PH Crash

Stick with Barr's GH booster or Seachem Equilibrium, plants dont really like the high sodium level. Plus these two products contain the minerals your plants need, calcium, magnesium and potassium.
 
The only problem with Baking soda is the sodium part. Calcium Carbonate is a much better alternative, and its only a few bucks.
 
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My opinion on what option you go for depends on this: are you happy with the PH you had before the crash? If it's too low, I would go for calcium carbonate. If not, I would just buffer the KH with baking soda. IMO baking soda is inexpensive enough to be worth it.
 
Tuffa rock = $0.30 cents

Golf ball sized piece broken up into about 8 pieces and put in the filter media, raised my pH and kH to a safer level. Takes about 10 days to 2 weeks though..
 
Stick with Barr's GH booster or Seachem Equilibrium, plants dont really like the high sodium level. Plus these two products contain the minerals your plants need, calcium, magnesium and potassium.

What would I notice after adding Seachem Equilibrium? I thought about getting some but not sure if I even need it?
 
I'd recommend a GH/KH test kit, but if you can't get one, I'd raise your KH by 3-4 deg to start with. That'll give you a good buffer, and it won't over shoot.

And a drop checker is really a necessity with co2 injection. You can buy one for around $13/shipped on ebay for DIY one for about $10.
 
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Thanks for the input. Yeah, I ordered a drop checker and then it never got shipped. I am in the process of checking out ebay and aquabid right now to try and find another one thats not overpriced. No one in town has one, the last store I went to barely knew about adding CO2 to the water column...

I likely did overdo the CO2, my regulator is a cheapo one and doesn't always quite put the same amount of CO2 out even though I have the dial marked where I want it(on the low side while I await a drop checker).

So... If I was happy with where my PH was at(and I was), I can simply add Sodium bicarbonate at each water change and call it good? I don't mind buying GH Booster/Equilibrium, but if I dont have to...
 
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