API Aqua Essential All in One Water Conditioner

API Aqua Essential All in One Water Conditioner

API Aqua Essential All in One Water Conditioner is a highly concentrated tap water conditioner for freshwater, saltwater and planted aquariums. It makes tap water safe for fish straight away by removing chlorine and chloramine and detoxifying heavy metals. It also binds toxic ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. It suits hobbyists who want one conditioner for setting up a tank, topping up and water changes, and for dealing with high test readings.

Key Benefits

• Instantly makes tap water safe for fish by removing chlorine and chloramine.
• Detoxifies the heavy metals commonly found in tap water.
• Binds ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, rendering them non-toxic and allowing the biofilter to remove them more efficiently.
• Works in freshwater, saltwater and planted aquariums, so one bottle covers mixed setups.
• Highly concentrated, with a dosing cap on the bottle for measuring.
• Does not disrupt any type of protein skimmer.
• Does not affect pH when dosed according to the label.
• The formulation allows a margin if a tank is accidentally dosed with a slightly higher amount than specified.

Why Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate Matter

Fish continually release toxic ammonia through their gills, urine and solid waste. Uneaten food and decaying organic matter add more. Small amounts of ammonia stress fish and large amounts will kill them. The formula binds with ammonia, nitrite and nitrate to make them non-toxic. Any ammonia or nitrite it binds remains metabolically available to beneficial bacteria, so your biological filter can keep working while you use it.

When to Use

• At tank start-up.
• Whenever you add or change water.
• When tested levels of ammonia, nitrite or nitrate are high.

How to Use

• Measure the dose with the dosing cap on the bottle.
• Wait 24 hours after dosing, then do a water change. If you dose within that 24-hour period there is no danger to the animals or plants in your aquarium, and a follow-up water change is always beneficial to an aquatic system.
• Once a dose has been added, wait 24 to 48 hours before dosing again.
• Once dosed, it binds ammonia, nitrite and nitrate for up to 48 hours or longer. Testing is the best way to judge whether additional dosing is needed.
• If water conditions are highly elevated, the tank is overstocked or fish are extremely overfed, a partial water change after 24 hours is recommended to give your fish the best water quality.
• When adding, transporting or quarantining fish, the manufacturer recommends using API Stress Coat water conditioner, which is ideal for use alongside Aqua Essential.

Dosage

• To treat tap water: add 5 ml per 200 liters of aquarium water.
• To remove ammonia, nitrite and nitrate: add 5 ml per 40 liters of aquarium water.
• Chloramine: the formula is designed to treat chloramines without a double dose. Double dosing does no harm, but it is not necessary.

Expected Results per Dose

The manufacturer gives these reductions for a 5 ml per 10 gal. dose:

• Ammonia: a 20-40 ppm reduction.
• Nitrite: a 15-30 ppm reduction.
• Nitrate: a large reduction, approximately 40-60 ppm.

Suitable For

• Freshwater aquariums.
• Saltwater aquariums.
• Planted aquariums.
• Tanks that also house other aquatic animals such as snails or shrimp.

Compatibility

• Can be used together with any other API water conditioner or medication.
• Will not disrupt protein skimmers of any type.
• Leaves pH unaffected when dosed according to the label.

Specifications

• Formula: highly concentrated, all-in-one water conditioner
• Removes: chlorine and chloramine
• Detoxifies: heavy metals found in tap water
• Binds: ammonia, nitrite and nitrate
• Water types: freshwater, saltwater and planted aquariums
• Tap water dose: 5 ml per 200 liters
• Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate dose: 5 ml per 40 liters
• Time between doses: 24 to 48 hours
• Binding duration: up to 48 hours or longer

What's Included

• API Aqua Essential All in One Water Conditioner in a bottle with a dosing cap for measuring each dose.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Aqua Essential affect my protein skimmer?
No. It will not disrupt any type of protein skimmer, so it is suitable for saltwater and reef setups.

Is it safe to use with snails and shrimp?
Yes. It is safe to use with other aquatic animals, including snails and shrimp.

Can I overdose it by accident?
Always follow the directions. The formulation does allow a margin if a tank is accidentally dosed with a slightly higher amount than specified.

Will it change my pH?
No. When it is dosed according to the label, the pH will not be affected.

How long does it bind ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, and will my biofilter still work?
It binds them for up to 48 hours or longer, and testing is the best way to judge whether more is needed. The bound ammonia and nitrite stay metabolically available to beneficial bacteria, so your biological filter can keep functioning.

How often can I dose, and do I need to double the dose for chloramine?
Wait 24 to 48 hours between doses. The product is designed to treat chloramines without a double dose. Doubling is not harmful, but it is not necessary.

When can I expect delivery?

• Gauteng (Jhb/Pta) - 1-3 working days
• Nationwide (Cpt/Dbn+) - 2-5 working days
• Outlying Areas - 3-7 working days

All orders are sent via Economy Road, typically through Fastway or Internet Express Couriers*. Estimated timeframes are not guaranteed. Once the order is collected by the courier, we have no control over third-party logistics and cannot make any time promises.

If you prefer a faster 🚀 shipping option, we also offer The Courier Guy during checkout in the dropdown selection. Please note that this option is not free, and you must choose it to use it. Please pay careful attention to the cutoff times and delivery timeframe for these options during checkout.

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• Bob Box: Collect within 2 days of receiving your collection notification.
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