[MDPinUSA]

This thread is going from baking soda to a variety of DIY additions that are stupefying at best.

I would like to make shorter posts... but......

Thomas: Interesting link. A lot of reading that offers basic info. in a complex way.

Most of what is offered describes the negatives associated with various DIY or home brew approaches to marine aquarium water parameter adjusting.

Unfortunately there are many readers of this information that will interpret this as a guide to a DIY approach to aquarium keeping. -- I see it as more of a cautionary guide to the negatives of employing many of the approaches listed.

I stand by my previous statements. ".... higher purity than borax hand cleaner...." And... ".... sooner than later.... "

Chuck: Pickling lime or kalkwasser is simply calcium hydroxide.

Here are three (of many) factors to consider prior to the use of calcium hydroxide.

1) Checking a chemical reference hand book will provide enough cautions for the educated aquarist to realize and understand calcium hydroxide is a caustic salt.

It should be handled with great care. This includes: eye protection, respirator and IMO gloves.

2) The more calcium hydroxide that is added to the system, the faster alkalinity will drop and pH can sky rocket.

3) Continual additions of calcium will yield a solution that will soon be out of balance as no consideration is given to Mg, K, So4, etc.

Adjusting the major ions in a sea water medium should be approached with understanding and responsibility. It is always best to make a water change with a balanced marine salt vs. depending on continual additions of one or more major elements. Then having to introduce minor components (buffers, pH adjusters, etc.) to compensate for the improper prior water chemistry modifications.

Like most DIY additives or supplements, there can be a fine balance between achieving the desired results vs. creating unexpected problems.

The root cause of what is confusing, conflicting and many times misinformation that results in less than an optimal approach to aquarium keeping is...... -- The promotion of many supplements (IMO, marginal, questionable or useless) in flashy packages with associated advertising by less than qualified kitchen kemists™ and garage fabricators.

A few on-line aqua gurus™ understood the simplicity of purchasing a 50 pound package of commerical grade calcium chloride, calcium hydroxide, etc. then posting on-line what the fancy packages actually contained vs. bulk buying.

This gave rise to additional kitchen kemists™ and garage fabricators introducing a slew of new brands, with the same low tech, commercial grade salts, in yet fancier packages. For the most part this is an under financed group of unsophisticated opportunists that can only afford to promote on the internet.

IMO the aqua gurus™ that posted this information did so to bolster their status with home aquarium keepers. -- In some circles, they are worshipped as divine financial saviors. As they gain status within the cost oriented group.

The next step in the progression of much internet DIY is under financed hobbyists wanting to believe, then posting on-line that borax hand cleaner, commercial grade baking soda and at the shallow end of the gene pool, the use of ice melting salts as a calcium addition.

The latest trend is for commercial grade chemicals being sold in bulk sizes in unmarked Ziplock® or Food Saver® bags. In some cases these low grade chemicals are marked with a gummed label.

None of these items are sold in reputable aquarium or pet shops. They found only on the internet.

IMO, this is key. From what I have witnessed, very little if any attention has been given to consequences of adding low purity (introduction of unwanted impurities) chemicals into the closed aquarium system. A plethora of additional DIY remedies abounds to compensate for the first round of improper chemical additions.

However, baking soda, hand cleaner, pickling lime, ice melting salt and peanuts are cheap.