DIY buffer

Thanks for the info Shane,like Jeff was saying it would be nice if this kind of information was on a pamphlet for new guys like us.

how long is it good for?

A really long time.  Don't worry about it going bad.

And do you just add let's say a tsp of powder straight to the water, or add it to your water change water that sits for a day or 2?

Just add some to your make-up water, let it dissolve and then slowly pour it into your sump or tank.  The amount to be added depends on the size of your tank and your current alkalinity.

I see so many that say alkalinity should be 8-12dkh, but my test strips give my results in ppm (I will be upgarding testing equipment soon) but let's say my test strip has 180ppm is this Ok or does it need to be raised, and how much of this homemade buffer should be added?

There are three ways to describe alkalinity (kinda like there are two ways to describe temperature, degrees F and C):  meq/l, dKH and ppm CaCO3.  And

1 meq/l = 2.8 dKH = 50 ppm CaCO3

So your 180 ppm = 180/50*1 = 3.6 meq/l or

180/50*2.8 = 10.1 dKH

You're alkalinity is just fine (assuming those test strips work).

what Calcium additive do you use as your part B?

Kent's Turbo Calcium is the most common.  The DIY crowd uses Peladow or Dowflake (or Prestone Driveway Heat) calcium chloride ice melt.  Those are the only brands I would try.

Also if you have been using B-ionic on your system for a few months, and switch to the Homebrew system what is a good starting dose on a 95 gallon tank w/ 125 gallon gross system?

First off, I personally don't recommend using just baking soda and calcium chloride in place of B-ionic (although there are folks here that do and appear to be successful at it).  B-ionic also contains a bunch of other elements found in seawater that aren't in baking soda.  But as for how much to use... how much B-ionic are you using now?

15 ml of B-ionic is equivalent to 3.5 g of baking soda (about 1 tsp) and 2.3 g of turbo calcium (just under a tsp).

What other essentail elements does it add that I don't get from my weekly 5% water change, or as long as I keep up on the water changes will I be okay to switch to DIY buffer?

If all you add is NaHCO3 and CaCl2 then over time as the CO3 and Ca are consumed by your coral, the remaining Na and Cl will accumulate.  This is what is refered to as "ionic imbalance".  B-ionic contains all the other elements found in seawater to "balance" out all the excess Na and Cl.

Or is the B-ionic fully worth the $$ based on performance and benefits.

*shrug*.  I really like B-ionic for a low-medium calcium demand tank, but you might want to speak to people using just baking soda and CaCl2 too.

What are those who have a calcium reactor supposed to do to get those elements that B-ionic add?

When you dissolve coral skeleton, you don't have those excess Cl and Na ions so an ionic imbalance doesn't occur.  And the idea is that whatever elements that were needed for coral skeleton growth will be dissolved in the reactor and added to the tank for new coral growth.

Just looking for my best, most cost effective solution.

Kalkwasser every day with the occasional "boost" from baking soda and CaCl2 when/if needed. 

Kalkwasser is definatly the most difficult additive to dose.  It's unforgiving.  You must watch your pH.  But it's not so difficult that you can't do it.

Is it your opinion that Kalkwasser is better than B-ionic, or just more cost effective?

Just more cost effective.  If cost was not an issue, I'd throw my kalkwasser and calcium reactor in the garbage and only use B-ionic!

Maybe I'll give it a go, but I think I need a surefire dosing method that
won't cause ulcers

If you're afraid to drip then how 'bout doing what Julian Spung does (and still suggests).  Add 1/8 - 1/2 tsp of kalk to 1 quart of RO water, stir it up and just dump it into your sump.  Do this every day just before going to bed (and maybe even every morning too).