Reef Buffer

meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
OK, I have some Seachen Reef Buffer which is supposed to raise alk...ANYONE use it??
My alk in ALL 3 tanks is low...like 1.5 mel

IDK why...My PH and calcium is great...(8.2 and 490)
ANything else I should look for? I know I need to raise the alk, but just want to ask about the reef buffer first
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
I can't find an ingredient list for Reef Buffer. As long as it doesn't contain an excess of Borate it should work just fine as an expensive alkalinity additive.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by Bang Guy
http:///forum/post/3211110
I can't find an ingredient list for Reef Buffer. As long as it doesn't contain an excess of Borate it should work just fine as an expensive alkalinity additive.
LOL....Well for some odd reason I already have the stuff, and I don;t see an ingredient list either
It just says it's a blended product and not just sodium carbonate

I guess since I have it I'll use it.
any other suggestions????
I also think I am going to buy a new test kit. The one I have is red sea.
Salifert or seachem????
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member

I put Reef Builder from Seachem, and before that I used Super buffer from Kents Marine into my RO top off water. My Alkalinity was always low and so was my PH.
No bad effects and tests are reading perfect levels now.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by Flower
http:///forum/post/3211121

I put Reef Builder from Seachem, and before that I used Super buffer from Kents Marine into my RO top off water. My Alkalinity was always low and so was my PH.
No bad effects and tests are reading perfect levels now.
You put it in your RO???? HMMMM I just mixed some up with a cup of tank water and put it in the sump section....I am not going to add any to the 29 or 54 until later cause I am doing w/c's on them today...so why add a buffer before
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3211123
You put it in your RO???? HMMMM I just mixed some up with a cup of tank water and put it in the sump section....I am not going to add any to the 29 or 54 until later cause I am doing w/c's on them today...so why add a buffer before


My PH and alkalinity were alway low...someone on the sight explained that growing coral sucked up the alkalinity, to buffer the RO water...I did it and it worked..I don't understand why so I can't explain it.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3211131
Funny thing is my ph is perfect

You probably catch the low alkalinity before it messes with the PH. I am not that vigilant, and PH is low as well when I test..
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3211115
any other suggestions????
I also think I am going to buy a new test kit. The one I have is red sea.
Salifert or seachem????
I just use baking soda if all that needs to be raised is Alkalinity.
I'm a fan of Salifert test kits.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by Bang Guy
http:///forum/post/3211136
I just use baking soda if all that needs to be raised is Alkalinity.
I'm a fan of Salifert test kits.
Can you tell me how much baking soda to use per gallon? It's a lot cheaper
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
LOOKING down....or straight at it?
When I look right at the test tube alk looks really really low.....when I look into the tube, it appears darker
Out of curiosity...which is the right way???? This is a Red Sea test BTW
I am ordering the salifert today
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Here is something from Randy Holmes-Farley
"Spread baking soda (594 grams or about 2 ¼ cups) on a baking tray and heat in an ordinary oven at 300°F for one hour to drive off water and carbon dioxide. Overheating is not a problem, either with higher temperatures or longer times. Dissolve the residual solid in enough water to make 1 gallon total. This dissolution may require a fair amount of mixing. Warming it speeds dissolution. This solution will contain about 1,900 meq/L of alkalinity (5,300 dKH). I prefer to use baked baking soda rather than washing soda in this recipe as baking soda from a grocery store is always food grade, while washing soda may not have the same purity requirements. Arm & Hammer brand is a fine choice. Be sure to NOT use baking powder. Baking powder is a different material that often has phosphate as a main ingredient."
http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chemcalc.html
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
YIKES...it says I would need 15 tsps of baking soda for the 225G to get it up to 2.5 mel
I know...LOL...not all at once
Thanks everyone
 
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