Combining sodium silicate with other suppliments.

[cypho]

I am thinking about adding silicate to my dosing routine, but I don't really want to setup another dosing pump just for silicate.

Can I spike my alk solution with a drop of sodium silicate? Will sodium silicate react with sodium bicarbonate? It feels like they should get along, but baking soda is a weird beast.

If baking soda is not a good candidate for mixing with sodium silicate, what about kalkwasser? Or what about Calcium chloride, or magnesium chloride? They feel less compatible, but I'm obviously no chemist.

 

[twilliard]

Welcome to R2R!
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[JimWelsh]

According to Wikipedia, sodium silicate is stable in alkaline solutions, so you should be fine adding it to your alkalinity solution, assuming you get the dose correct.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

FWIW, the pKa of silicic acid about 10, and I'm worried that in a sodium bicarbonate solution, it won't be basic enough to keep it in solution.

A sodium carbonate solution is probably OK. Limewater (kalkwasser) is definitely OK.

Lower pH solutions (such as the calcium or magnesium solutions used for dosing) would be bad.

 

[cypho]

FWIW, the pKa of silicic acid about 10, and I'm worried that in a sodium bicarbonate solution, it won't be basic enough to keep it in solution.

A sodium carbonate solution is probably OK. Limewater (kalkwasser) is definitely OK.

Lower pH solutions (such as the calcium or magnesium solutions used for dosing) would be bad.

Thanks Randy.

I figured the pH of kalkwasswer was better suited for the job, but I was just worried the calcium it would be a problem. Good to hear that one is definitely safe.

I added a drop of sodium silicate directly into the aquarium once; it was immediately obvious that it was a bad idea: instant snowstorm. If sodium carbonate solution is not going to work, would it be equally obvious?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks Randy.

I figured the pH of kalkwasswer was better suited for the job, but I was just worried the calcium it would be a problem. Good to hear that one is definitely safe.

I added a drop of sodium silicate directly into the aquarium once; it was immediately obvious that it was a bad idea: instant snowstorm. If sodium carbonate solution is not going to work, would it be equally obvious?

That snowstorm was probably mostly magnesium hydroxide, which can redissolve. That's what you get when a high pH additive like a two part is added.

I'm not sure what you'd see in the absence of magnesium, but if there's no precipitate obvious after a while, it is probably fine.