ph buffer

[tamra&steven]

does anyone know how to make homemade ph buffer? i forgot how to do it and does anyone know what amount of vodka to add to the tank to remove nitrates? any help thanks

[cmor1701d]

The vodka goes in YOU not the tank. See Randy's Two Part solutiions for the recipes for Alk depending on yuor normal pH (high or low).

Dosing vodka can be hazardous to your tank (bacterial blooms). Get some macro algea or buy/make a denitrifier (and add the vodka to that)

[ccCapt]

Like cmor said, you don't want to mess with dosing vodka. It can work, but can cause more problems than it's worth.

The link cmor posted gives 2 different recipies. Basically it's about 2 cups of Arm & Hammer baking soda mixed in a gallon of RO water. The recipe varies depending on the average pH of your tank.

[rayjay]

It would not be wise to just buffer without taking into consideration other connected factors like calcium.
Again the link already provided:
An Improved Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Supplement System

And for an understanding:
A Simplified Guide to the Relationship Between Calcium, Alkalinity, Magnesium and pH

This is the link to Randy Holmes-Farley's page of links on Reef Chemistry.
In my opinion, it is the most important link on the internet for reef hobbyists.
It has been moved from his old forum to the archives at RC.
LINK TO RANDY'S ARCHIVED LINKS PAGE

[tamra&steven]

i have a ca reactor on my tank i dont have to worry very much about alk or ca

[cmor1701d]

Alkalinity IS the measure of pH buffer in your tank. If you don't have to worry about alk why are you asking about a home made pH buffer?

[Kurt_Nelson]

Glad I wasn't the only one scratching my head from that last post...

[tamra&steven]

beacuse my ph isnt as high as i want it to be alk is the ability to resist change so i wanted to raise my ph not my alk thanks tho

[Kurt_Nelson]

I'm not really up on Ca reactors, but I *thought* that folks that ran them suffered from low pH if the reactor wasn't "tuned" right. I'd probably focus on that aspect versus adding something to boost your pH. Or looking at ways to improve the gas exchange. To me that just seems like a bandaid, and doesn't focus on the cure. In addition, I think by raising your pH chemically, you'll end up shifting your alkalinity/calcium parameters and you'll be chasing your tail with the reactor again.

Sorry... doesn't answer your original question for a recipe, but I guess I just wanted to suggest taking a step back and thinking whether you wanted to go down that road.