Adam, if you want pH raises but not alk so much, a band aid fix is Reef Builder by sea cheam. They make great stuff & ive been using them for years. Marine buffer & reef buffer are basically bicarb. Reef builder (if i remember correctly) had borate which also bring pH closer to 8.3 but does not count as "alk."
Back to basics: "alk" & "dKH" are not the same thing as bicarb. Alk is the sum of a set if measurable buffers. pH will also be the overall acid / base balance in the tank, which is mostly due to bicarb & CO2 in all its forms, but also includes organic acids, etc.
HTH
Back to basics: "alk" & "dKH" are not the same thing as bicarb. Alk is the sum of a set if measurable buffers. pH will also be the overall acid / base balance in the tank, which is mostly due to bicarb & CO2 in all its forms, but also includes organic acids, etc.
HTH
