How to bake baking soda for a PH Buffer?
- Thread starter wwfstyle
- Start date
bang guy
Moderator
Originally Posted by wwfstyle
http:///forum/post/2597766
Basic Baking soda is for Alk raise but then my lfs said that if I bake it 1st it will raise my PH. So how do you do it or is it suppose to be done.
Washing soda will raise PH for a day or so. Then you'll need more to raise it again, and again, and again until your alkalinity is so high that your tank crashes.
It's generally a really bad idea to artificially alter your PH.
If it's low then look for the cause of the low PH. Low PH is a symptom that something is wrong with your tank.
If your Alkalinity is actually low then you can just add baking soda.
http:///forum/post/2597766
Basic Baking soda is for Alk raise but then my lfs said that if I bake it 1st it will raise my PH. So how do you do it or is it suppose to be done.
Washing soda will raise PH for a day or so. Then you'll need more to raise it again, and again, and again until your alkalinity is so high that your tank crashes.
It's generally a really bad idea to artificially alter your PH.
If it's low then look for the cause of the low PH. Low PH is a symptom that something is wrong with your tank.
If your Alkalinity is actually low then you can just add baking soda.
veni vidi vici
Active Member
Spread baking soda (594 grams or about 2 ¼ cups) on a baking tray and heat in an ordinary oven at 300°F for one hour to drive off water and carbon dioxide. Overheating is not a problem, either with higher temperatures or longer times. Dissolve the residual solid in enough water to make 1 gallon total. This dissolution may require a fair amount of mixing. Warming it speeds dissolution. This solution will contain about 1,900 meq/L of alkalinity (5,300 dKH). I prefer to use baked baking soda rather than washing soda in this recipe as baking soda from a grocery store is always food grade, while washing soda may not have the same purity requirements. Arm & Hammer brand is a fine choice. Be sure to NOT use baking powder. Baking powder is a different material that often has phosphate as a main ingredient.
From:
Randy Holmes-Farley
From:
Randy Holmes-Farley
reefreak29
Active Member
I agree with bang guy. What is your ph , sometimes people think its to low when its actually fine.
if you do decide to add it just do it very slowly you dont want to shock the system
if you do decide to add it just do it very slowly you dont want to shock the system
sepulatian
Moderator
I agree with Bang as well, if the PH is off then there is a reason for it. The PH of a healthy system is almost never off. Something is going on within the tank IMO.