Review on Seachem AmGuard 250ml - Superior Water Conditioner for Optimal Aquarium Health by Michelle Stewart

I'm a huge Seachem fan, but that's because their products work great and this product is no exception. Amguard is very effective at removing toxic ammonia, but should only be used when absolutely necessary. There are several reasons for this: Amguard, like most water treatment products, is a reducing agent. As a result, the fish in the aquarium have a reduced oxygen content for some time after the application. Do not use if your aquarium is poorly aerated or has particularly warm water (warm water contains less oxygen). Water Change and Prime are best for minor ammonia problems as it is a much more powerful reducing agent and can kill fish if overused (or abused). Amguard may not mix well with other water treatment products. Because it is such a powerful reducing agent, other products (including Seachem's) can behave strangely. For example, DO NOT use it with Seachem Cupramine as it converts relatively harmless copper into a more toxic form. Cupramine's instructions hint at this to some extent, but don't specify how much stronger Amguard is. If you accidentally mixed AmGuard with something like Cupramine, you have an emergency and need to do a water change as soon as possible. If this product is needed, SOMETHING IS RIGHT WITH YOUR TANK. For example, if you are experiencing a "mini cycle" (a decline in the population of beneficial bacteria) for whatever reason, this product is for you. If your ammonia levels are high enough to necessitate the use of this product for unknown reasons, you must track down the cause during treatment as this will not cure anything and will only mask the symptoms. Check for dead fish, vacuum up gravel, do water changes more regularly, basically find the problem instead of just adding this product to the tank and you're done.