What are aquarium buffers?

juanmanuelsanchez · Nov 24, 2019

Hi all! I have beikg reading about water chemistry ph, etc.

And some text mentions that the saltwater buffers may be waring down...

What components are those? I'm already using a calcium reactor. And I'm assuming I'm already dosing those components through that.

Thanks for the help.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 25, 2019

Buffers are exactly what your reactor is adding:bicarbonate and carbonate and if alk is fine the buffering is fine.

Borate is a small contributor to buffering that, in my opinion, is not very important and does not deplete much. Normal water changes likely maintain it fine.

juanmanuelsanchez · Nov 25, 2019

I got to say I do less and less water changes because I have the reactor... But I see my ph around 8 and no matter what I do to INCREASE to 8.3 it seems impossible.

I have more water movement. The effluent it's on the air intake of the skimmer so it's can break down all the CO2...

I was thinking in adding kalk Wasser with the ATO. But I want to try other methods.

Thanks Randy.