Guides
Plain-English, source-cited guides behind our apps.
Cold plunge
Chlorine vs. hydrogen peroxide: the dosing math
Pick a sanitizer, the per-fill dosing numbers, and the one mix you must never make.
How often should you change cold plunge water?
A cadence chart by tub type and sanitizer, plus when to clean the filter.
Hot tub
Hot tub water balance cheat sheet
Ideal levels for chlorine, bromine, pH, alkalinity, and hardness — and the order to adjust them.
How much chlorine (or bromine) to add
The per-gallon dosing math, after-soak top-ups, and weekly shock, with a worked example.
Reef aquarium
Why dose magnesium before calcium and alkalinity
If Ca and Alk won't hold, low Mg is usually why — the chemistry, dosing order, and targets.
Reef tank target parameters by tank type
Ca, Alk, Mg, pH, nitrate, phosphate, and salinity targets for SPS, mixed, and LPS/soft tanks.
Pizza dough
How much yeast for cold-ferment pizza dough?
A baker's-percentage chart for 24/48/72-hour cold ferments, plus yeast conversions.
Pizza dough hydration by style
Hydration, salt, oil, and ball weight for Neapolitan, NY, Detroit, Sicilian, and Roman.
Planted aquarium
EI vs. PPS-Pro vs. PMDD: which dosing method?
The three planted-tank fertilizer methods compared — schedule, water changes, and who each suits.
The PPS-Pro recipe and dosing schedule
The exact two-bottle macro/micro mix and the daily dosing rate.
Pottery glaze
UMF glaze chemistry explained
What the Unity Molecular Formula tells you — oxide groups, unity, and the silica:alumina ratio.
Is your glaze food-safe? Limit formulas and leaching
Limit ranges, why low silica leaches, the crazing link, and the toxic oxides to watch.
Hydroponics
ppm, EC, and the PPM scales explained
EC vs ppm, the 500/700 scales, the 0.7 factor, and why two meters disagree.
Hydroponic nutrient targets by crop and stage
EC and nutrient targets for lettuce, herbs, tomato, cucumber, strawberry — by growth stage.
Home canning
Water bath vs. pressure canning: which one your food needs
The dividing line is acidity (pH 4.6). Per USDA/NCHFP, which foods need which method — and why.
Canning at altitude: how to adjust time and pressure
Why altitude changes home canning, and the USDA adjustments for water-bath time and canner PSI.
Koi pond
Koi pond water parameters: the levels that matter
Targets and danger thresholds for pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, KH, and salt.
Why your koi pond pH crashes — and the KH fix
Why low KH causes overnight pH crashes, and the baking-soda dose that fixes it.