AquaVitro Carbonate

• Potassium bicarbonate, not carbonate - the dosed solution sits near pH 8.2 rather than the ~11.5 a carbonate salt would produce, reducing the pH swing at the point of dosing.
• 2,000 meq/L (5,600 dKH) concentration - a small measured dose moves KH by a known amount rather than a guess.
• Also supplies potassium - 78,300 mg/L, a second macro nutrient plants use alongside the KH lift.
• CO2 reserve for planted tanks - stable KH gives a CO2-injected system a buffer to draw against instead of pH swinging with every CO2 cycle.
• From 4c per litre of tank water treated - see the size comparison below.

Here the larger bottle genuinely is the better buy per litre treated - 4c against 6c - because the price does not scale linearly with volume between the two sizes. Buy the 350 mL if you dose regularly; the 150 mL suits an occasional top-up or a smaller collection.

Dose 30 mL per 60 L weekly, or as needed to hold KH in your target range. In unbuffered water, or any tank not running CO2 injection, drop to a quarter or half dose - full-rate dosing without CO2 to buffer against can push pH up more than a planted tank wants. Target 1-2 meq/L (3-6 dKH) and adjust to what your particular plant selection prefers within that band.

Suitable for: freshwater planted aquariums, particularly CO2-injected setups that need a stable carbonate reserve to prevent pH swings between CO2 cycles.

Not suitable for: tanks that already run high KH from tap water or substrate, and soft-water setups deliberately kept low in carbonate hardness for species like wild-caught tetras or apistogramma - raising KH here works directly against that water chemistry.

Test KH before and after dosing until you know how your specific tank responds - buffering capacity varies with stocking, substrate and existing tap water hardness. In an unbuffered or non-CO2 tank, start at a quarter dose and re-test rather than dosing to the full rate on the first attempt.

• AquaVitro Activate - phosphorus and potassium dosing for the same planted tank, on its own schedule.
• API Freshwater Master Multi Test Kit 5 in 1 - tests KH so you can dose to a confirmed reading rather than a guess.
• Seachem Prime - dechlorinates tap water at every water change, independent of KH dosing.

As a consumable liquid additive, Carbonate is not covered by a manufacturer warranty term in the usual sense; your rights under the Australian Consumer Law apply to any product that is faulty or not as described. It is not a dangerous good or oversized item and ships as standard parcel freight.

Why potassium bicarbonate instead of potassium carbonate?

A potassium carbonate solution sits around pH 11.5, which is a serious pH spike to introduce directly into a stocked tank. Potassium bicarbonate lands near pH 8.2, giving a far smaller shock at the point of dosing while still raising KH.

Do I need to dose less if I'm not running CO2?

Yes. Seachem's own guidance is a quarter to half dose in unbuffered water or any tank without CO2 injection, because there is less buffering capacity to absorb the change and pH can move further than intended at the full rate.

Will this affect my soft-water or blackwater tank?

Yes, and not in the direction you want. Carbonate raises KH, which works against the low-hardness water soft-water species are usually kept in. It is intended for tanks where a higher, more stable KH is the goal.

Which size is better value?

The 350 mL bottle, at 4c per litre treated against 6c for the 150 mL. Buy the smaller size only if you dose occasionally and don't want the larger bottle sitting half-used.