Preferred water conditioner brand?

[hprmom]

When I run out of the Top Fin water conditioner we use on our fish tank, I'm switching over to a complete remover. I've read the water FAQ and picked out four that I can get either locally or cheaply on Amazon, do crabbers have a preferred brand? The four are:

Seachem Prime (priciest, and reviews complain of a smell?)
Aqueon Tap Water Conditioner
Aqueon Water Renewal Betta
Zoo Med ReptiSafe

The ReptiSafe on Amazon is the best deal, twice as many ounces as the others at half the price I can get locally. But I'd like to choose a water conditioner that I can also use on my fish tank, so I don't have to keep track of more bottles. Also, I've read that conditioners can become ineffective over time, so I'm not sure that bigger bottles are better (our 2oz Top Fin bottle has lasted for months). Recommendations?

[wodesorel]

Reptisafe is one teaspoon per 5 gallons. Prime is one teaspoon per 50 gallons. You'd need ten times as much to do the same job!

Prime does smell a little funky over time, but according to the company it never goes bad. I've used it exclusively for 12 years now. I started with fish and other dechlors, but the fish kept dying. When I switched to Prime, the fish stopped dying, and I've never used anything else since. Since it only takes 2 drops per gallon, I get a medium bottle and use it for everything in my house, and it lasts a couple of years!

[hprmom]

Wow, that's a strong recommendation! About the smell, that's only in the bottle, yes? In other words, once the drops are in the water, there's no noticeable smell?

Monitoring our water use, it looks like I really only need to make 1 gallon/week (1/2 gal each of fresh and saltwater). How do you ensure the 2 drops get mixed in, just stir/shake it well? My husband adds, does it need to sit in an open container to off-gas? We usually mix our fish tank water in an open bucket and let it sit until it comes to room temp, so all our bases were covered but we never really asked the question.

[wodesorel]

There is no smell to the water once it's mixed. It only smells in the bottle, though it does stick to skin for a while if you spill a little. Nothing a sink full of dishes won't soak out. It's an odd scent. Not rotting egg, not exactly garbage, not chemical-y. Slightly sulfery, I guess? It's enough to notice but it's never turned my stomach. And it won't always smell, which is even weirder. I had a bottle last two years without the faintest whiff of problem. The last two had an odor within a month or so. I did contact the company and they confirmed that sometimes it will smell for whatever reason, and that even though it does it will still be good. I'm sure it has to do with oxygen exposure.

I use a needless syringe to measure it out. You can buy a baby one for a few dollars in with the first aid stuff. I get mine free through the vet just by asking and telling them what it's for. I've even had the local pharmacies give me one (or a handful on occasion) for free just by asking very nicely.

I've always read that dechlor works instantly, no need to off gas or let it sit. It'll spread through water the same way food dye does, so give it a mix or a shake and it's ready to go.

[orangefire]

Seachem also removes other stuff along with chlorine/metals that some of the common conditioners don't address, such as ammonia which I don't know if that's harmful to crabs but I'd prefer not to find out.

Very highly recommended for crabs, fish, anything that needs to not be exposed to chlorinated water.

[hprmom]

Thanks so much, I ordered the Seachem Prime along with some Mosser Lee sphagnum moss and the suction cup soap dish that seems to be popular (Amazon "add on" items are a beautiful thing). Glad I can use the Seachem in all three of our tanks without having to remember what I'm using for who!

[mool]

Another fan of Prime!! I use Seachem Prime for my hermits, snake water bowls, and fish tanks. It's great stuff and a little goes a long way.

[hprmom]

Yup, I'm on board the Seachem train now, lol. I went ahead and stopped using the Top Fin altogether and am only using the Seachem in all three tanks. I'm a little nervous about measuring it out, using a baby eyedropper, been adding a half drop extra just to make sure! I think I'll switch to the syringe wodesorel recommended so I can control it more accurately. Although, does accuracy matter so much, does it hurt anything to go a little over?

[wodesorel]

I had two bottles going at once - one with holes punched so I could drip it from the bottle, and one that was fully open so I could use a syringe for measuring out larger doses. Went to grab the dripper and got the open one and dumped nearly a full bottle in my 20 gallon fish tank. Did like a 90% water change (without dechlorinating the water) and nothing happened other than flushing $10. According to the online info, it's safe at 100 times the recommended dose.