dissolving sodium bicarbonate

[Hulltiger]

We all know that it is difficult to get sodium bicarbonate to dissolve in water at room temperature. However it decomposes when heated above 50C giving off carbon dioxide. I heat the water to help it dissolve. Do people worry about how high they warm sodium bicarbonate when using it for balling

 

[bertoni]

A bit of warming is fine. The worst case is a bit higher pH for the initial mixture. Is your tank high in pH already? Most often, a slight pH boost is safe enough.

 

[Hulltiger]

No my ph is not too high. My KH is low but stead. I have lots of sps that seem to be taking off with lots of growth. I have had to more then double my addition of bicarbonate and still it only keeps the kh steady. I was worried that some of the carbonate was decomposing in the form of Co2 and theI would not be dosing as much as I thought I was putting in

 

[bertoni]

The change due to heating does not reduce the amount of alkalinity added. It just changes the pH of the formula. No need to worry there.

Here's the equation for converting sodium bicarbonate to sodium carbonate, usually done in an oven:

2 NaHCO₃ → Na₂CO₃ + CO₂ + H₂O

The process in water is the same.