Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda

[coralfish]

Anyone using this to maintain/raise alkalinity?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tmz]

I bake arm and hammer baking soda(NaHCO3 ) to convert it to NaCO3 soda ash ,aka washing soda. Arm and hammer notes their washing soda product is 100% sodium carbonate ( Na CO3) ,so impurities or additions for laundry pur poses should not be an issue as it may be with some washing soda products.

 

[bertoni]

I've used it in the past, but I converted to baking soda because of possible issues with impurities, but I suspect that it's fine. Baking soda is food grade, though, which is reassuring.

 

[Kramy2016]

I will be using baked baking soda. What is a good dosing method? How much water and how much backing soda for a 100 system?

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[bertoni]

A 2-part is an easy way to get started. This type of supplement consists of two parts: alkalinity and calcium, and it delivers them in the ratio in which corals and coralline consume them. This article discusses how to make a 2-part:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

You would need to get a calcium chloride source to make the calcium supplement.

In the mean time, this calculator will help with picking a dose for the soda ash (baked baking soda):

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/reef-calculator/

You will need an estimate of the actual water volume. Just dissolve the soda ash in a bit of RO/DI or distilled water, and add to the tank.

 

[2000se]

I use straight Arm and Hammer Baking Soda. Mix 7.5 teaspoons in my 5 gallon ATO bucket. I go through ~5 gallons of top off a week. No baking it or anything. The ingredients say it is pure sodium bicarbonate. I can't see anything wrong with that.

 

[coralfish]

Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda

Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda

My issue is that my pH hangs around 7.8, so I also need to raise it. Baking Soda will lower it while Washing Soda will raise it (and it's much cheaper and more accessible that Soda Ash). Also, I don't really want to bake Baking Soda.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tmz]

Soda ash/sodium carbonate (NaCO3) will raise pH for a short period of time,usually a few hours or less in a well aerated tank. Baking soda/sodium bicarboante (NaHCO3) may drop pH a bit temporarily . The later adds H+ ; in essence pH is a measure of H+ but dosing may not have much if any effect on pH in water at 7.8 and any lowering effect will likely be shortlived.

Another alternative is calcium hydroxide ( kalk/ limewater ) which adds both calcium and alk in balanced proportions and uses CO2 to form carbonate thus raising pH. When kalk is dosed slowly and continuously the CO2 consumption and resultant raise in pH is also continuous.

.

 

[bertoni]

The calculator will work with the washing soda, too. I agree that the pH effect is very temporary. Also, sodium bicarbonate won't make an appreciable change in the pH. The drop will be tiny, maybe a few hundredths for a reasonable dose.