raising alk with baking soda

[BeakerBob]

There are two ways to prepare baking soda for tank addition/supplementation based on the pH of your tank. Baking soda has carbon dioxide (CO2) in it and when dissolved in the water, the CO2 becomes H2CO3-, a carbonic acid that will lower the tank pH.

1. If your tank has a consistent low pH (<8.3)

Bake the baking soda to drive off the CO2. Spread it out thinly and and bake for 30 minutes @ 300 degrees. The heat drives off the water and CO2, leaving sodium carbonate for use to alkalinity. Adding the
Sodium carbonate to the tank will not cause the already low pH to decrease any further.

(Sodium bicarbonate) 2 NaHCO3 >heat> (Sodium carbonate) Na2CO3 + H2O + CO2


2. If your tank has a consistently high pH (>8.3)

Use the baking soda right out of the box. The CO2 in the Sodium bicarbonate will initially lower the pH a little, but it will come back up as it is buffered.

In this case, 1.4 tsp in a 30 gallon tank is not going to cause any problems that would be considered significant.

[weimers75]

Thanks for the post BeakerBob! I have added baking soda to raise my alk...but my pH is usually right at 8.3 or a tad lower. I'll bake it from now on.

What's the ideal alk? I always though between 7 and 8, but then I saw jolson wanted it at 10 so maybe I'm shooting way low...

[jolson10450]

Thanks for the post BeakerBob! I have added baking soda to raise my alk...but my pH is usually right at 8.3 or a tad lower. I'll bake it from now on.

What's the ideal alk? I always though between 7 and 8, but then I saw jolson wanted it at 10 so maybe I'm shooting way low...

ive read numerous areas that optimum for sps is 9, the range i believe is 7-11 that is why i wanted to bump mine up some, in the summer with the house windows open i am at 11 and i think this is due to oxygen exchange in the room my tanks are in but in the winter time with no fresh air getting in it lowers, i cant run an air line out my window because the draw from the stock pump would have to be higher otherwise i would do that so i have to resort to something else. i might give the baking soda a shot.

[cephalotus]

Thanks for the response Bob seems like an easy way to save money.

There are two ways to prepare baking soda for tank addition/supplementation based on the pH of your tank. Baking soda has carbon dioxide (CO2) in it and when dissolved in the water, the CO2 becomes H2CO3-, a carbonic acid that will lower the tank pH.

1. If your tank has a consistent low pH (<8.3)

Bake the baking soda to drive off the CO2. Spread it out thinly and and bake for 30 minutes @ 300 degrees. The heat drives off the water and CO2, leaving sodium carbonate for use to alkalinity. Adding the
Sodium carbonate to the tank will not cause the already low pH to decrease any further.

(Sodium bicarbonate) 2 NaHCO3 >heat> (Sodium carbonate) Na2CO3 + H2O + CO2


2. If your tank has a consistently high pH (>8.3)

Use the baking soda right out of the box. The CO2 in the Sodium bicarbonate will initially lower the pH a little, but it will come back up as it is buffered.

In this case, 1.4 tsp in a 30 gallon tank is not going to cause any problems that would be considered significant.