Alk supplements & Ph

[sen5241b]

As I've said in earlier posts I have chronic low alk (6dkh average) caused most likely by the coralline algae that covers everything. My Ph also was low, sometimes dropping to 7.8. The coralline has begun receding in the last month or so . I dosed with Seachem Reef Carbonate for the last several months and it barely kept my alk at 7 but it also kept my Ph at a perfect 8.3. I used more than recommended by the reef supplement calculator (http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chemcalc.html)

Yesterday I started dosing with baked baking soda and the alk as gone from 6 dkh to 7 dkh and the Ph went since yesterday from 8.1 to 8.4

According to the reef supplement calculator Seachem's Reef Carbonate should raise Ph way up --it did the opposite. The calculator also says Baking soda should lower my Ph --it did the opposite.

A series of water changes a few months back to solve this problem barely budged my alk reading.

How can I raise alk and keep PH at or close to 8.3!

 

[yote]

Did you bake the baking soda?If you did,thats why it shot the PH up.

 

[sen5241b]

Yes, I baked it. Would NON-baked baking soda solve my problem: How can I raise alk and keep PH at or close to 8.3!

 

[yote]

Try a 50/50 mix of it baked and non-baked.That usually will equal it out and keep from raising the PH.
I dont that that'll work,but its worth a shot.

 

[sen5241b]

RECAP: trying to raise alk without messing up Ph.

I dosed with some non-baked baking soda -slowly-- over the course of the last few days. And:

Alk: 8.5 dkh (came up from 7)
Ph 8.3
Cal 450
Mag 1600 (its always high)
Salinity 0.025
temp 78

The baked baking soda raised Ph from 8.2 to 8.4. It seems the non-baked baking soda raised my alk without raising Ph.

What difference does it make if you dose with baking soda vs baked baking soda?

 

[daugherty]

unbaked soda has co2 in it and that will lower the ph a tad and if you bake it it drives the co2 out of the soda and without the co2 in it it will raise the ph

 

[sen5241b]

Is the effect on Ph only temporary? Depending on Ph you decide whether to dose with baked or non-baked, right?

 

[daugherty]

yes it is only temporary depending on the buffering capibilities of the tank the ph will rise and fall during the day and night. i use the baked to raise mine since i have a high co2 level in my tank