beginning of my tank

mullinsd2

I still have the receipt for all my stuff so I need you to tell me what to do when I go to petsmart tomorrow lol. None of it is open so i can get a refund on it all. I will get different salt and the amquel. Idk if they have the salt you recommended; hopefully, they do.

mullinsd2

So today at the lfs i was convinced to buy some calcium additive and a ph raising additive. They are made by aquavitro... anyone use these before? Also I bought a water conditioned called Prime by seachem i believe...

mullinsd2

just got back from petsmart and purchased a 200 watt Marineland stealth shatter proof heater. seems to be a pretty good one.

mullinsd2

ive been reading up on caclium levels and alkalinity, and it seems that simple baking soda can help a lot of these problem out.. along with epsom salt. Can anyone give me some basic info on this?

wake49

I have never heard of using baking soda and epsom salt. My LFS carries BI-onic Calcium and Alkalinity buffers. That is what I use, and I feel it keeps my levels decent, with weekly dosing.

mullinsd2

aquascape 1

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mullinsd2

any suggestions?

Pasfur

I have used Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate) in the past but have never been happy with the results. I suggest reading everything you can by Randy Holmes Farley on the topic of alkalinity, especially if you plan on using an "at home" receipe to buffer your tank.

Honestly, given the low cost of a buffer and the high cost of livestock, I can't imagine any scenario in which I would not use a commercially prepared buffer. I spend about $15 every 3 to 4 months on a buffer for my 180 & 58 combined. $5.00 per month isn't much of an expense.

mullinsd2

You are right. I dont mind spending money on pre mixed solution either, but I just saw that using baking soda is a way to do things if you are tight on money. Personally, since I do not know much about this stuff yet, I would not experiment with anything that is not pre-prepared for aquarium use.

conger

I'm also a big fan of B-Ionic two-part alkalinity and calcium supplement, I've gotten good results from using it so far. I add it daily, just a part of my routine I come home from work and immediately add the B-Ionic, its not a pain at all to keep up.