When are PH buffers useful?

[Guest]

When is it useful to use them? I understand that they raise alk. So, if you don't want to raise alk, are they really needed?....or does PH, using a good salt mix, regular water changes, having live rock, live sand, or other things generally ensure PH is OK without any PH buffer needed?

 

[Biggen]

Typically, your salt mix is all the buffer you will need if it is a FO or even a FOWLR. When you start adding inverts (i.e. corals, clams, etc...) than you might have to start dosing.

A lot of people dose Kalk which takes care of both Ca and ALK. If one were still having a problem with low ALK even when using Kalk, then you could use a buffer to raise it.

Most people will not need a separate buffer when using Kalk. Only those that have inverts that heavily drain Ca will have a problem because the Kalk can't keep up with the usage. These are going to be your heavily stocked SPS tanks...