Don and War
Using or adding the SeaChem Marine Buffer is bad. That is why on their own website they do not recommend it for reef tanks but FOT. There are multiple reasons for this. First, it has massive amounts of Borate which will skew the Alk test kit, giving you much lower Carbonate Alk for your corals than the test indicates. Second, it is a pH specific buffer and interferes with normal Ca++ and Alk sups when trying to keep normal Ca++ and Alk levels, as it shifts them to another level other than normal. It is fine to use one of the SeaChem reef buffers, not just this one. For example, the Ca++ is 350 ppm and you try to raise it to 400 ppm and it just falls right back to where it was. Further additions of Ca++ just does the same thing.
War
Boomer. The advise as of recent that Marine Buffer just keeps it at 8.3 no higher..
I'm quite familiar of what the buffer is and is in it and how it suppose to be used. I helped Dr Morin 25 years ago with it when he brought it out to control pH in FOT. It is not designed or used for Alk but pH. It is one of the "Target" buffers which do not belong in reef tanks.
Alk is related to PH ...so maintaining good Alk will help me maintain a balanced PH
Not really, that is only half of the story. Alk will do nothing for pH if there is high CO2 in the water. If you have a Alk of 5 meq / l or 14dkH the pH can still fall like a rock.
Calcium I know its importance the good news is last test few days ago said 480.
That is usually considered to high and if you are a beginner it is for sure to high. Let it come down on its own ~ 410 - 425. Stop the use ot the Marine Buffer and use the other reef buffer from SeaChem. Try to keep the Alk around 3.5 meq/ l or 10 dkH and the Mg++ around 1,300 ppm and pH 8.1 to 8.3
