homemade two part substitution

[thien]

Randy...Just read your article 8) . I was wondering if for the alk solution I could substitute the baking soda with Aquarium Systems Seabuffer product (ingredients: Sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate and sodium borate). If yes, would I use the same proportion? I only ask because I have a lot of it on hand.

Thanks.
Thien

 

[jmluna]

Dear Randy

I use the same mixture for bufferin my reeef aquarium: 2 parts sodium carbonate, 6 part sodium bicarbonate and 1/2 part sodium borate.

So is possible to use it in combination with calcium cloride to make the same efects. And how much would I need??


Sorry about my English and grettings from Spain.

 

[randy holmes-farley]

You could use a commercial buffer like that, but it isn't any better than baking soda.

FWIW, I see no reason for borate to be in a buffer intended for a reef aquarium.

It is hard for me to say how much to use to make a balanced additive system, as I do not know how much of each ingredient is present in those commercial buffers.

 

[jmluna]

Okay, this is not a comercial buffer. I use chemical compound as described above. So I want to know how much cuantity for each one.

 

[randy holmes-farley]

Do you measure parts by weight or volume?

 

[jmluna]

I measure it by volume

 

[randy holmes-farley]

I believe that the sodium carbonate is roughly 50% more potent on a volume basis than is sodium bicarbonate.

So 2 parts sodium carbonate plus 6 parts sodium bicarbonate has about the same alkalinity as 9 parts of sodium bicarbonate.

So you can use your mixture (of these two, not the borate), but scale it back by about 12% compared to using just sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) in Recipe 1.

 

[jmluna]

Thanks Randy

Only one question more. There is any advantage in use this mixture instead bicarbonate only???

By the way, you say in your article that magnesium sulfate is a good choice because the sulfate balanced the chloride. Well I use comercial magnesium but I have a sulfur reactor. This reactor releases sulfate to the aquarium water. What do you think about this??

 

[randy holmes-farley]

The only advantage relates to pH. If your pH runs low, then using some washing soda (or baked baking soda) will help raise it.

I don't know how much sulfate that reactor actually adds, but in that case, using a commercial magneisum supplement may be better than Epsom salts.