Who Gives A Fish Forums

What's the best water conditioner for betta tanks? I've been using Seachem Prime but wanna know if there's something better out there. My tank's a 5 gallon with a sponge filter, and I do weekly water changes.

Seachem Prime is solid, but if you're looking for alternatives, API Stress Coat is great. It's got aloe vera to help with their slime coat. Just make sure you're dosing correctly for your tank size. Also, how's your water temp? Bettas need it around 78-80°F.

Yo, I just use whatever's cheap at the store, lol. My betta seems fine, but maybe I'm just lucky. Tank's a mess though, got some neon tetras in there too. They kinda vibe together.

hydroflow wrote: ↑Fri Jun 13, 2025 11:26 pm Yo, I just use whatever's cheap at the store, lol. My betta seems fine, but maybe I'm just lucky. Tank's a mess though, got some neon tetras in there too. They kinda vibe together.

Dude, you're playing with fire. Cheap conditioners can have sketchy ingredients. And neon tetras? Bettas can get territorial, man. You might wanna rethink that setup.

I've had good results with Tetra AquaSafe. It's easy to find and works well for my 10 gallon tank. My betta's been thriving with it, and I haven't had any issues with water quality.

Prime is my go-to because it detoxifies ammonia and nitrites, which is huge if you're cycling a new tank. But if you're just looking for something to dechlorinate, Stress Coat or AquaSafe are fine. What's your tap water like? Hard, soft?

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. My tap water's pretty hard, and I've got a heater keeping it at 79°F. I'll check out API Stress Coat and Tetra AquaSafe.

Hard water can be a pain. I'd stick with Prime since it handles heavy metals too. Also, how often are you testing your water? If it's stable, you might not need to switch.

I've used both Prime and Stress Coat, and my bettas did well with either. Stress Coat's aloe vera is nice if your fish is stressed, but Prime's more versatile. Either way, just avoid the super cheap stuff.

dayton wrote: ↑Sat Jun 14, 2025 4:32 am Hard water can be a pain. I'd stick with Prime since it handles heavy metals too. Also, how often are you testing your water? If it's stable, you might not need to switch.

Agreed. Prime's heavy metal removal is a big plus, especially if your tap water's sketchy. I test weekly, just to be safe.