Liquid Acid/Alkaline buffer?

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wesleydnunder

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Dec 11, 2005
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Few experienced, responsible aquarists will use or suggest chemical additives to adjust ph. There are other means which IMO work better and don't cause ph bounce. I'd reiterate Josh's question...what are you trying to achieve and why?

Mark
 

Ewest

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Its for a design i am diagramming out. Eventually when i graduate in 4 years i want to get discus and i got bored today so i started drawing up a diagram for a discus tank that would auto change 40% of its water a week, the set up uses a holding tank that RO water is pumped into and then a dosing unit to add in the necessary additives, IE buffers but they need to be liquid. All i need to know right now is if such a liquid buffer exists?
 

wesleydnunder

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A couple questions...

What are the values of your current tapwater? KH, GH, PH?

What types of discus do you intend to keep? Domestic hybrids? Wilds?

You may not need to do anything to your water except dechlorinate it.

Mark
 

wesleydnunder

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It's important to understand that there's a distinction between ph and TDS.

The easiest way to hit a target TDS is to mix a measured amount of tapwater with a known TDS to the RO water.

Target Ph can be achieved, albeit slowly, via peat to lower and aragonite or crushed coral to raise.

Mark
 

wesleydnunder

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So I assume for the TDS i would in a holding bin mix the RO and Tap and then let it sit heated and with an air stone in it a few days prior to the water change but what would i do about the PH?
Correct. Say your target TDS is 100 ppm and your tap TDS is 400 ppm. You'd mix 75% RO with 25% tap. With domestics you may not need to adjust the water at all. If you feel you need to drop the TDS I think 50/50 RO and tap will do fine.

Mark
 
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