Using Seachem Marine Buffer (pH) in my ATO

[wrfreeman]

So the directions on the Seachem Marine Buffer container say to add for each 20 gallons. How does that translate into using it in my ATO water supply? I use an 8 gallon ATO container. My DT system is approximately 70 gallons accounting for volume taken up by rock. Would I just use 3 -4 teaspoons in the ATO?

 

[NanaReefer]

Waste of money. Unless your Ph is extremely low or high, you've nothing to worry about. What is your alkalinity reading?

 

[Damon]

I would suggest, if you wish to add anything to ago, kalk and leave the buffer be.. Kalkwaaser is much better(balanced) for your system.. And it's very cheap to purchase from say brs..

 

[CastAway]

I get confused on Reef Buffer compared to Marine Buffer. @Seachem Laboratories ?

 

[redfishbluefish]

First off, what are your alk, calc and mag numbers? And second, do you truly have a pH problem (excess CO2)? And if so, fix it by bringing in fresh air to your skimmer. It's my opinion that adding a buffer is not the solution. Fix the root cause.

I believe the Seachem product is either one or both sodium bicarb / sodium carb., with a borate compound. Adding this will effect your alk levels. And you might wish to read THIS little article @Randy Holmes-Farley wrote on Boron in the reef aquarium.

Personally, I wouldn't be using this product....but that's me!

 

[kenzo]

So the directions on the Seachem Marine Buffer container say to add for each 20 gallons. How does that translate into using it in my ATO water supply? I use an 8 gallon ATO container. My DT system is approximately 70 gallons accounting for volume taken up by rock. Would I just use 3 -4 teaspoons in the ATO?

I use marine buffer when my pH is kind of low. It always raises my pH to 8.2-8.3
I used 2 tea spoons mixed in 2 cups of water and add it using a drip line to my 56g. It always work. But before you use it check your pH

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I use marine buffer when my pH is kind of low. It always raises my pH to 8.2-8.3
I used 2 tea spoons mixed in 2 cups of water and add it using a drip line to my 56g. It always work. But before you use it check your pH

More importantly, before you use it, check you your alkalinity. It is an alkalinity booster and you can easily get your alkalinity too high if you add it only on the basis of pH measurements.

If pH is low, there are better ways to boost pH with a smaller alkalinity rise, if pH raising is the primary goal.

 

[wrfreeman]

Sorry for the confusion. I currently dose Kalk in my ATO. I plan to switch to 2-part this weekend since I bought everything i need a couple of years ago, installed it all and then never used it. My concern is keeping the pH up once I go away from Kalk. I also just got a long air hose that I'm going to run to an outside source to feed my skimmer to rule out CO2 issues. My alk is running around 7 dKh and my calcium around 420. I'll wait until i make the switch to 2-part to see if I develop a low pH issue. Right now the pH hovers between 7.9 and 8.1

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If you're using a two part, don't use the Marine Buffer too if the purpose is a pH boost, since it will boost alk and won't boost pH as much as a high pH two part will per unit of alkalinity added.

You can put the alk part of the two part in your ATO if you want. Or stick with the limewater.

 

[CastAway]

Thanks for the thread @wrfreeman! I've learned a lot. Think I may get some Reef Buffer myself. My own dKH is 9, Ca 445, Mg 1300, and pH consistently 7.9-8.0. I have some excess nutrients as evidenced by some algae, and it sounds like Reef Buffer may address both the pH and thereby some nutrient issues.

So how has the transition gone so far????

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks for the thread @wrfreeman! I've learned a lot. Think I may get some Reef Buffer myself. My own dKH is 9, Ca 445, Mg 1300, and pH consistently 7.9-8.0. I have some excess nutrients as evidenced by some algae, and it sounds like Reef Buffer may address both the pH and thereby some nutrient issues.

So how has the transition gone so far????

How would Reef Buffer address nutrient issues?

As I mentioned, there are more effect ways for folks to boost pH, and in your specific case, you don't have a lot of alkalinity headroom left, so using sodium carbonate would be a better bet (or limewater (kalkwasser) or just fresher air in the room).

 

[CastAway]

I'm not sure. Basing it off the following from @Seachem Laboratories:
"Reef Buffer: It is a blend of carbonate and bicarbonate salts that are blended to have a high pKa (8.6). This is higher than we want to target in a reef tank, but having the higher pKa helps overcome the high level of organics that can accumulate in a closed reef system to balance the pH around our target of 8.3-8.4. "

 

[CastAway]

If this is an unreasonable expectation, please help us understand @Randy Holmes-Farley

 

[CastAway]

Hi CastAway,
Reef Buffer will help buffer your tank to help overcome the high level of organics in your tank, but you will still want to address a high organic load through filtration and regular water changes. The buffer helps counterbalance against the pH depressing effect of dissolved organics in the water, but it does nothing to remove them. The better your filtration and control of organic waste in your system, the easier it is going to be to maintain your target pH. Protein skimming and using Purigen and/or MatrixCarbon will help keep these under control between water changes.

I think I got it. So I should not expect excess nutrients to be "overcome" , or to be any less present or available for algae; only that these existing nutrients will not depress my pH as noticeably given that I'm offsetting the effect, masking perhaps, the effect of excess nutrients on my pH.

So, by this rationale, manual efforts to reduce nutrients should elevate my pH, as well as my more direct efforts on CO2 and gas exchange. For example, perhaps more diligent cleaning, or removal, of filter socks and/or sponges, removal of sediments from my sump and overflows, or a wetter foam from my skimmer.

 

[Jenghis]

Thanks for the thread @wrfreeman! I've learned a lot. Think I may get some Reef Buffer myself. My own dKH is 9, Ca 445, Mg 1300, and pH consistently 7.9-8.0. I have some excess nutrients as evidenced by some algae, and it sounds like Reef Buffer may address both the pH and thereby some nutrient issues.

So how has the transition gone so far????

Men we have the same problem my ph is always low....how did you fix yours and what measurements

 

[gbru316]

Men we have the same problem my ph is always low....how did you fix yours and what measurements

Option 1: Increase alkalinity
Option 2: Run a Co2 scrubber on your skimmer
Option 3: Run your skimmer air intake outside
Option 4: refugium with reverse photoperiod
Option 5: use kalkwasser for your calcium/alkalinity supplement

You can do any or all of these to raise PH