Using baking soda to raise ph/kh

[airdog44]

Hey! I was reading up on an article about this (find HERE) and was very intrigued by the last question that never got answered…if you add baking soda to raise the ph, how long does it last? A day? A week? I’m going to do this experiment myself I thought it was very interesting. I’ll keep the thread updated . Or let me know if you’ve already done this? Thanks!

Starting Ph: 6.6, added a pinch today, I’ll update tmrw

 

[StarGirl]

Interesting experiment. Waiting for your results.

The real question is do you want to do this every water change? What if you have a wrong measurement? Adding crushed coral is way easier IMO.

 

[airdog44]

Interesting experiment. Waiting for your results.

The real question is do you want to do this every water change? What if you have a wrong measurement? Adding crushed coral is way easier IMO.

True true. But I scaped my tank and the crushed coral wouldn’t go with my *aethstetic* So yes, I’d be willing to do this every WC

 

[StarGirl]

True true. But I scaped my tank and the crushed coral wouldn’t go with my *aethstetic* So yes, I’d be willing to do this every WC

You put it in your filter in a media bag. Wouldn't see it...

 

[LowConductivity]

Interesting experiment. Waiting for your results.

The real question is do you want to do this every water change? What if you have a wrong measurement? Adding crushed coral is way easier IMO.

I’m kind of curious about this as well. If I wanted to raise my KH by 6 degrees, couldn’t I just add 107 mg/L to get there?

 

[airdog44]

I’m kind of curious about this as well. If I wanted to raise my KH by 6 degrees, couldn’t I just add 107 mg/L to get there?

When it comes to baking soda add it slowly, but make sure to dissolve it first. I’m doing a pinch a day until it raises to 7.0 and seeing how long it stays at 7.0.
(I have a sponge filter so I can’t do that)

Day 2: A more solid 6.6 raised a little bit

 

[airdog44]

Day 3: 6.8

Once we get to 7.2 I’ll stop adding baking soda and see how long it stays at 7.2.

 

[airdog44]

Day 4: 7.0-7.2

Added a lil more baking soda but that’s it. Here on out no more and seeing how long it takes to drop. Also topped off my water

 

[airdog44]

Day 5: 7.2

We’ll see how long this lasts!

 

[Revan]

If you're putting it in the water, its effects will wear off as water changes occur. This is the problem with pH modifiers, unless it's crushed coral, most of these will water solvents will wear off with water changes. Have you done a water change yet? If not, I'm surprised!

 

[airdog44]

I have not done a water counter yet actually! My levels are good so I’m gonna wait to finish the experiment.

 

[Revan]

I'd definitely add a water change in there somewhere during the testing duration, as it's important to simulate standard tank maintenance. However, if the baking soda is messing with nitrogen compounds, that'd be interesting to see! I don't think it would though, they shouldn't react...

 

[John58ford]

I use baking soda, and several other minerals to raise my kH at water changes. I actually use them to increase my GH, kH, pH, calcium content, magnesium and potassium.

An unfortunate side effect of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is the change in specific gravity/salinity. I don't actually use it as an ingredient in most of my tanks but it does go into my Tanganyika buffer recipe.

Not all of the sacrificial buffers like crushed coral, limestone, shells, bones etc will dissolve once you get over certain levels of pH, they all have a target pH where they will stop dissolving. Crushed coral is ok to 7.4-7.8, but not much above that. When you're aiming for 8.9-9.2 (Tanganyika) you have to get creative.

In my soft water tanks, I stay at or under 7.4, the water I start out with is extremely soft so I buffer it to stop it from crashing. I can dial the exact pH after dilution while I mix stock solution giving those tanks the flexibility to simulate seasonal rain changes and stimulate breeding, I can also deplete the tanks to get them way down into tetra breeding numbers, then bring the hardness back on to keep the inverts happy.

My advice to anyone about "baking soda" is to really really dive deep. With a handful of chemicals/minerals and research you can mimic the water from any system you want. If you grab the easy version of "X tablespoons baking soda into X gallons should do it" you're on a crash course to tank crash.

As far as how long it will last per dose; what in your tank is using up your carbonate buffers? Lots of waste conversion, lots of plant growth, lots of fish growth, and many other factors change that outcome. Every tank and water source is different. Sodium bicarbonate shouldn't off gas so in a control tank without growth etc, it shouldn't fall unless it precipitates.

 

[airdog44]

I use baking soda, and several other minerals to raise my kH at water changes. I actually use them to increase my GH, kH, pH, calcium content, magnesium and potassium.

An unfortunate side effect of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is the change in specific gravity/salinity. I don't actually use it as an ingredient in most of my tanks but it does go into my Tanganyika buffer recipe.

Not all of the sacrificial buffers like crushed coral, limestone, shells, bones etc will dissolve once you get over certain levels of pH, they all have a target pH where they will stop dissolving. Crushed coral is ok to 7.4-7.8, but not much above that. When you're aiming for 8.9-9.2 (Tanganyika) you have to get creative.

In my soft water tanks, I stay at or under 7.4, the water I start out with is extremely soft so I buffer it to stop it from crashing. I can dial the exact pH after dilution while I mix stock solution giving those tanks the flexibility to simulate seasonal rain changes and stimulate breeding, I can also deplete the tanks to get them way down into tetra breeding numbers, then bring the hardness back on to keep the inverts happy.

My advice to anyone about "baking soda" is to really really dive deep. With a handful of chemicals/minerals and research you can mimic the water from any system you want. If you grab the easy version of "X tablespoons baking soda into X gallons should do it" you're on a crash course to tank crash.

