Does Anyone Know About AmQuel+ Plus?

[SoLiD]

AmQuel+ Plus claims that it Removes Nitrate, Nitrite, Ammonia, Chlorine, & Chloramines. I don't have any issues in my main tank, but my nanos go between 5-10ppm on Nitrates between bimonthly water changes because of the difference in filtration. Usually I'm against using chemicals as a solution to my reefing issues, but I was wondering if any else has used this or any other chemicals to treat your reef tanks? Thanks in advance. -David

http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd285/SoLiDST33L/AmquelPlus.jpg

[kaiser]

I've used Seachem Prime before and it worked pretty good. here is more info on that, seems to be about the same product.

http://www.seachem.com/products/product_pages/Prime.html

[MissT]

Think of it like putting on a bandaid when you need stitches...

[coraline79]

I use amquel conditioner on my ro/di water before adding to all my tanks fresh and salt. Been using it for the last 3 years. I don't know how different that is than the product mentioned here, but I use it because it doesn't smell.

[captexas]

I think Randy mentioned something about it at the last club meeting when he talked about the different steps in his aquaculture facilities. I believe he said it doesn't magically remove the stuff (ammonia?), it just chemically changes it to something that is not as toxic/harmful to livestock. I'd be nervous about using more chemicals than really necessary in a nano tank. If the Nitrates are causing a problem, it's probably better to look at where the Nitrates are coming from rather than just covering them up like MissT said.

[SoLiD]

I think Randy mentioned something about it at the last club meeting when he talked about the different steps in his aquaculture facilities. I believe he said it doesn't magically remove the stuff (ammonia?), it just chemically changes it to something that is not as toxic/harmful to livestock. I'd be nervous about using more chemicals than really necessary in a nano tank. If the Nitrates are causing a problem, it's probably better to look at where the Nitrates are coming from rather than just covering them up like MissT said.

Yeah, I first heard of AmQuel from Randy's presentation last month, too. I probably will not use it, but I was just curiuos if anyone was using it or products like it without any ill effects on their reef tanks. -David

[SoLiD]

Think of it like putting on a bandaid when you need stitches...

Point Taken. Thanks.

[SoLiD]

I use amquel conditioner on my ro/di water before adding to all my tanks fresh and salt. Been using it for the last 3 years. I don't know how different that is than the product mentioned here, but I use it because it doesn't smell.

Thanks for the feed back. I really appreciate the info.

[captexas]

but I use it because it doesn't smell.

I just caught that part and for some reason it made me laugh! :bigsmile:

What is your real reason for using it on RO/DI saltwater? I'm familiar with using stuff like that for freshwater that not only removes chlorine/chloramines from tapwater, but also helps the slime coat on freshwater fish. Many of the chemicals like that don't actually "remove" the bad chemicals/minerals. They just alter them to something less toxic or trap them so they don't react with other things. Some of which will always be there in your fish tank, settled in your sandbed or absorbed by your live rock.

[caferacermike]

I mentioned about a month or two back in a similar thread that the Seachem reps told me that using it to control trates or trites in an established system causes the issue to convert to a neutral or inert phase for about 3 days and then it changes back. The idea is that you can add it to bind your levels at safe point until you can do more water changes, your skimmer might remove the waste in that time, or possibly your bio filter can process the waste into a more permanent solution. But after 3 days if it has not been converted or removed it will be released back into it's normal form.

A word of caution was mentioned during the discussion. If your tank had a die off, is over fed etc.., then you could be in trouble at the 3-4 day mark. Basically if your levels are high and you add some Amquel or Prime to control them, don't do any water changes, keep over feeding (or let the dead fish continue to rot), what will happen is that your levels will continue to climb back up and then when the original bound solution is released, you'll end up with your levels being double what they were days before.

[coraline79]

I just caught that part and for some reason it made me laugh! :bigsmile:

What is your real reason for using it on RO/DI saltwater?

Haha, if you have been a freshwater person, you know there is some stinky stuff out there, and for saltwater, I used the prime stuff once and it was super stinky!

I was given the advise to continue to use it by the guys at Alamo. Their advise was "why not, it isn't going to hurt anything." I basically agree, although many warn against things like this for what seems to be good reasons, I have never read any post on any forum saying that water conditioner has crashed a tank. Also, I buy my RO/DI water because I haven't saved the money to purchase a system yet, so I don't really know whats in the water+it sits in my bucket sometimes for a week before I use too.

[merlin0883]

I have used amquel. It does remove nitrates, but a barely measurable amount. Also, every bottle that I have had, after being open for about one month, started to smell like rotten eggs. I did not contaminate them. The first time, i threw the bottle away. the second time, i exchanged it at the lfs. the third time, I thought that maybe it was supposed to do it, so I used it anyway, and it killed half my fish and plants(fresh tank). If you decide to use it, or if i ever needed to use it again, i would buy about 5 of the tiny bottles of it instead of one large bottle. It won't go bad within a week of opening it. however, i only used it when my tank was cycling and needed a water change every other day. sometimes because i'm in college and work full time, i could not change it. it bought me a couple of days. not a substitute for water change.

[SoLiD]

I mentioned about a month or two back in a similar thread that the Seachem reps told me that using it to control trates or trites in an established system causes the issue to convert to a neutral or inert phase for about 3 days and then it changes back. The idea is that you can add it to bind your levels at safe point until you can do more water changes, your skimmer might remove the waste in that time, or possibly your bio filter can process the waste into a more permanent solution. But after 3 days if it has not been converted or removed it will be released back into it's normal form.

A word of caution was mentioned during the discussion. If your tank had a die off, is over fed etc.., then you could be in trouble at the 3-4 day mark. Basically if your levels are high and you add some Amquel or Prime to control them, don't do any water changes, keep over feeding (or let the dead fish continue to rot), what will happen is that your levels will continue to climb back up and then when the original bound solution is released, you'll end up with your levels being double what they were days before.

WOW!!! That's the really helpful information. Thanks for information, Mike. I had no idea. Really good stuff. :thumbs_up:

[SoLiD]

I have used amquel. It does remove nitrates, but a barely measurable amount.... it bought me a couple of days. not a substitute for water change.

Thanks for the info. You guys are awesome. :applause::bighug::applause:

[coraline79]

I have used amquel. It does remove nitrates, but a barely measurable amount. Also, every bottle that I have had, after being open for about one month, started to smell like rotten eggs. I did not contaminate them. The first time, i threw the bottle away. the second time, i exchanged it at the lfs. the third time, I thought that maybe it was supposed to do it, so I used it anyway, and it killed half my fish and plants(fresh tank). If you decide to use it, or if i ever needed to use it again, i would buy about 5 of the tiny bottles of it instead of one large bottle. It won't go bad within a week of opening it. however, i only used it when my tank was cycling and needed a water change every other day. sometimes because i'm in college and work full time, i could not change it. it bought me a couple of days. not a substitute for water change.

I have 7 total tanks, so I run through a big bottle in about 2 months. I have never had a smell comee from my bottles.

[merlin0883]

I have 7 total tanks, so I run through a big bottle in about 2 months. I have never had a smell comee from my bottles.
Do you have any idea what could make it smell like that?

[aggie4231]

Here at work(shrimp research lab). They used amquel once to see if it would lower ammonia and such. Lets just say it wasn't a good idea. It killed the shrimp.

[SoLiD]

Here at work(shrimp research lab). They used amquel once to see if it would lower ammonia and such. Lets just say it wasn't a good idea. It killed the shrimp.

Thanks for your input.