Raising Alkalinity using Baking Soda?

mc_hong · Jun 2, 2008

Hi all,
I have a 55-gal tank mostly LPS and softies which are doing well.

Recently added a few SPS frags and but they didn't do too well.
So I checked my chemistry, looks pretty good except the alkalinity (5-dKH).
I have 5x54 T5's. The SPS are about 15" away from the lights.

I heard that you can raise the alk using Arm&Hammer Baking Soda.
How would I do it? Just dissolve it with water and pour into the sump slowly?
What are the side effects? Will it change my pH? Will it affect my softies?

My water parameters are:
Alk = 5-dKH
Nitrit, Amonia, Phos are negligible.
Salinity = 1.024
Ph = 8.1-8.3
Calcium = 480
Magnesium ?
Temp: 79-81

I'd very much like to add a few SPS into my tank and get rid of this BIG toadstool (http://s222.photobucket.com/albums/dd138/mc_hong/?action=view&current=DSCF2190.jpg).
Would you please help?

Thanks,
Moeljo

morgan · Jun 2, 2008

u can but it raise it to quickly to very high amounts its unstable and then drops rather quickly. there is like 20 products or more that are specificly made to raise your alkalinity

plack · Jun 2, 2008

I use ( for quite some time) baked baking soda. I put it the oven on a cookie sheet 3/4" high at 325º for 1-2 hours then let it cool and bag it.

See the attached link at the bottom For how much you need to add !!! But !!! add only a small amount at 1 time or you can nuke all your coarls by spiking the alkalinity too high.

You can also do the same by adding kalk direct or way too much at once.

For your tank size I would add 1/2 Level teaspoon to a quart of water stir and then either dose it or let it out slowly near a strong powerhead over several minutes or via sump return pump 2-3 times a day spaced out until you have added 6 teaspoons worth.

Make sure your magnesium is not low by getting it tested somewhere- Like my house? if you don't have a kit !

http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chemcalc.html

Paul

In my 200 tottal tank volume. I only add 1.5 tsp at one time and allow at least 4 hours before I would add any more and then only 2-3 times in 24 hours or your PH Rises and then fall's. If your Magnesium is not at the proper amount or higher it can wreck your ph.
It never In my experience has made the alkalinity drop any faster than the tank does by itself normally !

I have a calcium reactor to suppliment my alkalinity but have and do use baking soda after waterchanges etc. Most Salts are not at the proper ratios at 1.025 anyway and we need to add calcium and alkalinity to them every time we do a water change!

MikeS · Jun 2, 2008

morgan said:
u can but it raise it to quickly to very high amounts its unstable and then drops rather quickly. there is like 20 products or more that are specificly made to raise your alkalinity

It's important to note however, that the ingredients in these are basically the same as baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and washing soda (sodium carbonate). The main difference is that most of the commercial alkalinity buffers contain borate salts as well, and usually in a higher percentage than is normally found in NSW.

What's the big deal you may ask? Well, the role of borates in calcification is pretty unclear, many think it does nothing. It's not as "useable" as carbonate or bicarbonates, it hangs around in the tank longer and accumulates. Also, boron is toxic in high enough concentrations.

All in all, baking soda or washing soda really are the best products for maintaining alkalinity IMO...

MikeS

mc_hong · Jun 3, 2008

Thank you Mark, Paul, and "Morgan".
Why "Baked" baking soda? Any advantage over "regular" baking soda?

I am going to try the regular Arm&Hammer Baking Soda, dissolve it in 1 gal r-o water, and have it syphon using air-tubing into my sump. Will this work and slow enough?
I picked up a Seachem reef-builder also just in case...

Thanks again for the info. The Reef Chemistry Calculator link is pretty cool.