Discus Buffer helps to replicate the ideal Discus environment (low pH & low GH (General Hardness)). Discus Buffer will lower pH and keep it lowered. Discus Buffer also softens water by precipitating calcium and magnesium. Use Discus Trace™ to restore the proper level of trace elements and feed NutriDiet Discus Flakes for thriving, healthy Discus. Neutral Regulator and Discus Buffer can be used in combination to achieve a desired pH when performing water changes or adding top off water. The ratio chart below is designed for RO water where there is generally no buffering capacity. Contains phosphate buffers and conditioning agents. Safe for all freshwater fish acclimated to acid pH.

• Adjusts pH to 5.8 – 6.8
• Helps to replicate the ideal Discus environment
• Use with Neutral Regulator® to target a pH
• Size : 250 gm

Specifications

Seachem item #0266 (250 g). A phosphate-based buffer that lowers pH and holds it down, and softens the water at the same time by precipitating calcium and magnesium. Contains phosphate buffers and conditioning agents; safe for freshwater fish acclimated to acid pH.

Rate: one level teaspoon (5 g) per 40–80 L (10–20 US gallons), daily until the intended pH is reached, then once a month or with water changes to hold it. The 250 g tub is about fifty teaspoon doses.

Paired with Neutral Regulator it targets a specific pH. Seachem publish the ratio, and it is the only way to land on a number rather than drift towards one:

Note how the ratios bunch at the bottom: going from 6.2 to 6.0 takes twice as much buffer as going from 6.8 to 6.4. The last half a pH unit is the expensive one.

Seachem make the line in 50 g, 250 g, 500 g, 1 kg and 4 kg.

Setup & Use

The ratio chart assumes unbuffered water — RO or DI. In tap water there is already buffering capacity to overcome, so treat the chart as a starting point and test. Seachem’s own example: in RO water 1:1 gives pH 6.8, but in tap water you may need 2 parts Discus Buffer to 1 part Neutral Regulator for the same result.

Dechlorinate the tap water before the water change, not after. Seachem name Prime for this.

Expect cloudiness in hard water, and do not treat it as a fault. The product softens water by precipitating calcium and magnesium, and that precipitate is what you are looking at. It clears with fine mechanical filtration, or faster with Clarity.

Bringing down an established hard-water tank takes repetition. Dose, watch the pH climb back over a day or so, dose again. Seachem’s guidance is that each round takes longer to rebound, and when the rebound slows — or when a KH test reads around 1 — you can lock the pH in with Neutral Regulator. Trying to get there in one large dose is how a tank ends up cloudy and unchanged.

Put back what it strips. Because it removes hardness, Seachem pair it with Discus Trace to restore trace elements.

Seachem’s own advice for anyone dosing a powder to a target number is to weigh it rather than scoop it — their Digital Spoon Scale exists for exactly this. A level teaspoon is a usable approximation, not a measurement.

Keep the tub closed and dry. These are hygroscopic powders. A tub that has caked has also changed density, and a level teaspoon of caked powder is not the dose printed on the label.

Freshness & Storage

Every batch we dispatch carries a minimum of 6 months’ remaining shelf life. Store this product in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, with the cap or inner foil closed tightly after each use.

Filter media and substrates carry no manufacturing or expiry date — their working life begins on first contact with water, not on the shelf.

Returns & Replacement

Returns are accepted within 7 days of delivery, provided the item is unused and in its original packaging. Manufacturer-sealed items cannot be returned once the seal is broken, and sale-priced items are not refundable.

If your item arrives defective or damaged, message us on WhatsApp with your order number, or email us if you would rather, and we will replace it. Approved replacements are delivered within 3 to 5 business days. Transit damage is covered by insurance on every shipment. If tracking shows delivered but nothing reached you, tell us within 72 hours, which is the reporting window Indian couriers allow. Damage caused during installation or use is not covered; replacement spares for such cases are chargeable.

Full terms are on our Cancellation & Returns page.