I have been using this and have decided it works great, buy yourself a box of baking soda and a box of washing soda. mix 1 part washing soda with 6 parts baking soda for a base mixture.. then add 2-4 tsp in a quart of fresh water to tank per day until desired alk is reached.. you may need more or less depending on your tank size.. best part is for about $3 you can make 20 times more buffer than you would get buying say marine buffer