Q: How much pond water will Buff-it-Up™ treat per pound?
A: There is no set amount of Buff-it-Up or any other KH booster that should be used for all ponds. As we all know, no two ponds are the same when it comes to the carbonate hardness (KH) of their water. It could take two cups of buffer for my fish pond to hold a safe KH/pH and it could take four cups or more of buffer for your fish pond to hold the same KH/pH. Beware of so called KH buffer products that say “the contents of this jar will treat X amount of gallons”. How does any manufacturer know the KH/pH level in your fish pond. What we can tell you about Buff-it-Up is, that it will hold your KH level of your pond water much longer than other KH buffers on the market!
Q: So what’s so special about Buff-it-Up™?
A: Before Buff-it-Up was first introduced to the market, Buff-it-Up was tested against the leading KH/pH buffers and Buff-it-Up held the pH and KH of Aquarium water five days longer than the leading KH/pH buffer on the market. Buff-it-Up is a pH Buffer, a KH “carbonate hardness” builder and non phosphate buffer that will maintain the ideal KH/pH in your Goldfish and Koi pond, while not enhancing algae growth. Depending on dosage, Buff-it-Up raises pH and buffers between 7.4 and 7.8. It is gentle, safe, and enhances the freshwater environment.
Q: Is Buff-it-Up™, “new” or something?
A: Yes and no. pH/KH Buffers have been on the market for probably three decades. Such as baking soda, limestone and crushed coral. A comparable product like Buff-it-Up currently sells at about ten dollars a pound in small containers. For pond people, they want more, for less. Our price on Buff-It-Up puts it right at about six to seven dollars per pound, and it lasts considerably longer in the system than any other KH booster.
Q: This is nothing but baking soda, isn’t it?
A: Well, there are carbonates in it, but that is where the similarities end. Baking Soda is a food grade carbonate, and we use a reagent food grade, so perhaps that is also similar. But baking soda is nothing except sodium bicarbonate. This does nothing but “blindly” push the pH upward, and it has nothing in it to “hold” the pH there. Most hobbyists have found that Baking Soda is a “good” buffer but they go crazy making it “last” in their system. Buff-It-Up also contains other carbonates which stabilize the KH/ pH and holds them in the optimal ranges for koi fish. Baking Soda does not supply calcium either, Buff-it-Up does…
Q: Well then it must be plain old limestone. Right?
A: Limestone has been used as a buffer with success. But Buff-it-Up is not limestone. In fact, no limestone is used to make Buff-it-Up. Limestone is a mixture of calcium and magnesium carbonate. The primary stabilizing ingredient, among others, in Buff-It-Up is Calcium carbonate only. This is the more bio available carbonate for aqua culture and for beneficial bacteria. There is very little magnesium carbonate in Buff-it-Up. Pure chemicals in reagent form were used to manufacture Buff-it-Up, this was to ensure that your water would experience minimal clouding after application, and support it’s best selling point, IT SUPPORTS KH/PH FOR A LONG LONG TIME.
Q: Will Buff-it-Up™ cloud my water for a week?
A: No, it won’t cloud your pond water for a week. It might cloud your pond water slightly for a day or less depending upon how much Calcium your system needs, and how good your filtration system is. Some people experience no clouding; by putting the Buff-it-Up directly into the “filter intake” in a gradual way over a few hours. To have a truly soluble Calcium carbonate, some clouding is inevitable.
Q: Can Buff-it-Up™ hurt my pond fish?
A: Sure can. Just like any other buffer containing minerals and carbonates…We won’t kid you, and we don’t want you to hurt your koi fish. You could probably kill your whole collection with it if you were incredibly careless. Is this any different than any other buffer? NO, when it comes to an overdose. If you live in the south west, and have very hard water and a high total alkalinity, say; over three hundred ppm, you could harm the pond fish by using Buff-it-Up or any other KH buffer which pushes alkalinity or hardness over these ceiling numbers.
