Seachem products perplexing

[Myka]

First things first, how big is your tank and what corals do you keep in it?

The Reef Calcium is liquid. Reef Complete is also liquid, and includes a bit of magnesium and strontium as well. Reef Advantage is the dry version of Reef Complete (my pick of the bunch for calcium).

Reef Buffer is sodium carbonate and will raise pH. Reef Builder is sodium bicarbonate and won't raise pH. I would pick the latter.

Reef Fusion is a 2-part additive. It just makes dosing easy because you use equal amounts of each. Part 1 is calcium and some other minerals, part 2 is carbonates (for alkalinity).

[e46er]

I (along with most people) buy bulk chemicals because they do the same thing and are much much cheeper

for calcium i use dow flake which is calcium chloride
for alk i use baking soda which has been baked for an hour at 400 degrees in my doser for slight adjustments i just use reg baking soda without baking
and for Mg i use mag flake which is a combination of magnesium chloride epsom salts


heres a good link to read http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php#4

[asylumdown]

Originally Posted by Myka

Reef Buffer is sodium carbonate and will raise pH. Reef Builder is sodium bicarbonate and won't raise pH. I would pick the latter.

Am i nuts for thinking Reef Buffer has borate in it as well? I seem to remember reef buffer raising both pH and the tank's total alkalinity, but giving most of the bump via borate alkalinity, and not carbonate alkalinity. Ask me to cite my sources with confidence and I'm afraid I'd have a hard time, though I think it might have come with some of the information on the Seachem 'Reef Status' alkalinity test kit.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by asylumdown

Am i nuts for thinking Reef Buffer has borate in it as well? I seem to remember reef buffer raising both pH and the tank's total alkalinity, but giving most of the bump via borate alkalinity, and not carbonate alkalinity. Ask me to cite my sources with confidence and I'm afraid I'd have a hard time, though I think it might have come with some of the information on the Seachem 'Reef Status' alkalinity test kit.

That's possible. I have used SeaChem Reef Buffer in the past with good results long term. I prefer Kent Turbo Calcium to any of the SeaChem calcium products.