Seachem Prime?
Seachem Prime is a water conditioner commonly used in fish tanks to detoxify harmful substances such as chlorine, chloramine, and ammonia. It works by binding to these toxins, rendering them harmless for fish, and helps detoxify nitrites and nitrates as well. In hermit crab pools, Prime is essential because it makes tap water safe by neutralizing chlorine and chloramine, which are toxic to crabs. It also detoxifies ammonia, which can accumulate in stagnant water. However, Prime is only effective for about 48 hours. After this period, ammonia begins to build up again, requiring re-dosing to ensure a safe, toxin-free environment for your hermit crabs .
Seachem Prime permanently removes chlorine and chloramine from water, making it safe for both fish and hermit crabs. However, while Prime effectively detoxifies ammonia by binding to it, this binding is temporary. After 48 hours, the binding agent stops working, and ammonia can start to accumulate again. Since ammonia is toxic and painful to a hermit crab’s gills, it’s important to re-prime the water every 48 hours to ensure that the environment remains safe and ammonia-free.