Hi all:
Interesting Q&A from Seachem:
Question from me:
I am wondering how these two part calcium-buffer supplements differ (besides the fact that one set is liquid and the other dry). Is there a benefit of using one over the other?
1. Reef Advantage Calcium + Reef Buffer
2. Kent Marine Tech CB Part A and Part
The Answer from SeaChem:
Kent Marine Tech CB Part A and Part B contain 56,000 mg/L calcium and they don't list how much alkalinity. An interesting thing is that the say its "predominately in the form of calcium carbonate". Your substrate is calcium carbonate, so is your live rock... but they are not soluble. http://www.kentmarine.com/saltwater/tcbab.html
The powders are pure product so they don't have a listed concentration.
The liquid version Reef Complete contains 160,000 mg/L. Reef Advantage is a concentrated calcium supplement capable of raising 20 gallons of water by 25 ppm of calcium with only 1 teaspoon. The biggest advantage is the ability to know exactly how much product to add in order to achieve any calcium level while restoring other essential ions. As an added bonus it mixes to a pH of 8.3 to 8.6 so you can forget about the pH battles associated with other calcium supplements. Additionally, it also contains strontium and magnesium ratios proportional to typical depletion rates. If Reef Advantage is used to maintain calcium, then other strontium and magnesium supplements are not necessary.
Reef Carbonate is a concentrated (4,000 meq/L) solution. Reef Buffer the powdered version is also very concentrated each 1 teaspoon per 40 gallons will raise your alkalinity by 0.5 meq/L. Are Alkalinity products also have the user friendly dosing so that you know where your levels will be after you add the product.
We don't recommend to dose an alkalinity supplement and a calcium supplement on the same day because they are so concentrated. When these ions find each other they form calcium carbonate and precipitate out of solution.
We feel that trace elements are best added separately to make sure they are neither overdosed or under dosed.
Interesting Q&A from Seachem:
Question from me:
I am wondering how these two part calcium-buffer supplements differ (besides the fact that one set is liquid and the other dry). Is there a benefit of using one over the other?
1. Reef Advantage Calcium + Reef Buffer
2. Kent Marine Tech CB Part A and Part
The Answer from SeaChem:
Kent Marine Tech CB Part A and Part B contain 56,000 mg/L calcium and they don't list how much alkalinity. An interesting thing is that the say its "predominately in the form of calcium carbonate". Your substrate is calcium carbonate, so is your live rock... but they are not soluble. http://www.kentmarine.com/saltwater/tcbab.html
The powders are pure product so they don't have a listed concentration.
The liquid version Reef Complete contains 160,000 mg/L. Reef Advantage is a concentrated calcium supplement capable of raising 20 gallons of water by 25 ppm of calcium with only 1 teaspoon. The biggest advantage is the ability to know exactly how much product to add in order to achieve any calcium level while restoring other essential ions. As an added bonus it mixes to a pH of 8.3 to 8.6 so you can forget about the pH battles associated with other calcium supplements. Additionally, it also contains strontium and magnesium ratios proportional to typical depletion rates. If Reef Advantage is used to maintain calcium, then other strontium and magnesium supplements are not necessary.
Reef Carbonate is a concentrated (4,000 meq/L) solution. Reef Buffer the powdered version is also very concentrated each 1 teaspoon per 40 gallons will raise your alkalinity by 0.5 meq/L. Are Alkalinity products also have the user friendly dosing so that you know where your levels will be after you add the product.
We don't recommend to dose an alkalinity supplement and a calcium supplement on the same day because they are so concentrated. When these ions find each other they form calcium carbonate and precipitate out of solution.
We feel that trace elements are best added separately to make sure they are neither overdosed or under dosed.