At least Sodium and potassium, apparently when you get yours delivered the posty will be wearing a hazmat suit.
Thanks for the experiment!
Yep - I said this before total alkalinity is a 'buffer system' - with multiple chemicals. pH is related, but not the same thing. However - and I'm going to ask @Randy Holmes-Farley - if one kept adding a 'purported' chemical that increases pH - even though it may not measurably (by their testing) - increase alkalinity - it will still do so over time. So - my guess is that the idea is that repeated use of this product will increase alkalinity - though it may not be 'measurable' - after one dose?Well, that’s sort of the problem. You are only supposed to use it on tanks that have a low pH due to CO2. That issue tends not to just disappear on its own and if boost + doesn’t increase Alk, users will be in the same boat, tomorrow. Seems like it’s designed for repeat usage, at least until you reach the maximum suggested Alk, when apparently its not such a good idea, according to the sales bumpf.
Since the purpose of alkalinity is to maintain pH within a certain range (i.e. if you add xxx amount of acid - alkalinity will try to maintain pH, and vice versa if you add a base alkalinity will try to maintain a constant pH (unless you're also adding alkalinity). Frankly - the bottom line - forgetting for a minute the science/experiments - I don't understand why someone would use this product IMHO
Except - thats the assumption made by the company - so I don't know how you argue against the company - when there is no test defined as to how to measure alkalinity does not change. I have already strongly said - API test will not be the appropriate test to decide this issue. I'm not coming down on either side - and Taricha's tests seem to show it increases (alkalinity) - however I wonder if, instead of doing that experiment over hours - if one did it over day to day dosing - whether alkalinity would increase - and if it did - would it be 'clinically significant'
Right - I know that - the question in my last post was 'will that change in alkalinity be significant and will it last? (I.e. I hope when people are testing the product - when they see an increase in alkalinity (which I think we both agree they will) - will that change be long-lasting/significant/build up over time - or will it go up and then within an hour be back to normal.
Measuring it over days adds more variables, consumption, precipitation, etc. That won't work.
My question related to whether if the product is dosed every day, if alkalinity will continue to rise. My assumption is that it would not continue to rise (but I don't know - so I asked the question). I did not mean to suggest adding the product and then measuring alkalinity for days to see what happens - that, as you said, would not work.
