Who's got exp with Baking Soda?

Angel079

I got a issue here needing to up my KH/pH (dicussed here http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/f...ers-pls-39165/ ).

I fiddled with some Baking soda this AM (since that's the only thing I have on hand here, don't have crushed coral or dolomite laying around this this will need to find some somewhere).

The Baking Soda at minimal use in a bucket sure had one heck of a effect (used 1/4 teasp on 5g) so my question

Who's got experience with using Baking Soda as far as durability? I'd not mind at all using it with the w/c each time once the tank itself is slowly been raised up but how good would the BS hold stable between by-weekly water changes?
And if you have exp and had raised up your tank at which rate did you raise what size tank (eg a 1/4cup prepared hard water per 55g or something?)

Angel079

Alright I know there's more then 1 person on this forum who's done this before - So common fwd and share your experiences

JohnnyD44

I've even tried it, but I will be interested to see who has and if anyone has any experience with it? i had no idea BS would even be safe for fish!

Angel079

Well what's needed/ helpful/ useful to up KH & pH is NaHCO3 (Natriumhydrogencarbonat) and for all non-chemistry folks like me that is Baking Soda.
I have set up a test bucket yesterday which brought it from nothing to a sky rocking 7.7 KH (too high for what I need but hence the fact I use a test bucket) so I'll see how this remains/ changes over the course of 1 week now. But 1st hand exp would still be useful
Otherwise I'll be ya'll test bunny again and report back just like with the lights and less w/c LOL...wonder if the mods can change my username to TestBunnY lol

LMychajluk

Angel - I haven't tried Baking Soda myself, but I did come across this calculator that you may be interested in:
http://www.dataguru.org/misc/aquariu...&pHChange=0.54

Hope it helps!

Also, don't forget, a higher pH in a bucket may not be bad once you dilute the water in a larger tank.

Byron

But also remember that conditions in the aquarium are vastly different from the bucket of plain water. And biological processes, bacteria, fish and plants affect carbonates and what works (or seems to work) in a bucket may have very different reactions in the aquarium.

Angel079

Yea I only used a 5g to test around (shrimp farms are all 10g's) that's a pretty nifty calculator there thank you very much!!!!

That's why I figured I'd start with a 1/4 to 1/8 cup "dosed" into the tank very slowly once each week...You know what I mean....I'll def NOT add "prefixed" water with a set KH all in one go that would be a very sure & quick way to kill off my farms
Anyway I have it sitting there right now anyway to see first what it does how it changed in the bucket itself over the next few days. I wanna have all my bases covered BEFORE I go close to my tank with this need of increase there.

redchigh

I've tried it.
Over the course of a couple days I ended up adding a TBSP and a half to my Guppy tank to bring it from 6.0 to 7.2.

A week later I was testing nitrates, and noticed the PH was 6 again. I never used it after that.

Angel079

How exactly was your set up (plants, DW, type of filter used?)??