Using Baking Soda to raise alkalinity

[OUsnakebyte]

Are there any harmful effects (other than increasing salinity - easily remedied) of using baking soda, like Arm and Hammer, to raise alkalinity?

 

I dose Kalk daily and have been putting in about three teaspoons of baking soda (75 gallon) every other day or so to keep up with the calcium and alk needs.

 

I did just order some of that Coral Builder (new product from Kent - supposed to raise alk) from MD, so we'll see how that works.

 

Cheers

Mike

[michaelg]

Shouldn't be any problems, especially if you use some other stuff on occassion that contains borates, etc.  Mg might also be an issue?

[Aquariareview]

If you mix it

1 1/2 cups to 1 gal of ro water

You have a great alkalinity builder

 

Baking soda is NaHCO3.

 

It dissolves to Na+ and HCO3-.

 

HCO3- is by far the biggest contributor to alkalinity in seawater, and is what corals use.

 

The sodium is the second most common ion in seawater, and just comes along for a free ride into the tank.

 

It can drop your PH a little.

 

Baking it will change the way it works. It will drive off the CO and then the product will raise the Ph

 

To raise 50 gallons of tank water by 1 meq/L will require about 16 grams of Baked (1 hour at 300) baking soda (sodium bicarbonate; sodium hydrogencarbonate). Since a level teaspoon of baking soda weighs just under 6 grams, then 1 teaspoon will raise the alkalinity in that 50 gallons by ~0.4 meq/L (~1 dKH).

 

Some people will recommend Washing Soda but it can contain arsinic (it is not food grade). It is not a good Idea.