Alkalinity, pH, and Soda
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Forum Name: Reef Chemistry
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URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=43528
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Topic: Alkalinity, pH, and Soda
Posted By: smacky
Subject: Alkalinity, pH, and Soda
Date Posted: September 19 2010 at 9:40pm
| I've used a bit of Mark's 4 to 1 baking soda/soda ash recipe to maintain my alkalinity, but I was wondering what each of them do on their own. Does one or the other affect pH or anything else more than the other? |
Replies:
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: September 19 2010 at 11:18pm
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Because of the chemistry of it doing it's job in the salt water, Baking Soda solution will temporarily decrease pH by a point or two for an hour or two. It's not a problem though. (Good pH is very dependent on having good Alkalinity, water flow and gas exchange at the water surface. In a reef aquarium, a chemical additive should never be used to adjust pH.) Soda Ash solution will temporarily increase pH by a couple points for an hour or two. Combining the two in a 4:1 ratio balances the effect of each to eliminate the temporary pH effect. One thing I like about using Soda Ash in the solution is a quick clouding effect that dissipates in a few seconds. That's a reaction with Mg in the water that quickly dissolves back into solution. This is not to be confused with the "snowing effect" which can be an indication of too high Alk/Ca levels in the tank. This snowing effect can also occur if the Alk is added too fast or if the Alk and Ca solutions are added too close together. I hope this wasn't too much information. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
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Posted By: sanddune600
Date Posted: September 19 2010 at 11:19pm
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baking soda has minimal affects of lowering ph soda ash will raise ph according to Randy Homes you should use baking soda if your ph is 8.4 or higher and soda ash if your ph is 8.4 or lower
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php - http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php ------------- Andy Jorgensen My number is four three 5 7 six four 8 0 three four |
Posted By: BobC63
Date Posted: September 20 2010 at 8:04am
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Where can you buy the soda ash?
I know you can bake your own, but I'd also like to be able to just go to the store and pick some up.
------------- - My Current Tank: 50g Starfire Cube Reef * Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 * |
Posted By: smacky
Date Posted: September 20 2010 at 8:22am
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Soda ash is used in dying fabrics. I got mine online a few years ago for some tie dying projects, but you might get lucky at a fabric or craft store. If you don't have any luck at a local brick and mortar, here's where I got mine. http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/1683-AA.shtml?lnav=techniques_tiedye.html - http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/1683-AA.shtml?lnav=techniques_tiedye.html It's pretty inexpensive, and one order could get you enough for years of dosing even your huge tank. |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: September 20 2010 at 9:16am
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In the grocery stores it's called Washing Soda, but the packages I've seen are so large that, especially when it's only 1 part washing soda to 4 parts baking soda, I choose to bake a single package of baking soda.
------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
|
Posted By: jcom
Date Posted: September 21 2010 at 7:15pm
Ace Hardware has Arm & Hammer Washing Soda for $3.79, but Wal Mart has the same sized box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda for $1.00
So, if you have cookie sheets and an oven, you can get almost 4 for the price of 1 by going the Wal-Mart route.
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BobC63 wrote:Posted By: BobC63
Date Posted: September 21 2010 at 7:37pm
Like I have time to bake crap - I can barely get the time to keep the glass clean lately
  I 'prefer' to think of it this way... I think the boxes you are talking about are like the 3 lb size boxes... I'd buy 1 of the Washing Soda and 3 of the Baking Soda and mix them together... that nets me 12 lbs of Alk dosing powder for a cost of around, 7 bucks...?
$7 for 12 lbs (or $0.59 / lb) vs. $14 for 1 kg - a little over 2 lbs - (or $6.35 / lb) of the Superbuffer dkH I currently use.
That's about a 93% cost savings, lb per lb...
Works for me. And no baking, either
 ------------- - My Current Tank: 50g Starfire Cube Reef * Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 * |
Posted By: sanddune600
Date Posted: September 22 2010 at 12:49pm
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It probably costs 2 to run an oven at 400 for an hour ------------- Andy Jorgensen My number is four three 5 7 six four 8 0 three four |