Raising Alk in my SW mix Container

[Dondante]

I need to raise the alk of my current salt mix.

I know it will raise the PH.

How long after I add Bionic part A should the PH stabilize? Will it naturally drop naturally or remain elevated?

 

[Ron Reefman]

It will drop on it's own and do so fairly quickly. Alk's affect on pH is quite short lived.

 

[JustAnotherNanoTank]

Yeah I mean I bump mine from ~7.5 to 9 with soda ash and wait an hour sometimes two. But I used it sort of fast after as well so it doesn’t precipitate.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I used to dose soda ash a few drops every 10 minuts and it would raise my pH from 7.9 to 8.0 as long as I kept on dosing.

 

[Damdeno]

I used to dose soda ash a few drops every 10 minuts and it would raise my pH from 7.9 to 8.0 as long as I kept on dosing.

Are their any negative affects of dosing soda ash my Alk and ph have been relatively low lately but everything in the tank has been doing fine..
dkh 7.4
ph 7.8 ~

 

[Ron Reefman]

Are their any negative affects of dosing soda ash my Alk and ph have been relatively low lately but everything in the tank has been doing fine..
dkh 7.4
ph 7.8 ~

Soda ash is almost the same thing as baking soda. In fact, some people 'cook' baking soda which turns it into soda ash. Both raise alk and soda ash has a short term effect of raising pH as well.

I buy soda ash at a local swimming pool supply.

Info from the internet:
Baking soda and soda ash are similar, yet have a different chemical makeup, reactions and uses. Baking soda, known as sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) is composed of one atom of sodium, one atom of hydrogen, one atom of carbon and three atoms of oxygen. Soda ash, known as sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) is made from two atoms of sodium, one atom of carbon and three atoms of oxygen. In both compounds, the sodium will separate from the carbon when mixed with water, but their responses are different. When baking soda breaks down, it vacillates between an acid and base state, while soda ash becomes a base, which can be used to neutralize acids.

 

[Dr. Jim]

If you use B-Ionic to boost the Alk in your new salt mix, you will be adding some trace elements (which will be out of balance since you aren't adding the CaCl component which also has trace elements.)

It may be better to just add bicarbonate to raise the alk (which won't have much affect on the pH like soda ash will).

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If you use B-Ionic to boost the Alk in your new salt mix, you will be adding some trace elements (which will be out of balance since you aren't adding the CaCl component which also has trace elements.)

It may be better to just add bicarbonate to raise the alk (which won't have much affect on the pH like soda ash will).

I would contend that you will be more out of balance without these elements than with them,.

That said, the amount is so small that it makes no difference, IMO.

 

[blasterman]

Salt mix contains baking soda as its alkalinity component.

Generic...industrial grade...baking soda. Not made by unicorns, or smurfs, or verified by scientists. Generic baking soda. The stuff in a box at the grocery store for 60cents and is likely higher grade because its food grade.

So, if your salt mix is too low in alk for your taste you add alk to raise it....baking soda The bottled alk is just baking soda mixed with water and you are paying for water.

If you want a pH boost you bake the baking soda in an over for a bit to drive the C02 out. This makes soda ash.