FAQ: Why do we recommend Seachem Prime?
Why do we recommend Seachem Prime to dechlorinate and treat your axolotl’s water? Another issue we frequently see is improperly conditioned water. There are two main reasons why we recommend Seachem Prime water conditioner above anything else, and we're going to share them with you right now.
Protecting your axolotl’s slime coat. When choosing a water conditioner, it's important to know what's in the bottle. Many types of water conditioners contain aloe vera or bay leaf extract—substances that can be helpful for scaled fish, but deadly for axolotls and other amphibians.
While aloe extract, for example, can stimulate scaled fish to grow or regrow their slime coat, in axolotls and other amphibians it's absorbed through their skin at much higher concentrations (since they have no scales). This can lead to discomfort, malnutrition, peeling slime coat, and even death if exposure is prolonged for extended periods of time.
Long-lasting impact on toxic nitrogenous compounds—like ammonia. The second reason why we recommend Seachem Prime over other water conditioners and dechlorinators is its unique ability to bind to the ammonia in your tub water for a full 24 hours (most others don't keep working that long).
This is particularly important when tubbing your axolotl; if you're changing water every 24 hours and using another water conditioner, you may be exposing your axolotl to potentially toxic amounts of ammonia in your tub after your water conditioner stops working.
Since Seachem Prime is pretty readily available at most pet stores (and you can also find it online from retailers like Ken's Fish - kensfish.com or even Amazon), we believe it's not worth risking your baby's health by using anything else! In fact, in many instances Seachem Prime is actually more cost effective than other water conditioners; just 2 drops can treat an entire gallon of water, where some other water conditioners need 8 drops per gallon...
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