Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
|
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Baking Soda to lower pH
Jan,
Where have you heard this horse crap. Baking Soda when added to acidic water will raise the pH to a stabilized position and hold it there, but it certainly will not lower pH especially if you pH is already at the 8 level. For Heaven's sake stop adding baking soda. You only need a KH of between 80-120ppm to keep from pH shifts. If you pond is in the 8 pH region you can add Baking Soda to increase your KH to the desired level of 80-120ppm as previous stated, but this can be done with out making the pH rise, but if you keep increasing the Baking Soda it will eventually start raising the pH because you are adding a bunch of -OH ions to the increasing the basic side of the pH scale. In any event, stop the addition of BS and check the pH frequently to see what happens. Not knowing your water chemistry I would venture to guess that it should start dropping. The carbonate ions that your are adding are used by the biobugs in the chemical reactions that change ammonia to nitrites and nitrites to nitrates, which is why it is important to keep KH in the range previously mentioned. HTH Tom L.L. =================================== ~ jan JJsPond.us wrote: Here I go again: I've often heard Baking Soda will lower a high pH. I'm wondering just how MUCH BS a pun? is needed? My lily pond is 3 yo 1,000 gallon EPDM with 6 fantail goldfish. I've added enough baking soda recently that the KH read 280/ppm today after adding 4 cups of BS. The pH is still reading over 9.0, and I added 2 more cups this evening. At what ppm is the KH detrimental to the goldfish, or is safe as long as there is more liquid water than solid BS in the pond? At what ppm will the pH dropped, or is this really an old fisherman's tale? This pond has concrete block surrounding the top, but it is 3 yo, and I haven't had this bad a time with pH the previous years, usually a few treatment with M.acid has gotten it under control. This year I've used a whole gallon on it (~2 cups/time). Only brings it down for a week or so. The other odd thing, at least I find odd as I'm always preaching if your water hyacinths are dying check the pH. Well the water hyacinths are green, not growing much, but green.... and so is the water, but that I don't find unusual considering the pH. I'd also like to mention the duckweed is growing great in the block holes, I guess a high pH doesn't bother them. So what do you think? ~ jan (Do you know where your water quality is?) |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
old DIY CO2 mix + baking soda = ? | Freshwater Aquaria Plants | |||
Baking Soda for Ph Adjustment | Freshwater Aquaria Plants | |||
CO2 in a new and old way. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3). When it is mixed with an | Freshwater Aquaria Plants | |||
Baking Soda KIlls Crabgrass? | Gardening | |||
Baking soda and water, followed by... | Lawns |