Reed
Very Fishe
I have been using Seachem Malawi/Victoria Buffer to raise my PH but its expensive. Has anyone tried the Rift Lake Buffer Recipie Cichlid Salt or just plain old Baking Soda? If so how much per gallon? Need advice.
minifoot77
Members
i use one tablespoon of baking soda per ten gallons. i bought a big bag of baking soda from walmart in the pool section for around 7 bucks
Charlutz
Members
Baking soda. I don't measure it anymore as I know about how much to add after a water change, but Caleb looks to have the amount right. I don't use it, but some people also add epsom salt to raise the gh.
chriscoli
Administrator
I used to use that recipe, but then stopped adding so much salt. I did a bunch of water testing last week and found that even the baking soda's been creeping up on me over time so i'm going to be cutting waaaaay back on that one, too.
Tony
Alligator Snapping Turtle/Past Pres
I only buffer tanks without crushed coral in the substrate. I just sort of dump a bunch of baking soda into the tank when I do changes. Heard you can't really overdue it as there's a deal of diminishing returns above a certain pH with baking soda.
Charlutz
Members
You can't raise the ph beyond a certain point with baking soda, but you can continue to raise kh beyond what your fish need. Not sure when it would become a problem.
Tony
Alligator Snapping Turtle/Past Pres
Good to know, Charlie. I have a kH test kit somewhere... I'll check it out next water change.
fishman13
Members
We all know tony knows everything about the great rift lakes. LOL
:angel2::angel2::angel2:
Tony
Alligator Snapping Turtle/Past Pres
We all know tony knows everything about the great rift lakes. LOL
Yuppers.
Sonny Disposition
Active Member
A buffer is a compound that releases hydrogen ions to keep pH stable. It's either a weak acid and its salt, or a weak base or its salt. We had a speaker at CCA several years back who said that you could make a good buffer for Africans by combining baking soda (weak base) with washing soda (its salt.)
I don't know that you necessarily need a buffer to keep the pH stable in a high pH tank. I just add calcium chloride (for hardness) and sodium bicarbonate (to keep the pH up) every time I do a water change.
One of these days, I'll have to break down and buy a test kit so I can check on what the pH actually does.
I don't know that you necessarily need a buffer to keep the pH stable in a high pH tank. I just add calcium chloride (for hardness) and sodium bicarbonate (to keep the pH up) every time I do a water change.
One of these days, I'll have to break down and buy a test kit so I can check on what the pH actually does.
minifoot77
Members
thats what we put in concrete for an accelerator i can get 50 lbs bags for cheap....
Tony
Alligator Snapping Turtle/Past Pres
So long as you use it in unreinforced concrete. If the concrete has any rebar or wire mesh, you need to use calcium nitrate.
minifoot77
Members
So long as you use it in unreinforced concrete. If the concrete has any rebar or wire mesh, you need to use calcium nitrate.
nah thats for the birds
