Bakeing Soda for Alk elevation

[Lenny C]

I just read in one of the Reef Keeping Mag articals that you can use bakeing soda for a quick way to bring up your Alk and then maintaine it there with whatever method you choose.

I have a 70g total water volume system with an ATO thru my Kalk ractor that I have automated to stir once in the moreing and once at night. I can never get my alk over 7 dKH. I can maintaine it just fine, but not raise it (I would like it to be more around 10).

How much bakeing soda and in what fassion should I add to the tank to bring it up? Do I just put a two or three table spoons right into a high flow area in the sump, or dilute it in RO water first and then add it? Or do I just add it spoon by spoon over a matter of hours checking the alk inbetween each addtion?

Thanks for reading.

Dave

 

[drummereef]

Here's a calculator to help with dosing. http://jdieck1.home.comcast.net/chemcalc.html You want to mix the baking soda with ro/di water then add it to a high flow area of the sump/tank.

 

[Billybeau1]

Good job Drum.

 

[drummereef]

WooHoo! I got one right! Now watch Randy come in a beat me down with his smarts.

 

[Lenny C]

Ohhhh... I like that calculator

Thanks guys, I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Now watch Randy come in a beat me down .

:hammer:

 

[drummereef]

:lol:

 

[Lenny C]

I slowly added the bakeing soda today. The calculator was just a bit heavy on the calculations because I ended up with a dKH of 13.4 after 3 tbs and not the 5 that the calculator said, and I was aiming for 10 dKH. Oh well, that's fine.

Nobody told me I had to bake the bakeing soda first to get the CO2 out of it. I took pH readings during all stages of the process and it was stable the whole time at 8.4.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I slowly added the bakeing soda today. The calculator was just a bit heavy on the calculations because I ended up with a dKH of 13.4 after 3 tbs

Did you use tablespoons? I believe that the calculator gives values in teaspoons, not tablespoons. That may be one part of your unexpectedly large rise.

Nobody told me I had to bake the baking soda first to get the CO2 out of it. I took pH readings during all stages of the process and it was stable the whole time at 8.4.

If you are not looking for a pH rise, there is no need to bake it.