The Science
What's actually
in the bottle.
Every production batch is sent to Reef Labs before release; batch 001 is published under its batch number, and every batch that follows will be, pass or fail. Asking you to trust a label is asking you to guess.
ICP-OES emission · plasma excites the sample, and each element reveals itself by its light.
THE PRINCIPLE
A reefer should know what's in their tank.
We could not find published batch-level ICP reports from other two-part brands as of September 2026. Most brands ask you to trust the label. We assume you won't.
So we publish the data. Every batch. Heavy metals, elemental composition, supplier COAs. Scan the QR on your pouch. Every lot number opens its full report.
THE RECEIPTS
Independent ICP-OES analysis.
Every batch. By a third party.
Every Core+ SKU goes to Reef Labs, Inc., independent ICP-OES testing lab serving the reef aquarium hobby. Before it leaves Hialeah. Heavy metals panel below. Tap a tab to see each batch.
Loading batch reports from the lab feed…
Analysis by Reef Labs, Inc. via ICP-OES. Full elemental panel (45 elements) and complete COAs available on request.
INSIDE THE POUCH
Every ingredient. Every supplier. Every grade.
Sodium Carbonate
Na₂CO₃Soda ash from trona ore. The primary alkalinity contributor in Core+ ALK.
Calcium Chloride Dihydrate
CaCl₂·2H₂OPrimary calcium contributor in Core+ CAL. Full ICP-MS heavy metals panel on supplier COA.
Sodium Sulfate
Na₂SO₄Sulfate balance. Offsets the sulfate that a chloride-only two-part slowly depletes.
Potassium Chloride
KClTrace potassium contribution in Core+ CAL. Expanded elemental panel requested.
Every ingredient is named here. Every supplier and batch number, documented. Additional COAs added as they arrive. The exact V5.9 ratios, however, are proprietary, like the formula behind any chemistry worth trusting.
THE CHAIN OF CUSTODY
THE PARTNERSHIP
Validated by an independent ICP-OES lab the reef community trusts.
BioForge sends every production batch to Reef Labs, Inc. before release; batch 001 is published, and every batch that follows will be, pass or fail. Reef Labs is the independent ICP-OES facility used by serious reefkeepers worldwide for tank water analysis.
We're a customer of theirs. Just like you. No paid endorsement. No marketing arrangement. They run our samples, send results, and we publish whatever comes back.
THE FORMULATION
Forgives a missed water change.
Most 2-part reef chemistry adds sodium and chloride with every dose. Only water changes remove that accumulation. Skip a few, and your ionic profile drifts away from natural seawater.
BioForge Core+ ALK isn't a pure soda-ash 2-part. The V5.9 formulation includes sodium sulfate, potassium bicarbonate, and borax, a Balling-adjacent design that slows ionic drift between water changes.
We still recommend regular water changes. The chemistry is designed to forgive a missed one, not replace them.
V5.9 FORMULATION · INGREDIENTS
FROM THE JOURNAL
The chemistry, written out.
Long-form pieces on reef chemistry, each one sourced and worked out in full.
Want to see every batch report?
The batch archive is public and the product is live. Leave your email and we'll send updates when new batch reports and tools land.