As far as how long it will last per dose; what in your tank is using up your carbonate buffers? Lots of waste conversion, lots of plant growth, lots of fish growth, and many other factors change that outcome. Every tank and water source is different. Sodium bicarbonate shouldn't off gas so in a control tank without growth etc, it shouldn't fall unless it precipitates.

Ok thanks. I’m a little confused…so my whole point of the experiment was to get my ph/kh up because my water was too soft to get shrimp and that’s what I want to add. So I was getting my levels correct for them and trying to see how often to add the baking soda to keep the levels the same. Is this a good idea? Or should I just leave the tank alone? I have a 10 gal and only 6 neon tetras but it’s heavily planted.

Also my water change days are tmrw so I’ll definitely do that.

 

[Revan]

Well, go ahead and do the water change, then test the new pH & kH levels. That’s all we can really do for now, as you’ve said that the pH level has remained stable for now.

 

[John58ford]

If you want to make your own buffer package for shrimp, I don't recommend just sodium bicarbonate, I do recommend you look into it though.

Salty shrimp GH/kH+ is a commonly recommended mixture, it likely contains some sodium bicarbonate, it also would contain calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, and possibly other trace elements. I recommend you look at the water your stocking is coming from, then your source water. Add what is necessary to match the source water the best you can.

To raise kH in my soft tanks (that get no sodium) I use potassium bicarbonate, I raise the GH with calcium chloride and magnesium sulfate. This would be a good place to start before you pick up more of the small details. Assuming you are using tap water you should still have allot of the traces you need to add in otherwise.

Every Water source and treatment facility will have a different calcium/magnesium ratio for you to correct. Before any of this make sure you are able to test for as much as possible or you may end up with a build up issue over the months.

Once you find your recipe, you can portion it out monthly for use in X amount of gallons at changes as needed. I always add minerals at changes, not top offs. Only add mineral if you removed water, not evaporation.

It really might be easier to grab a can of buffer though; when we are working on a buffer recipe it looks like we are selling drugs off the kitchen counter with powders, scales, portioning and mixing tools laying amongst scrap notes of partial chemical equations. It's not the easiest, and every source of mineral needs to be verified, it's not the same brand to brand or even batch to batch.

 

[airdog44]

Ok so very interesting...I knew my tap water ph was always higher, but I tested the ph before a water change, 7.2. After I added the tap water after my change, it raised it all the way to 8.2. My neon tetras have always been ok with it, never had a problem. I feel like this will kill the shrimp though if I do get them. Should I do the perfect ph 7.0 and add it to the tap water so it doesn't mess it up so much? I don't know what to do, help! I really want these shrimp!

 

[John58ford]

I'm a little confused, I thought your starting pH was 6.6? If your tap water is 7.2 you really shouldn't need to mess around with much of this, just do water changes. I don't know why you are up to 8.2 now, did you add more baking soda at the change? What is your gh/kH out of the tap? I have less than 2 degrees frequently so I do need the buffers, you may not need them.

 

[airdog44]

Sorry. Ok, so my starting ph was 7.2 after adding the baking soda. 7.2 before the water change. Then after adding the tap water with NO baking soda in it, just water conditioner, it raised it to 8.2

 

[John58ford]

Sorry. Ok, so my starting ph was 7.2 after adding the baking soda. 7.2 before the water change. Then after adding the tap water with NO baking soda in it, just water conditioner, it raised it to 8.2

Ok, what is your tap waters pH? Leave it in a glass at room temperature a few hours before testing, the oxygen levels and pressure in the pipes has a false effect on our testing.

 

[airdog44]

Ok, it is pretty late my time so ill let you know in the morning, I'll let it sit overnight

 

[LowConductivity]

Sorry. Ok, so my starting ph was 7.2 after adding the baking soda. 7.2 before the water change. Then after adding the tap water with NO baking soda in it, just water conditioner, it raised it to 8.2

Straight from the tap, tap water can be a funny thing (hence the reason we let it sit overnight and test the next day)

One of my good friends gets water from the tap at a pH around 8….his tanks run at a pH of about 5.5. Buffers to keep the water non acidic in the pipes can do some crazy things to our pH tests. (His water comes 8-8.2, 3-8 TDS ppm from the tap)

 

[airdog44]

I think the test was wrong somehow? I just tested it again(the water from the tank not the bucket) and it was back to 7.2. So should I still be worried? Or do you think it was just wrong?

 

[LowConductivity]

I think the test was wrong somehow? I just tested it again(the water from the tank not the bucket) and it was back to 7.2. So should I still be worried? Or do you think it was just wrong?

Go run some water from the sink. Test the pH. If it’s 8, the last test was right. If it’s 6.6, the test was wrong?

 

[airdog44]

No, sorry that this so so confusing! I never tested the tap water. My 8.2 test was from my tank 30 minutes after a water change(the ph being 7.2 before adding the tap). I’ll test the actual tap water tomorrow I forgot to put water in a bucket

 

[LowConductivity]

No, sorry that this so so confusing! I never tested the tap water. My 8.2 test was from my tank 30 minutes after a water change(the ph being 7.2 before adding the tap). I’ll test the actual tap water tomorrow I forgot to put water in a bucket

I thought you put the tap water in the tank, and then tested the tank (post water change)

 

[airdog44]

Oh my gosh. Yesterday before I did a water change I tested the water at 7.2. After the water change, it was 8.2. Then the next morning my tank water was back to 7.2.

I let my tap water straight from the tap sit for a couple of hours and tested it at 7.2. So I think the test was wrong somehow, otherwise I don’t know why it raised all the way to 8.2.