Reef Discussion

Experimenting With Additives To Alter Water Chemistry
A thread to test various additives and their claims.
Please feel to add your own experience as this could be a valuable reference.

I saw a few bulk lots on ecrap and put some low bids in on the off chance - I won. Now some of these products I wouldn't usually buy as there are cheaper & purer alternatives available from the supermarket, hardware or pool store etc. But since I do have them, I'll use them cautiously and post my results & opinions. Please feel free to add to these tests.
 
SEACHEM Reef Buffer
250gm bottle, a granulated product, batch number 34521. This product displays no manufacture or use by type dates.
The Claim: Raises PH to 8.3 without fear of overshooting a PH of 8.3. Full details HERE.
My Opinion: NO! It does raise PH and it significantly raises alkilinity but it does overdose very easily. In fact I suspect this is a product designed to raise dKH rather than PH directly. Alkilinity is a major factor effecting PH, CO2 being the other main influence. I'll be sticking to vinegar & bicarb should I need to adjust PH directly.

The Test: I placed 100 litres of freshly collected NSW, it tested at 8dKH Alkilinity (hardness) and PH of 7.8. I dosed 7 level (5ml) teaspoons dissolved in 500ml of RO water. The result after 12 hours was a PH of 8.8+, my test kit doesn't go any higher. The test was performed again with NSW collected with the batch just used, halving the water and dose rate. Test results identical.

Water chemistry is actually more complex than many realise, with each factor effecting others. A good starting place is this article by well known chemist & reefkeeper Randy Holmes-Farley.
 
Last edited:

Anil Nanda

Member
Apr 10, 2014
48
17
A thread to test various additives and their claims.
Please feel to add your own experience as this could be a valuable reference.

I saw a few bulk lots on ecrap and put some low bids in on the off chance - I won. Now some of these products I wouldn't usually buy as there are cheaper & purer alternatives available from the supermarket, hardware or pool store etc. But since I do have them, I'll use them cautiously and post my results & opinions. Please feel free to add to these tests.
In one of your posts you mentioned that there are 2 kinds of aquarists - those that have algae problems and those that are going to have them...we are working on proving you wrong! lol!! Check us out!
 
In one of your posts you mentioned that there are 2 kinds of aquarists - those that have algae problems and those that are going to have them...we are working on proving you wrong! lol!! Check us out!
I don't see how your blatant advert ads anything to this thread.:banghead
Also if you had read it properly, I said nothing of the sort, it was an article from somebody else.:reading
 

Anil Nanda

Member
Apr 10, 2014
48
17
Except that I've had two of these in two different threads today, advertising the new miracle cure. I don't see funny.
As a newby manufacturer, we are unfamiliar with the etiquette of the forums but are learning fast! Apologies again if I offended you!!...also getting a little lost in all the various threads etc! reminded me of my first few weeks on a golf course!!
On a more serious note, we invite you to review our faq page and give us your feedback and questions. We welcome engagement with reef forum members. We understand we cant push our product on these forums but would very much like your members to check us out on you tube, facebook and our site.
 

The Reefuge

Administrator
Jul 9, 2011
4,152
1,929
As a newby manufacturer, we are unfamiliar with the etiquette of the forums but are learning fast! Apologies again if I offended you!!...also getting a little lost in all the various threads etc! reminded me of my first few weeks on a golf course!!
On a more serious note, we invite you to review our faq page and give us your feedback and questions. We welcome engagement with reef forum members. We understand we cant push our product on these forums but would very much like your members to check us out on you tube, facebook and our site.
Hello @Anil Nanda,

Welcome to The Reefuge. Businesses are not allowed to "push" their product by doing things like asking members to check out your page, etc on the forums. However, there are free business tools that will be released in the next month and paid services. Basically the forums are there to talk about reefing and to answer questions. I would suggest if you want your products to be known (at this point in time) is to use the forums to help out members with answering questions as if you were speaking to them casually without anything to gain.

As for business services you will be alerted when these will be released.

Thanks.