Raising Alk without affecting ph

[kbnh]

What products are available to raise alkalinity but nothing else?

I currently dose all for reef manually once a day, it’s worked well for me until now. I can’t say I’m the best at testing regularly, but my last testing showed a drop in alkalinity but my other elements are at a level I’m ok with. I have Reef Builder by seachem which I’m using to get alk back up slowly but I was wondering if there was another product that does the same?

 

[Garf]

What products are available to raise alkalinity but nothing else?

I currently dose all for reef manually once a day, it’s worked well for me until now. I can’t say I’m the best at testing regularly, but my last testing showed a drop in alkalinity but my other elements are at a level I’m ok with. I have Reef Builder by seachem which I’m using to get alk back up slowly but I was wondering if there was another product that does the same?

Arm and Hammer bicarbonate of soda. May have a tiny pH lowering effect, temporarily.

 

[Jason_MrFrags]

DIY Soda ash.

 

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

DIY Soda ash.

I believe that is sodium carbonate which does raise ph, where sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) doesn't affect ph as much.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yes, ordinary baking soda will boost alk and have a very tiny pH lowering effect that you are unlikely to detect.

Can you describe what scenario you want to boost just alk?

 

[kbnh]

Yes, ordinary baking soda will boost alk and have a very tiny pH lowering effect that you are unlikely to detect.

Can you describe what scenario you want to boost just alk?

Currently the only element(is alkalinity an element?) that all for reef does not keep up in my tank is my Alk.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Currently the only element(is alkalinity an element?) that all for reef does not keep up in my tank is my Alk.

I would add more AFR every day unless calcium is already higher than you want. if calcium is just right, then add more AFR.

For a 1 dKH boost to alk, it will only add 7 ppm of calcium and 0.3 ppm of magnesium.

But if for some reason you do not want to do that, I'd use some baking soda.

 

[kbnh]

I would add more AFR every day unless calcium is already higher than you want. if calcium is just right, then add more AFR.

For a 1 dKH boost to alk, it will only add 7 ppm of calcium and 0.3 ppm of magnesium.

But if for some reason you do not want to do that, I'd use some baking soda.

Got it, thank you!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Got it, thank you!

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing.

 

[TAO78]

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing.

At the risk of sounding stupid, I am facing an alk deficiency also. Are we talking like Arm and Hammer Baking Soda?

 

[Gtinnel]

At the risk of sounding stupid, I am facing an alk deficiency also. Are we talking like Arm and Hammer Baking Soda?

Yes. Just the box of stuff you can buy at the grocery store for cheap. Although you can also get it in a large bag as Walmart that I believe is sold for pools. It’s all the same thing, sodium bicarbonate.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Yes. Just the box of stuff you can buy at the grocery store for cheap. Although you can also get it in a large bag as Walmart that I believe is sold for pools. It’s all the same thing, sodium bicarbonate.

Not exactly the same.

Arm and Hammer Baking soda is food grade and is known purity.
The bag at Walmart for pool use has no guarantee of purity and may well contain harmful impurities.

I know which I would (do) use for a reef tank.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

As noted, there’s no reason to not pick food grade.

 

[Gtinnel]

Not exactly the same.

Arm and Hammer Baking soda is food grade and is known purity.
The bag at Walmart for pool use has no guarantee of purity and may well contain harmful impurities.

I know which I would (do) use for a reef tank.

This has really got me thinking about if I shouldn’t be using the 12 pound bags.
To start with I know of several reefers that buy the larger bags and like myself it has never caused any problems. I also looked more at the bag I use and it has a statement on the bag of “same baking soda in a convenient resealable bag” which I realize doesn’t mean much (or anything really) but the bag also has directions on it how to consume the baking soda as an antacid. If the direction on the bag tell you to consume the product them I would imagine that it has to meet food purity standards.

I also have a hard time believing it isn’t all mined/manufactured the same way and they just put into different size packages. Surely they don’t have separate manufacturing lines based on the sze of the package it goes into? Then I realized the only person who would know for sure is the company so I have emailed Church & Dwight (the parent company) and have asked them if there is a chance of any purity differences based upon packaging size. I suspect I won’t get an answer for several days, but I will post the answer to this thread when I get it.

ETA- also just to clarify the larger bag sold with pool supplies that I am referring to is also Arm & Hammer brand.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

This has really got me thinking about if I shouldn’t be using the 12 pound bags.
To start with I know of several reefers that buy the larger bags and like myself it has never caused any problems. I also looked more at the bag I use and it has a statement on the bag of “same baking soda in a convenient resealable bag” which I realize doesn’t mean much (or anything really) but the bag also has directions on it how to consume the baking soda as an antacid. If the direction on the bag tell you to consume the product them I would imagine that it has to meet food purity standards.

I also have a hard time believing it isn’t all mined/manufactured the same way and they just put into different size packages. Surely they don’t have separate manufacturing lines based on the sze of the package it goes into? Then I realized the only person who would know for sure is the company so I have emailed Church & Dwight (the parent company) and have asked them if there is a chance of any purity differences based upon packaging size. I suspect I won’t get an answer for several days, but I will post the answer to this thread when I get it.

ETA- also just to clarify the larger bag sold with pool supplies that I am referring to is also Arm & Hammer brand.

If the product label in the USA refers to humans consuming the product (any product) then it is food or pharma grade and should be fine to use.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I would not assume that all sodium bicarbonate is suitably pure. It may be, but it is cheap and easy to get food grade. Why risk it? We are not talking about products where high purity grades are expensive or nonexistent.

 

[Gtinnel]

I would not assume that all sodium bicarbonate is suitably pure. It may be, but it is cheap and easy to get food grade. Why risk it? We are not talking about products where high purity grades are expensive or nonexistent.

Based on your previous post the 12 lb bag I am referring to is food grade, since it has directions for how to consume it.

I am not in anyway disagreeing with your statement about getting food grade baking soda, I am disagreeing with the assumption from @gbroadbridge that the bag I am using has a higher chance of impurities just because it’s a larger/different package and not in the grocery store section of Walmart.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Can you show a picture of the container?

 

[Gtinnel]

Can you show a picture of the container?

This is the 13.5 lb bag and it has the same directions on how to use the baking soda as an antacid.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Based on your previous post the 12 lb bag I am referring to is food grade, since it has directions for how to consume it.

I am not in anyway disagreeing with your statement about getting food grade baking soda, I am disagreeing with the assumption from @gbroadbridge that the bag I am using has a higher chance of impurities just because it’s a larger/different package and not in the grocery store section of Walmart.

Well, to be fair, I didn't know that it was was a wholesale size packaged bag of food grade Baking Soda.
If it's being sold for pool use I expected it would be labelled as such.

I have often seen folks using non food grade products in their reef tanks, especially swimming pool calcium, and was just sounding a warning.