How much do you dose? Need some advice

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks Randy. Do you know if Soda ash is known not to be as potent as other alk supplements?

I'm not sure how you are defining potent. You mean the solution you can attain for dosing, or the potency of the dry product?

Sodium hydroxide is the clear winner in solution dosing.
Calcium hydroxide is the winner in dry weight potency (but cannot make strong solutions).

 

[Benibarra23]

I mean that if I’m dosing 300 ml of Soda ash a day would using something else like sodium carbonate make it so I would be dosing less a day? I used this in the past and used a lot less. I’m curious if it’s not as strong or if my tank is just using more than before.

https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/m...uEnakS2-jgT9EXfO3jixixbdYCczLGNgaAoKfEALw_wcB

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I mean that if I’m dosing 300 ml of Soda ash a day would using something else like sodium carbonate make it so I would be dosing less a day? I used this in the past and used a lot less. I’m curious if it’s not as strong or if my tank is just using more than before.

https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/m...uEnakS2-jgT9EXfO3jixixbdYCczLGNgaAoKfEALw_wcB

Soda ash is sodium carbonate.

 

[Benibarra23]

Haha. Well I’m an idiot. Let me try this again. Is their a better form of raising alk that doesn’t use as much? Like sodium bicarbonate.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Haha. Well I’m an idiot. Let me try this again. Is their a better form of raising alk that doesn’t use as much? Like sodium bicarbonate.

lol

As I mentioned earlier:

Sodium hydroxide is the clear winner in solution dosing potency.
Calcium hydroxide is the winner in dry weight potency (but cannot make strong solutions).

Sodium bicarbonate is much less potent than soda ash, both in dry form and in solution where its solubility is more limited than soda ash or sodium hydroxide, but less limiting than calcium hydroxide.