APISTOBORELLI
Bass in pic swam away
I've been to 4 supermarkets today, still no luck. Need to raise ALK in a tank tonight. Please help...
Where to buy washing soda?
- Thread starter APISTOBORELLI
- Start date
Gina McReeferson
My sweet Baby David
Provided your PH is not too low, you can just use baking soda. Or, alteranively, you could bake your own washing soda.
OP
OP
APISTOBORELLI
Bass in pic swam away
So baking soda will raise ALK as well?
Liam
letting it grow
chemically washing soda is just baked baking soda.
Unbaked baking soda will have a tendancy to lower ph if used in good amounts.
Baking the baking soda drives off the CO2 which is responsible for the lowering of your ph.
400 degrees for about an hour should do it.
Gina McReeferson
My sweet Baby David
Liams got it, yeah, what he said.
I assume you have been here already?
http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html
Very helpfull I find...
I assume you have been here already?
http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html
Very helpfull I find...
Moe_K
Stabbed by Foulke
Using baking soda will temporarily push the pH of the tank to around 8.0.
Given that we're increasing alkalinity by using the baking soda, in the long run it'll help raise the pH of the tank.
Moe_K
Stabbed by Foulke
Are you looking in the detergent aisle?
They sell it in my local Stop & Shop with the laundry detergents and all that.
I have a spare box if you want it. I paid about 5 bucks for it. I can bring to the Dec meeting.
OP
OP
APISTOBORELLI
Bass in pic swam away
I'll take it Moe, thanks. For tonight, I'll bake some baking soda. Thanks all.
Liam
letting it grow
yes it may recover but why drive it down in the first place for the sake of baking the baking soda.
Its hard enough to maintain high ph and stability is paramount in a successful reef.
JMHO
Moe_K
Stabbed by Foulke
You're right, it's not ideal.yes it may recover but why drive it down in the first place for the sake of baking the baking soda.
Its hard enough to maintain high ph and stability is paramount in a successful reef.
JMHO
But then if I add washing soda (or baked baking soda) I'd get temporary dramatic increase in pH. That's not ideal either.
Liam
letting it grow
Agreed.
it should'nt raise ph if dripped in very slowly.
Personally i would'nt recommend altering Alk by more than 1 dkh per day anyway especially if SPS are involved.
OP
OP
APISTOBORELLI
Bass in pic swam away
Baked it for an hour. I'll be raising it slowly.
capecodder
Non-member
...I haven't worried about this stuff in a while, but I was always under the understanding that the baking soda would increase the pH. However it does not provide buffering capacity to maintain the pH. The alkalinity is a measure of the buffering capacity. It's alright if your trying to raise your pH in a pinch, but it could still drop precipitously afterwards. So you've got to keep an eye on it. Increase your alk and fix the root cause...am I correct on this?
Moe_K
Stabbed by Foulke
If I recall correctly, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) supplements carbonate, which we measure as alkalinity. So yeah, it will raise your alkalinity, and should buffer the pH long term (until the added carbonate is used by the inhabitants).
If your pH is lower than 8.0, baking soda will raise it. If your pH is lower than 8.0 baking soda will temporarily lower it to about 8.0.
I'll see if I can get Randy to chime in here.
Randy Holmes-Farley
Well-Known Member
Unbaked baking soda will slightly drop the pH of seawater, even though it will raise the pH of fresh water. That is true whether the seawater is at pH 7.8 or 8.7, but the drop is larger the higher the pH is to start with.
However it does not provide buffering capacity to maintain the pH.
Baking soda provides a ton of buffering. In fact, that's why it is a suitable alkalinity supplement, even though it is not an especially good way to raise pH.
The issue with low pH is that it is driven largely by exess carbon dioxide in the home air of many reefers. So the best ways to raise pH are to drive out the CO2 by aerating with fresher air, or by adding limewater every day. The limewater soaks up CO2 every day.
These articles have more:
Low pH: Causes and Cures
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.htm
An Improved Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Supplement System
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php
The Relationship Between Alkalinity and pH.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/may2002/chem.htm
The last one has measurements on the change in pH on adding baking soda to seawater, both immediately (where it lowers pH) and after compelte aeration with normal air (where it can raise pH as CO2 is blown off).
However it does not provide buffering capacity to maintain the pH.
Baking soda provides a ton of buffering. In fact, that's why it is a suitable alkalinity supplement, even though it is not an especially good way to raise pH.
The issue with low pH is that it is driven largely by exess carbon dioxide in the home air of many reefers. So the best ways to raise pH are to drive out the CO2 by aerating with fresher air, or by adding limewater every day. The limewater soaks up CO2 every day.
These articles have more:
Low pH: Causes and Cures
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.htm
An Improved Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Supplement System
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php
The Relationship Between Alkalinity and pH.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/may2002/chem.htm
The last one has measurements on the change in pH on adding baking soda to seawater, both immediately (where it lowers pH) and after compelte aeration with normal air (where it can raise pH as CO2 is blown off).
luumanfoo29
Cephalopod lover
So let's say I buy a box of baking soda...I cook it in the oven @ 400 degrees for an hour...
Can I still use it a month later or do I need to re-bake it after a certain amount of time?
Can I still use it a month later or do I need to re-bake it after a certain amount of time?
