ALK baked baking soda

I tried using baked baking soda for the first time and is not working. I followed Randy's recipe, baked the baking soda and then dissolved it in ro/dI water (0 TDS).

I filled two 5 gallon buckets with ro/dI water added reef salt (IO RC), salinity 1.027. One of the buckets (bucket A) I added two tablespoons of the dissolved baked baking soda. The other bucket I added none (bucket B).

Mixed both buckets for 2 hours using power heads.

Bucket A measure 8.7 PH, ALK 11 dhk.
Bucket B measure 8.0 PH, ALK 8 dhk.

Using power heads mixed the salt bucket for 24 hours.

Bucket A measure 8.0 PH, ALK 8 dhk.
Bucket B measure 8.0 PH, ALK 8 dhk.

I just don't see how it is possible but bucket A no longer has elevated PH or ALK. If anyone has an explanation please let me know. Thank you.

 

First what are you using to test the ph?
Is this what you did to make soda ash?
Raising Alkalinity: How to bake baking soda | Melev's Reef

Seems weird it did nothing. Did you spread it thin and place it in a sealed container?

 

http://thereefuge.com/threads/randys-recipe-maintaining-calcium-alkalinity-and-magnesium.376/

I baked 235 grams of baking soda in preheated oven @ 300 F. Then dissolved that with 6 cups of ro/dI water, mixed until clear. Stored in mason jar.

I used Red Sea Marin care test kit.

Bucket A did show increased ALK (11 dkh) however the next day it returned to normal Alkalinity. I added 2 tablespoon (30ml) of solution immediately into the bucket A. Bucket of water remains cloudy even now, I believe is because I added it to quickly if that is an issue.
Tonight I am retesting again, just poured that out; added fresh ro/dI water and salt; then added dissolved soda ash 20ml this time, and slowly. At 2 hour mark again shows 11 dkh 8.6 PH. Tomorrow morning will check again.

 

If it’s cloudy when testing that could be the issue.
How long did you bake the baking soda for? Says an hour from what I read. Your hardness is right on so your oh should be good.
Also what salt mix are you using? Are you heating the water you’re adding the soda to?

 

Baked soda for 1 hour. I am using the salt Instant Ocean Reef Crystal. I didn't heat the ro/dI water.

I checked the bucket again (2nd attempt). This time is very clear, however has reverted to PH 8 ; ALK 6-7 dhk. The mixing pump is slightly white with soda ash.

I will trash my soda ash mixture and remake it. I noticed a few drops of it on the floor dried leaving soda ash powder. This time I will vigorously mix the baked soda , and make sure the ro/dI water is warm. I will half recipe (shouldn't matter) to be 118 grams 3 cups water.

I hope I added enough of the solution and I think I did. According to this website, I only need to add 10 ml to increase a 5 gallon bucket from 8 to 11 dKH.
'Reef Chemistry Calculator FV'

I hope to perform a 3rd attempt that can be finished tonight or tomorrow morning.

 

Before trashing it if you tested the water while cloudy and it had higher KH and ALK then after it cleared up it dropped I just try adding more solution. Seems weird it’s not going up but either way even if it’s not soda ash your alk should still rise.
Good salt mix. You’re mixing to 1.025?

 

New batch of soda ash created, same results. The affects of soda ash were very temporary.
Soda ash solution verified as having very high ALK and PH , exact #'s not measurable via my test kit.
Purchased red sea alk solution will do test with this. investigating...

 

New batch of soda ash created, same results. The affects of soda ash were very temporary.
Soda ash solution verified as having very high ALK and PH , exact #'s not measurable via my test kit.
Purchased red sea alk solution will do test with this. investigating...

Try adding double of your homemade brew and see what happens. This is interesting for sure.

 

The Red Sea ALK solution got same results. Alternatively I tried adding more magnesium and repeated same test of waiting and then added alk, waited 6 -12 hrs and it still fails by return to 8 dkh. Added a huge 1/2 cup of homemade alk solution, waited 12 hours, and alk returns to normal range of 7 -8 dkh. Purchased new Red Sea Pro alkalinity test kit. I have completed one test and got same results as my current test kit. Will do another test bucket however at this point I've concluded that these soda ash solutions will always and somewhat quickly (6-12 hours) precipitate out of water. I may sign up with another reef oriented forum see what other reefers are saying.. After hours of research still haven't found a satisfactory answer, other than you must dose an aquarium very often. Probably last update, thank you.

 

The Red Sea ALK solution got same results. Alternatively I tried adding more magnesium and repeated same test of waiting and then added alk, waited 6 -12 hrs and it still fails by return to 8 dkh. Added a huge 1/2 cup of homemade alk solution, waited 12 hours, and alk returns to normal range of 7 -8 dkh. Purchased new Red Sea Pro alkalinity test kit. I have completed one test and got same results as my current test kit. Will do another test bucket however at this point I've concluded that these soda ash solutions will always and somewhat quickly (6-12 hours) precipitate out of water. I may sign up with another reef oriented forum see what other reefers are saying.. After hours of research still haven't found a satisfactory answer, other than you must dose an aquarium very often. Probably last update, thank you.

That’s very weird that the alk is precipitating out. Can you see it on the bottom.
move had alk precipitate out but the water was cloudy. If your water is clear I can see that is dropping out of solution.
You certainly don’t want to keep dosing your reef if it is precipitating out. The precipitation can and will irritate corals.