DIY aquarium buffer

[pomacanthus]

Well after getting a little tired of shelling out $40 for Kent Marine dKH buffer I decided it coundnt be much more than sodium bi-carbonate with maybe/probably 1/3 part calcium carbonate - does this sound about accurate? Cant imagine it being much more complicated than that but maybe Im missing something. Maybe someone with some actual chemistry background (not me obviously) might have the answer?

Thanks in advance
Pomacanthus

 

[Luis M]

Well after getting a little tired of shelling out $40 for Kent Marine dKH buffer I decided it coundnt be much more than sodium bi-carbonate with maybe/probably 1/3 part calcium carbonate - does this sound about accurate? Cant imagine it being much more complicated than that but maybe Im missing something. Maybe someone with some actual chemistry background (not me obviously) might have the answer?

Thanks in advance
Pomacanthus

Pomacanthus,
I was just checking the site and found that your old question wasn´t answered.
I use 6 parts of bicarb.and 1 part of carb.Commercial buffers also contain some boric acid.
Luis

 

[Reefer2b]

Poma,

Here's a link to what I've been using.

http://www.hawkfish.org/infoctr/homebuffer.htm

tom

 

[wstellwagen]

Randy Holmes Farley Has published extensively on the topic most recently In the july 2004 issue of the advanced aquarist. You might look at that and also at his reef chemistry forum here. and on reef central.

Walt