Saltwater buffers

Discussion in 'Water Chemistry' started by k9BOLX, May 20, 2009.

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  1. k9BOLX

    k9BOLX Spaghetti Worm

    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2006
    Messages:
    191
    Location:
    Georgetown, KY
    I currently have an outbreak of dino!! yeah sucks to be me. Not sure what precipitated it. ANyway I am wanting to go the raising pH route, and was going to make up some buffers at work. to buffer the pH to about 8.5-8.6.
    what type of buffer would be best to use?
    The "2-part DIY sticky"
    refers to using baking soda (NaHCO3) and CaCl2
    could i not simply make a Na2CO3 /NaHCO3 to pH 8.5?
     
    k9BOLX, May 20, 2009
    k9BOLX, May 20, 2009
    #1

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  2. Screwtape

    Screwtape Tonozukai Fairy Wrasse

    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2008
    Messages:
    2,289
    I'm no chemist so I'm not sure if that's a viable substitute but when buffering PH you have to be really careful about your alkalinity spiking if this is a reef tank. Also you have to be careful not to add too much of other chemicals that could throw off other things like your salinity reading by adding too much sodium which might give you high salinity readings and throw your other chemistry out of balance or something like that.

    Baking soda is pretty cheap and works great to raise alkalinity and ph.
     
    Screwtape, May 20, 2009
    Screwtape, May 20, 2009
    #2