baking soda to increase alkalinity?

[NALCOMIS]

Anyone else using baking soda to increase alkalinity? Any brand or type not to use? how much should I add at a time?

 

[GTR]

Yes, I buy it at the market.

http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

SteveU

 

[Duddly01]

I wouldn't use baking soda, at least not arm & hammer. I used to use it to buffer ph in my FW tank until I couldn't get phosphates under control and I did a test and found that it was full of phosphate. I first tested some RO in a small bowl that showed 0, then put in a small amount of baking soda and it tested so high it was off the chart. I have also done the same test on the Kent marine Ph buffer and it didn't register any phosphate. It doesn't really apply to this group, but I have also found that most LFS fresh water ph buffers have phosphates in them.

 

[ezcompany]

umm, arm and hammer is the only ingredient in randy's 2 part for the alk solution

 

[Melman]

hey sam, i've never heard about phosphates coming from baking soda, but randy holmes-farley uses it for a two-part mix for adding both calcium and alkalinity. here's a link to the reefkeeping article if you want to check it out

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

one thing it mentions is to use baking soda from a grocery store, not the washing kind. maybe that's why you might've had phosphates?

 

[GTR]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9225472#post9225472 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Duddly01
I wouldn't use baking soda, at least not arm & hammer. I used to use it to buffer ph in my FW tank until I couldn't get phosphates under control and I did a test and found that it was full of phosphate. I first tested some RO in a small bowl that showed 0, then put in a small amount of baking soda and it tested so high it was off the chart. I have also done the same test on the Kent marine Ph buffer and it didn't register any phosphate. It doesn't really apply to this group, but I have also found that most LFS fresh water ph buffers have phosphates in them.

You might ask the manufacturer of your kit what interference a highly buffered sample might cause.

SteveU

 

[Duddly01]

I noticed in his article that he mentioned baking powder has phosphates, but not baking soda. I will have to check the box of arm & hammer I have and make sure it is baking soda and not baking powder. It wouldn't surprise me if I was such an idiot not to notice the difference. :wildone:

 

[NALCOMIS]

Thanks all! Very helpful as usual.