Seachem Axolotl Buffer 250ml

Axolotls are cold-water amphibians with permeable skin and external gills. They are sensitive to moving water chemistry in a way a hardy tropical fish is not, and axolotl tanks are typically kept cool and lightly filtered – exactly the combination in which pH wanders.

A one-way pH product corrects the reading. A buffer solves the drift. Seachem formulates this one to sit at 7.4–7.6 and stay there, so the tank stops moving between water changes instead of being pulled back after every one.

It also works from either side. A tank sitting at 7.9 comes down, a tank at 7.0 comes up, and both land in the same window.

• Targets 7.4–7.6 from either direction – raises a low pH and pulls down a high one, rather than only pushing one way
• Buffers against drift – holds the figure between water changes instead of correcting after the fact
• Softens hard water – precipitates calcium and magnesium out of solution, which lowers general hardness rather than masking it
• Phosphate buffer system – a firmer grip on pH than carbonate buffering gives, with the phosphate trade-off spelled out below
• Dosed straight into the tank – no mixing station, no waiting period, no separate container
• 6c per litre treated – worked from the 5 mL per 10 L dose across the full 250 mL bottle

Worked from Seachem's 5 mL per 10 L, twice-weekly rate. This is dosed more often than most buffers, so the bottle moves faster than 250 mL suggests – worth knowing before you size your order.

• May be added directly to the aquarium at any time
• Twice a week, or as often as needed to hold pH between 7.4 and 7.6
• Very hard water may need a double or triple dose to get there
• Test before dosing rather than dosing to a calendar. Once the tank is holding, it may need less than twice weekly

This is a phosphate-buffered product, and that is what gives it a firm grip on pH. The consequence is that phosphate goes into the water, so a phosphate test will read higher after dosing. That is the buffer, not a nutrient problem in the tank.

In a bare or lightly planted axolotl tank this is usually a non-issue. In a tank already fighting algae, or one where you track phosphate to a target, it is worth knowing before the first dose rather than after.

Suitable for: axolotl tanks · other cold-water amphibian setups wanting a stable, slightly alkaline pH · tanks whose pH slides between water changes · hard tap water that needs softening as well as buffering.

Not suitable for: marine and reef aquariums · planted tanks and tanks with an algae problem, because of the phosphate · soft acidic-water species such as discus and wild-caught tetras · use as a dechlorinator, which it does not do – that is Seachem Axolotl Conditioner's job · same-day pH correction, which is harder on an axolotl than a stable wrong figure.

• Keep the cap on and store out of direct sun
• Rinse the capful measure rather than leaving residue to dry in it
• Expect a haze in very hard water as calcium and magnesium precipitate out. It clears
• Test pH before dosing. Phosphate buffers hold firmly, so an overshoot takes a while to walk back

• Seachem Axolotl Conditioner – removes chlorine and chloramine and detoxifies ammonia at water changes, none of which this buffer does
• Seachem Fresh Trace – restores trace elements that softening and water changes strip out; Seachem recommends it alongside this product
• Seachem pH Alert – continuous pH in the tank, so you dose to a colour rather than to a calendar
• Seachem Ammonia Alert – axolotl tanks run cool and lightly filtered, and ammonia is what catches people out
• Seachem pH & Alkalinity Kit – for when you want a number rather than a band
• The full Seachem range – water care, media and test kits

Sold with the manufacturer's shelf life; no separate warranty term is published for a liquid buffer. Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law apply regardless and cannot be excluded. A safety data sheet is published by Seachem at sds.seachem.com. Ships as a standard parcel.

What pH should an axolotl tank sit at?

Seachem formulates this buffer to 7.4–7.6, and that is the window it holds. It reaches that figure from a higher or a lower starting point.

How much Axolotl Buffer do I use?

One capful – 5 mL – for every 10 litres, twice a week. Very hard water may need double or triple that. A 250 mL bottle is 50 capfuls.

How long does a 250 mL bottle last?

On a 40 litre axolotl tank dosed twice weekly, about six weeks. On a 20 litre tank, about twelve. It is dosed more often than most buffers, so plan for that.

Does it remove chlorine or ammonia?

No. It is a pH and hardness product only. Axolotl Conditioner is the one that handles chlorine, chloramine and ammonia at water changes.

Will it raise my phosphate reading?

Yes. It uses phosphate buffers, so a phosphate test reads higher after dosing. In a bare axolotl tank that rarely matters; in a planted tank with algae it does.

Can I add it with the axolotl still in the tank?

Yes. Seachem states it may be added directly to the aquarium at any time. Dosing into the flow rather than straight onto the animal is still the sensible way to do it.