Buffering substrate will buffer to it's optimal pH (if it says 6.0 it will buffer to 6.0), but will get used up much quicker if it will have to buffer bigger difference. So it's a fixed point always. With your tap water you might get your substrate stop buffering after just 6 months, so it's a big waste. I would use RO water.
How much do buffering substrates buffer?
I ask because I have tap water of 7.8ph, 7dkh and 14dgh. When I mix 2/3 ro water the ph is about 7 and the dkh is 2.5 and the dgh is 3.5. If I use the ro mix, is fluval stratum going to take my ph down to 6 or there about and strip out the dkh and dgh or does it only buffer down to a certain point like 6.5 or something? What I don't want is if I'm starting at a ph of 7 to go down to 6. I'm trying to achieve a ph of about 6.5-6.8. Should I just use tap water and let it buffer down? Does fluval stratum/aquasoil buffer to a rough fixed point or a solid 1 ph drop regardless of you starting point?
Thanks for any input.
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Thanks for any input.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Buffering substrate will buffer to it's optimal pH (if it says 6.0 it will buffer to 6.0), but will get used up much quicker if it will have to buffer bigger difference. So it's a fixed point always. With your tap water you might get your substrate stop buffering after just 6 months, so it's a big waste. I would use RO water.
So their website doesn't give a ph but it says slightly acidic to neutral (fluval stratum). So I should assume it's going to get me in the 6.7-7.0 range regardless of the starting ph (starting at a higher ph)? So if I use ro/tap combo which is about a 7 ph it should keep me in the 6.7-7.0 range which means it doesn't have to buffer as much elongating the life of the substrate?
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Fluval Stratum buffers my water down to 6.5
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