Dosing Reef Fusion 2 part vs Sodium Bicarbinate

[mdrieder]

Hey everyone, I typically use reef fusion two part to maintain calcium and alkalinity (It was available when I first joined the hobby and I just never switched). Today however, my order got delayed and I used some sodium Bicarbonate to correct the levels this morning. I dosed the proper amount and tested after dosing to confirm this. The odd thing is typically by the end of the day I would be down to about 7.6 alk but instead I'm only down .2 (8.7). My question is... does sodium bicarbonate have vastly superior buffering qualities to whatever is in reef fusion? Is this just an odd coincidence? Does reef fusion suck that bad? Thanks!

 

[blasterman]

Two part dosers regardless of who makes them are basically just a few pennies worth of calcium chloride in water and a few pennies of baking soda in a bottle. You are basically paying for water and a fancy label.

To its credit, their calcium claims some trace elements, but the only extra ingredient worth noting is mag, and I'm skeptical about calcium products that contain the proper ratio of magnesium anyways. Cough brightwell cough.

A box of baking soda, measuring spoons and the reef calculator is a million times more logical and efficient than buying a bottle of baking soda diluted in water. You've taken a major step towards reef enlightenment.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Hey everyone, I typically use reef fusion two part to maintain calcium and alkalinity (It was available when I first joined the hobby and I just never switched). Today however, my order got delayed and I used some sodium Bicarbonate to correct the levels this morning. I dosed the proper amount and tested after dosing to confirm this. The odd thing is typically by the end of the day I would be down to about 7.6 alk but instead I'm only down .2 (8.7). My question is... does sodium bicarbonate have vastly superior buffering qualities to whatever is in reef fusion? Is this just an odd coincidence? Does reef fusion suck that bad? Thanks!

I expect the difference is just test error and/or dosing amount differences. Reef Fusion will boost pH a bit more than bicarbonate, and that raises demand a bit, but not likely as much as you note.