Help needed with sodium bicarbonate

[Jase4224]

Hi guys,

Im QT’ing some fish right now and lowering the salinity to 20ppt. To do so I’m adding fresh water to my salt water to bring down the salinity. I’m also adding sodium bicarbonate to the fresh water first to bring up the PH to match the seawater at 8.2. Problem is that over time the PH continues to rise and the water clouds up.

What should I use to raise PH?

Will this cloudiness harm my fish?

What can I do to counter the effect, add more fresh water or salt water?

 

[homer1475]

if I had to guess, the cloudiness is from alkalinity precipitating out. Your raising PH, but also raising alkalinity with sodium bicarb.

 

[Reef and Dive]

That is not usually necessary.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What as the pH before adding it?

How much did you add?

 

[Jase4224]

What as the pH before adding it?

How much did you add?

The PH looked around 7.4-7.6. I added 3 small scoops/teaspoons of bicarb to 20L of fresh water. The next day the PH was 8.5+

So I moved my fish into a new mix last night using only one scoop and this morning the water is crystal clear and PH 8.2

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The PH looked around 7.4-7.6. I added 3 small scoops/teaspoons of bicarb to 20L of fresh water. The next day the PH was 8.5+

So I moved my fish into a new mix last night using only one scoop and this morning the water is crystal clear and PH 8.2

Really? That was a very poor plan.

You raised the alkalinity in that 20 L by about 24 dKH.

Certainly the pH will be high as it continues to drive off CO2, and the precipitate is calcium carbonate.

 

[Jase4224]

Really? That was a very poor plan.

You raised the alkalinity in that 20 L by about 24 dKH.

Certainly the pH will be high as it continues to drive off CO2, and the precipitate is calcium carbonate.

Well in hindsight it was a poor plan but at the time I was measuring PH and let’s just say that when all your fish get velvet ya move quickly lol