B Ionic Vs. Limewater Newbie Q

[Violet_Dream]

Hi, I'm sorry if this question is a repeat but I've been doing a lot of searching through threads and I'm still a little confused.

If someone could give me a link or explain to me what exactly
limewater/kalk does and if you need to use B-ionic if you're dripping kalk.
I'm just not totally sure what either one does independently.
I know that B-ionic component one is alkalinity and that component two is calcium.
I'm so new that I'm not even sure why I'm adding this stuff. I do know that if the alkalinity is good than the pH will follow. I've also heard that kalk raises your calcium and your pH.
Also if someone can please explain what a pH buffer is exactly I'd appreciate it, or any links as I said would be helpful.
As a newbie I'm reading all this stuff and most of it assumes that you allready know what all this junk is.

Also , I dont have a test kit yet *I KNOW I KNOW!*
So if a few people can recomend a really good one hopefully under a hundered bucks that would be great. My tank seems to be doing beautifully but I'd like to know if it can be doing better.

Thanks in Advance



:confused:

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Violet:

Welcome to the forum!

There are a lot of questions there.:D

I'll answer some of the simpler ones, and post some links to other threads that answer some more complicated ones.

Our tanks need calcium and alkalinity because corals and other organisms remove both to mnake calcium carbonate skeletons.

Limewater provides both the calcium and the alkalinity, and in the end provides the same thing that B-ionic does.

Here is a link to a thread where we put together a list of on line articles and threads about limewater:

http://www.reefcentral.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?threadid=53775

Let's hold off on the buffer discussion for now (until you understand some of these other terms better). The hobby often uses the term incorrectly. Just think of it as an alkalinity supplement for now.

[Violet_Dream]

Thankyou very much. I will be sure and do some reading.