I understand everyone saying about bringing my tank kh to 8 by adding baking soda to it, but wont my method work as well? My method... my tank is at 5 right now if i bring my water change water to 8 it should slowly raise my kh in my main tank to 8 over a series of water changes. Once my tank hits 8 it will stay there since every water change will be with water of a kh of 8.
Baking soda question
- Thread starter brianf40
- Start date
If your tank is now at a pH of 5, raising the pH to 8 quickly could be quite a shock for the fish used to pH 5.
If water comes from the tap at 8ish, and the tank is 5, there is probably something in the tank acidifying the water. Could be a filter (canisters are notorious for this) where the media hasn't been cleaned enough, a hidden rotting dead fish, something?
Baking soda is a buffering agent, and will raise alkalinity temporarily which can bolster pH, but not a permanent solution. If your tank drops to 5 after a water change with 8, you need to find the cause.
baking soda is a bandaid.
If water comes from the tap at 8ish, and the tank is 5, there is probably something in the tank acidifying the water. Could be a filter (canisters are notorious for this) where the media hasn't been cleaned enough, a hidden rotting dead fish, something?
Baking soda is a buffering agent, and will raise alkalinity temporarily which can bolster pH, but not a permanent solution. If your tank drops to 5 after a water change with 8, you need to find the cause.
baking soda is a bandaid.
If you got a lot of crushed coral. It will balance out your tap water. If your on a continuous drip, not so much. Crushed coral, will wear out over time, but it should work out well enouph.
I have no buffer except very hard limestone hard water. Then 1 dollar a month baking powder, is a cheap bandaid.
I have no buffer except very hard limestone hard water. Then 1 dollar a month baking powder, is a cheap bandaid.
Thanks for your reply
Yeah my ph floats between 7.8 and 8.2 seems higher in the AM and lower right after i turn off the lights. I had this with other tanks i ran years ago as well.
Oh measurements were in ppm. From a swimming pool test kit.
I think the daily pH variations are from CO2 production, with photosynthesis.
I have not payed much attention to GH, or KA. In my fish keeping. I am noticing my GH is low coming out of the tap.
Our city water is diluted with reverse osmosis water. The nitrates that are being diluted vary on the rain, and can be very high in early summer. When all the corn is planted. So my GH is soft but, at times it can be very hard.
Oh I forgot, I have a quart jar volume of small clam shells, in my sump. That gets a lot of flow.
I am trying to keep detris from ever accumulating, bio filtration is with plastic, and an algae scrubber. So I have no buffer able media. Just easy to clean fine sand.
I think the daily pH variations are from CO2 production, with photosynthesis.
I have not payed much attention to GH, or KA. In my fish keeping. I am noticing my GH is low coming out of the tap.
Our city water is diluted with reverse osmosis water. The nitrates that are being diluted vary on the rain, and can be very high in early summer. When all the corn is planted. So my GH is soft but, at times it can be very hard.
Oh I forgot, I have a quart jar volume of small clam shells, in my sump. That gets a lot of flow.
I am trying to keep detris from ever accumulating, bio filtration is with plastic, and an algae scrubber. So I have no buffer able media. Just easy to clean fine sand.
Just a general rule. Carbon Dioxide will lower PH. I notice pH swings with my plants..
I am thinking with my set up, if I raise my ph, to 8.2. I could over buffer my tank with calcium carbonate, and never bother with measuring it out. Just dump a whole box of arm an hammer. Once a month, and just roll with it.
I am thinking with my set up, if I raise my ph, to 8.2. I could over buffer my tank with calcium carbonate, and never bother with measuring it out. Just dump a whole box of arm an hammer. Once a month, and just roll with it.
