How hard is buffered water to keep up with weekly water changes? Is it as simple as just finding the right amount of b.soda to add and adding it with water changes? Thanks for the reply
Pretty much. You may find there's a little trial and error at first to arrive at amounts to use and your own preferred routine or method.
I've done it so long I don't do exact measurements, just estimate as I'm filling, do a pH test nearly full or full as a sanity check, add a bit of baking soda if needed at that point. You could certainly measure it out if you liked. Either way, what I
am fussy about is to do a pH test at the end (or as you go) to confirm you hit the mark, since the water from your tap can vary at different times of year, city water treatment isn't always consistent, etc.
Some prefer (or think it's important) to mix your buffer in water before adding. Was a time I did that but I haven't in many years. After a while you learn what's actually critical and what's not, or what's more a matter of personal preference and what doesn't make much difference to your fish.
I could add more detail, but that's the basics, especially if you're simply trying to get to the mid 7s pH or thereabouts. Contrary to what you read sometimes, fish don't need rock steady pH all their lives and few fish will notice differences of a few tenths pH from one water change to another-- all I'm saying is most fish are pretty forgiving within a reasonable margin for error. Truth be known, pH may vary daily in some tanks, and many fish experience various pH swings and cycles in their wild habitat.
