It's probably available somewhere else, but the "buffered" product -- which means it keeps your Ph from dropping to fast -- has a plastic bag of sodium bicarbonate you dissolve and water down after applying the watered down dissolved alluminum sulpate. It's marketed as "Lake Kleerant." If you knew the ratio of alluminum sulfate to sodium bicarbonate you could get the separate components cheaper.

The alluminum sulpate is acidic while the buffer -- sodium bicarbonate is basic. That's what keeps your pH from dropping too drastically. Of course if your alkalinity or hardness is low the alluminum sulfate will have a more drastic effect on your ph and that is why you definitely need to buffer.

I got my "Lake Kleerant from "Aquatic Control" which is based in Seymour Indiana, but has a branch in Missouri. Indiana's number is 1-800 753-LAKE and Missouri's number is 1-800-568-LAKE.

It was $49.60 for a 40 lb unit and Aquatic Ecosystems in Florida has a similar product but it is more expensive.

You can get hand held PH meters or hach test kits from various suppliers for PH testing. I'm not sure I would mess with PH paper.

If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.