Buffering

[Aaron]

I am in the process of setting up a 55 and a 40 long. I plan on keeping tang's in both tanks. I am going to use pool filter sand in these tanks in lieu of some type of aragonite that I usually use. I have read you can use baking soda to buffer the water. What is the best way to add the baking soda to the water? Should I dissolve in a separate container and then slowly add? Add directly to the tank?







Cheers,
Aaron

 

[Andrew]

Baking soda by itself will help but isn't sufficient over the long haul. Try this instead:

2 cups Epsom Salt
1.5 cups Baking Soda
.25 cup Sea Salt mix

This makes enough buffer/hardener for 600 gallons, or 1.5 teaspoons of this dry mixture for 5 gallons of water. Since the dry ingredients are not the same in size, density or texture, it's difficult to get even mixing though. What you might do is dissolve it into a couple gallons and the back calculate how much liquid you need to treat the water. I don't actually know how much water would be needed to dissolve this amount of the recipe though. Maybe try a half batch into a gallon of water. In that case, two and half teaspoons of the stock solution for 1 gallon of water would be the right measurement. Onlineconversions.com can help with this...

Or, get the Seachem buffer and salt and follow package instructions...

 

[Aaron]

Thanks for the recipe. I will give it a try and hopefully save some money :wink:

 

[Sonny Disposition]

I add calcium chloride to the water to keep the hardness up, and use a little marine salt to keep the pH up. (Not too much marine salt--Malawi cichlids don't like the salt, even though they benefit from the high pH buffers in the salt mix.) I got the calcium chloride from Home Depot. It's sold as a driveway ice melter.

Baking soda by itself will help but isn't sufficient over the long haul. Try this instead:

2 cups Epsom Salt
1.5 cups Baking Soda
.25 cup Sea Salt mix

This makes enough buffer/hardener for 600 gallons, or 1.5 teaspoons of this dry mixture for 5 gallons of water. Since the dry ingredients are not the same in size, density or texture, it's difficult to get even mixing though. What you might do is dissolve it into a couple gallons and the back calculate how much liquid you need to treat the water. I don't actually know how much water would be needed to dissolve this amount of the recipe though. Maybe try a half batch into a gallon of water. In that case, two and half teaspoons of the stock solution for 1 gallon of water would be the right measurement. Onlineconversions.com can help with this...

Or, get the Seachem buffer and salt and follow package instructions...[/b]

 

[SubMariner]

Great info guys!

 

[animicrazy]

Amanda's original African tanks used only baking soda as a buffer - remain stable always. At first she also used epsom salts for the hardness (not always related to PH); now we use baking soda and Seachem Rift Lake salt mix (cheap and goes a long way); also always add some calcium chloride - very little - to the mix (for all tanks). Don't forget to aerate vigorously and give the Cal.Chloride time to finish reacting - unless you want fish for dinner!!

Paul.

 

[Sonny Disposition]

I add the ca cl to a cup and a half or so of water, mix it thoroughly, wait for it to dissolve, then slowly pour it in when the tank is refilling.

Should I be doing something different?

Amanda's original African tanks used only baking soda as a buffer - remain stable always. At first she also used epsom salts for the hardness (not always related to PH); now we use baking soda and Seachem Rift Lake salt mix (cheap and goes a long way); also always add some calcium chloride - very little - to the mix (for all tanks). Don't forget to aerate vigorously and give the Cal.Chloride time to finish reacting - unless you want fish for dinner!!

Paul.[/b]

 

[animicrazy]

I add the ca cl to a cup and a half or so of water, mix it thoroughly, wait for it to dissolve, then slowly pour it in when the tank is refilling.

Should I be doing something different?

<div class='quotemain'>Amanda's original African tanks used only baking soda as a buffer - remain stable always. At first she also used epsom salts for the hardness (not always related to PH); now we use baking soda and Seachem Rift Lake salt mix (cheap and goes a long way); also always add some calcium chloride - very little - to the mix (for all tanks). Don't forget to aerate vigorously and give the Cal.Chloride time to finish reacting - unless you want fish for dinner!!

Paul.[/b]

[/b][/quote]

The advice I received from an OLD & WELL SEASONED member was something like this: "think about what CaCl does to ice; this is a chemical reaction I wouldn't want going on in my fish".

Hence, when I make water for changes etc. I add the chemicals, add the water, aerate vigorously for at least an hour (lots of good reasons here - I've checked tap water to occasionally find no detectable amounts of dissolved O2, even with a new kit -) then check the Ph and unless something is very wrong there (it's happened) go ahead and add the water.

That's what I do and why - haven't cooked a fish yet - but maybe I'm tooo anal.

Paul.

 

[Sonny Disposition]

Thanks, Paul.

<div class='quotemain'>I add the ca cl to a cup and a half or so of water, mix it thoroughly, wait for it to dissolve, then slowly pour it in when the tank is refilling.

Should I be doing something different?

<div class='quotemain'>Amanda's original African tanks used only baking soda as a buffer - remain stable always. At first she also used epsom salts for the hardness (not always related to PH); now we use baking soda and Seachem Rift Lake salt mix (cheap and goes a long way); also always add some calcium chloride - very little - to the mix (for all tanks). Don't forget to aerate vigorously and give the Cal.Chloride time to finish reacting - unless you want fish for dinner!!

Paul.[/b]

[/b][/quote]

The advice I received from an OLD & WELL SEASONED member was something like this: "think about what CaCl does to ice; this is a chemical reaction I wouldn't want going on in my fish".

Hence, when I make water for changes etc. I add the chemicals, add the water, aerate vigorously for at least an hour (lots of good reasons here - I've checked tap water to occasionally find no detectable amounts of dissolved O2, even with a new kit -) then check the Ph and unless something is very wrong there (it's happened) go ahead and add the water.

That's what I do and why - haven't cooked a fish yet - but maybe I'm tooo anal.

Paul.
[/b][/quote]