Superbuffer making shrooms unhappy

Neil Cohen · Mar 1, 2021

My alk was 6.7, added seachem super buffer and my shrooms sent our strings. Is this normal?

ph 8.2, phosphate 1.5 (dropping from 5 just four days ago)

thoughts?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 1, 2021

It is an alkalinity supplement. Never dose it based on pH.

How high is the alkalinity?

Neil Cohen · Mar 1, 2021

Alk was 6.7. Everything returned to normal in about 20 minutes. I’ve used it before and never had an issue. Didn’t dose for PH, just mentioned the parameters. Not chasing Ph, though it is never an issue. Perhaps it is from the protein skimmer bubbles. Just had a phosphate spike that is settling down and was checking alk and ph to see what effects, if any from the efforts to lower it.

Thanks

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 1, 2021

Did you dissolve it in fresh water first?

How much did you raise alkalinity with that one addition?

Neil Cohen · Mar 1, 2021

Dissolved in RODI, dosed 4 teaspoons for 100 gallon mixed reef with sump (low side of the suggested dose)

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 2, 2021

Knowing the actual alkalinity rise (dKH) is what I was asking, not a volume, but it sounds like a lot at once (too much).

i cannot tell from your description (Seachem superbuffer) what product you actually used.

Kent Superbuffer?
Seachem Marine Buffer?

Neil Cohen · Mar 3, 2021

My mistake, it’s Kent superbuffer. I think it just wasn’t dissolved well enough. Raised alk from 6.7 to 7.2 over four days. So I doubt it was too big of a swing. Added again today, let dissolve for a long time and slowly added to my sump return area. No perceivable change to any inhabitants.

thanks for all of you input