treat for 60 gallon every time?

[Cambik]

Correct. This only applies if you are adding untreated water directly to the tank. If the water is treated before in a aging barrel then you only need to treat the amount of water in the barrel.

For me I go directly from Tap to Tank so I treat the whole tank.

[Cambik]

Right now I have mine in a 55g tank so I have been using a little less than 2 x 1/4 tsp of safe. I have been over dosing since I am in texas and they have been using extra chlorine/chloramines in the water due to the drought we are in.

I figured this amount based on the label.
1 tsp treats 200 gallons for chlorine
1 tsp treats 250 gallons for chloramine
1 tsp treats 40 gallons for ammonia

It does say if your temp in 86 F or higher to cut dosage in half. I keep mine at around 84 degrees.

[ericatdallas]

I'm not sure you have to worry about overdosing... the recommended amount is 4ppm and I'm pretty sure even then, Seachem is over-estimating what it takes to treat 4ppm.

The max allowable chlorine/chloramine allowed in water is about 4ppm (by US FDA regulations/laws for municipal water supplies). If you increase the amount of dechlor, you increase the reaction rates (which can be a good thing). This is why they recommend you treat the ENTIRE volume of water versus just what's added.

The reason why it is temperature dependent is also related to reaction rates. Higher dose, higher reaction rates. Higher temp, higher reaction rates. Also, higher temp, lower dissolved oxygen AND the reaction REQUIRES oxygen.

All very complicated, but if you use the product to recommended dosages, you're covered for MOST situations that occur.

The other stuff, like "accidental" overdosing of chlorine/chloramine are things that just suck and as long as it's not too much.

[Cambik]

Eric I was previously using the recommeded dosages but after I slightly increased mine I noticed a better reaction from the fish. It just seemed when I used the dose as per the package the fish appeared to be extrememly stressed. I know that our water quality has fluctuated due to the drought but may have stabalized now though. Even so I don't want to take the chance and lower what I am putting in the tank since I add the safe directly to it. Oh and I am treating for the entire tank not just the amount I add at one time.

However I do appreciate the information as I never really understood the differences. I am after all not a chemist....hehe.

[ericatdallas]

Eric I was previously using the recommeded dosages but after I slightly increased mine I noticed a better reaction from the fish. It just seemed when I used the dose as per the package the fish appeared to be extrememly stressed. I know that our water quality has fluctuated due to the drought but may have stabalized now though. Even so I don't want to take the chance and lower what I am putting in the tank since I add the safe directly to it. Oh and I am treating for the entire tank not just the amount I add at one time.

However I do appreciate the information as I never really understood the differences. I am after all not a chemist....hehe.

Yeah, there's no real harm in adding extra. If you notice a difference, then it's quite possible that your scenario is one of the exceptions.

[grindman620]

Awesome input here guys, thank you. Still thinking about going with Safe rather than Prime...

[Cambik]

I will say that I use Both actually. I use Prime for my 29g tank and Shrimp tank. Use Safe for the Discus tank. The 1KG thing of safe is going to last me a long time.

[Chad Hughes]

I just sent you enough Safe to treat 1000 gallons. You'll be suprised how little that actually is. It's a small packet that fits in a regular mailing envelope.

If your tank is 60 gallons, you'll be able to change 100% of your water 16 times before you'll have to purchase a water conditioner.

Best wishes!

[grindman620]

Chad, you seriously rock! Thank you again I really appreciate this

[Chad Hughes]

Thanks brother! I appreciate the kind words.

This product works very well and is very economical. It stinks (literally, it smells like rotten eggs) but works great!

Have a good one!

[Maria Ashton]

I am really interested in this product and will order online if I can not find it in the shops here. I have a question for which I have not found the answer online as of yet - can this be added to the tank water as I add the new tap water or does it need to be mixed with the new water prior to going into the tank? At present I add my dechlorinator to the water in the tank just before adding water from the tap via the hose.

Thanks

[grindman620]

Malga - from what I can gather there are 2 different ways you can add this. One way is to use it with aged water in like a barrel for example. In that case you would just add the amount of Safe per the size of the barrel. Some other people here say they have success by just adding it straight in with the tap water (which will be my method as well). If you add it straight in with the tap water you will want to put in as much per the size of your tank then.

[Maria Ashton]

great thanks

[steakman]

I am really interested in this product and will order online if I can not find it in the shops here. I have a question for which I have not found the answer online as of yet - can this be added to the tank water as I add the new tap water or does it need to be mixed with the new water prior to going into the tank? At present I add my dechlorinator to the water in the tank just before adding water from the tap via the hose.

Thanks

I've been using this product for over a year now without any issues whatsoever.

When adding tap water , I put it directly into the flow to dissolve it. Then I continue to fill up the tank.

No need to premix.

SM

[Maria Ashton]

I've been using this product for over a year now without any issues whatsoever.

When adding tap water , I put it directly into the flow to dissolve it. Then I continue to fill up the tank.

No need to premix.

SM

do you dose for the whole tank or just the water you are replacing?

thanks

[gerrard00]

do you dose for the whole tank or just the water you are replacing?

thanks

The instructions say to dose for the volume of the whole tank.

[steakman]

do you dose for the whole tank or just the water you are replacing?

thanks

I only dose the water I change and a tiny bit more. All my discus are full grown. I do WC once a week, between 50-60% at a time.

SM

[Maria Ashton]

thanks, at present I do 30 - 50% every 2 -3 days, sometimes I leave it for 5 days but then do a 70% change. I have a heavily stocked tank, trying to decide who to move. Safe interests me because of the amount of water changes I do, it seems very economical.