Alk dosing

gfox · Apr 19, 2020

Randy,Just checking with you about Alk dosing.I have been dosing alk by using baked baking soda and it has been working ok.Just wondering if i put the baked baking soda in RO water and mixed it up would it dose the same way?

lpsouth1978 · Apr 19, 2020

How are you dosing it now? You need to mix your soda ash in water before dosing the tank. I use a doser for mine. I will measure the Alk 2x/day for 3 days to a week (without dosing) to determine the consumption in my system. This allows me to make a solution to keep my alk steady. I will then dose back to my baseline and set the doser to my calculated daily amount. I only have it dose hourly during the photo period.

For instance - I find that my system consumes 1dkH daily. I mix 1 gallon of RODI with enough sodium bicarbonate (soda ash in your case) dose 7dkH/week for however long I want the solution to last, usually 2 weeks. I then set the doser to do split the doses evenly across the 2 week period.

Example:
1 gallon = 3785ml
3785ml/14days = 270ml a day
270ml/12 hours(doses) = 22.5ml per dose

gfox · Apr 19, 2020

lpsouth1978 said:
How are you dosing it now? You need to mix your soda ash in water before dosing the tank. I use a doser for mine. I will measure the Alk 2x/day for 3 days to a week (without dosing) to determine the consumption in my system. This allows me to make a solution to keep my alk steady. I will then dose back to my baseline and set the doser to my calculated daily amount. I only have it dose hourly during the photo period.

For instance - I find that my system consumes 1dkH daily. I mix 1 gallon of RODI with enough sodium bicarbonate (soda ash in your case) dose 7dkH/week for however long I want the solution to last, usually 2 weeks. I then set the doser to do split the doses evenly across the 2 week period.

Example:
1 gallon = 3785ml
3785ml/14days = 270ml a day
270ml/12 hours(doses) = 22.5ml per dose

First i test with a Hanna checker and see where my Alk is at then i use the Reef Chemistry Calculator FV by J.Dieck.If it's at 8.7 i use the chart and add Sodium carb or it's called baked baking soda and add enough so the Alk will be 9.0. My question is would it be the same if i used baked baking soda and mix with RODI water into a gallon jug then dose that.

redfishbluefish · Apr 19, 2020

I'd suggest you make up a solution of 2 cups of baked baking soda (aka soda ash, aka sodium carbonate), made up to one gallon of rodi water. Now just use the BRS calculator HERE, and chose "Alkalinity," " Liquid soda ash, " And "jug (discontinued)."

gfox · Apr 19, 2020

redfishbluefish said:
I'd suggest you make up a solution of 2 cups of baked baking soda (aka soda ash, aka sodium carbonate), made up to one gallon of rodi water. Now just use the BRS calculator HERE, and chose "Alkalinity," " Liquid soda ash, " And "jug (discontinued)."

Thank you.Is there any difference of dosing the way i have been versus the Liquid soda ash?

redfishbluefish · Apr 19, 2020

Nope. Just put it in a high flow area. All the same.

gfox · Apr 19, 2020

redfishbluefish said:
Nope. Just put it in a high flow area. All the same.

Any difference with the amount of baking soda you use which is cheap.Right now i use the dried baking soda and add RODI to it then pour into the tank.

redfishbluefish · Apr 19, 2020

Wooo. I thought you said you were baking the baking soda....and yes, there is a difference.

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate while soda ash is sodium carbonate. When you bake baking soda you drive off carbon dioxide, producing the carbonate. If you start with 2 1/4 cups of baking soda, after baking, you'll have about two cups of soda ash.

That all said, you can dose baking soda, but if you wish to make a solution, it has less solubility than soda ash....about half. So making a baking soda solution mix 1 1/8 baking soda to one gallon rodi. You will need to dose twice the amount of this compared to the soda ash solution.

gfox · Apr 19, 2020

redfishbluefish said:
Wooo. I thought you said you were baking the baking soda....and yes, there is a difference.

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate while soda ash is sodium carbonate. When you bake baking soda you drive off carbon dioxide, producing the carbonate. If you start with 2 1/4 cups of baking soda, after baking, you'll have about two cups of soda ash.

That all said, you can dose baking soda, but if you wish to make a solution, it has less solubility than soda ash....about half. So making a baking soda solution mix 1 1/8 baking soda to one gallon rodi. You will need to dose twice the amount of this compared to the soda ash solution.

I am using baked baking soda.I didn't type the way i meant it to be.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 20, 2020

gfox said:
Randy,Just checking with you about Alk dosing.I have been dosing alk by using baked baking soda and it has been working ok.Just wondering if i put the baked baking soda in RO water and mixed it up would it dose the same way?

Yes.