Soda ash not raising alkalinity
- Thread starter AC545
- Start date
DylanCameron
Treasurer/BOD 2023
Keep dosing and it will eventually increase. If your alk has been at 6 or lower, your tank was at a deficit and it’s probably being used by the corals/rocks pretty quickly, but it should level out soon.
Some questions: what test kit are you using? What brand of soda ash, do you mix it in fresh RODI water? What pump are you using + are you sure it’s actually dosing? Do you dose anything else besides soda ash?
Some questions: what test kit are you using? What brand of soda ash, do you mix it in fresh RODI water? What pump are you using + are you sure it’s actually dosing? Do you dose anything else besides soda ash?
OP
OP
AC545
Well-Known Member
I’m using BRS dry soda ash and mixing it in fresh RODI. I’m using a Jebao pump and I’ve watched it dose several times right on schedule (every hour). The pump is doing right next to my most powerful Powerhead. The solution shows white flakes for a moment and quickly dissipated. I use a Salifert test kit and am confident in it. The crappy fish store test also shows the same reading. I am not doing anything else.
How old is the tank? Do you have a sand bed? How heavily stocked is your reef?
Quick math: at 75 gal volume, 1 dkH = 53mL of BRS soda ash. At 10ml/hr that is 240ml/day which is A LOT to start dosing all at once. Currently you are dosing nearly 5 dkH of alkalinity to your tank per day. Moderately stocked mature SPS aquariums will use 2-3 dkH a day.
I recommend you to stop dosing and switch to something like sodium bicarbonate. The high pH of the soda ash is likely causing precipitation events in your aquarium.
Quick math: at 75 gal volume, 1 dkH = 53mL of BRS soda ash. At 10ml/hr that is 240ml/day which is A LOT to start dosing all at once. Currently you are dosing nearly 5 dkH of alkalinity to your tank per day. Moderately stocked mature SPS aquariums will use 2-3 dkH a day.
I recommend you to stop dosing and switch to something like sodium bicarbonate. The high pH of the soda ash is likely causing precipitation events in your aquarium.
I recommend you stir your sand bed to check if it is calcifying. If it is turning to rock, that is where the soda ash is going.
What was your daily alkalinity consumption prior to using soda ash? With such a young tank, I would expect alkalinity consumption to be < 1dkH per day.
Do you trend pH with a controller/monitor? What is your daily peak pH after starting to dose soda ash?
What is your calcium level? Is it also dropping?
What is your magnesium level? Goal is to maintain it in a 3:1 ratio with calcium. Higher magnesium allows for greater alkalinity/calcium levels.
I have personally overfed Soda Ash before in a new tank. PH was sky high, alkalinity and calcium kept dropping no matter what I did. I was dosing 150ml/day in 55 gal of water. My sand bed quickly turned to rock.
If you don’t have another alkalinity source on hand, I recommend dropping your feed to approximately 30ml/day and monitor alkalinity.
What was your daily alkalinity consumption prior to using soda ash? With such a young tank, I would expect alkalinity consumption to be < 1dkH per day.
Do you trend pH with a controller/monitor? What is your daily peak pH after starting to dose soda ash?
What is your calcium level? Is it also dropping?
What is your magnesium level? Goal is to maintain it in a 3:1 ratio with calcium. Higher magnesium allows for greater alkalinity/calcium levels.
I have personally overfed Soda Ash before in a new tank. PH was sky high, alkalinity and calcium kept dropping no matter what I did. I was dosing 150ml/day in 55 gal of water. My sand bed quickly turned to rock.
If you don’t have another alkalinity source on hand, I recommend dropping your feed to approximately 30ml/day and monitor alkalinity.
OP
OP
AC545
Well-Known Member
Just tested
pH is 8.1
Calcium is 420
I don’t have a monitoring system. Sand isn’t hard at all. I also don’t have a way to test magnesium yet, I usually get it done at my LFS.
It’s worth noting I just added three SPS frags and just before that is when I started to loose alk.
As Dong suggested I plan on checking the pump and seeing if it dosing the correct amount next.
pH is 8.1
Calcium is 420
I don’t have a monitoring system. Sand isn’t hard at all. I also don’t have a way to test magnesium yet, I usually get it done at my LFS.
It’s worth noting I just added three SPS frags and just before that is when I started to loose alk.
As Dong suggested I plan on checking the pump and seeing if it dosing the correct amount next.
MarkSzy
Well-Known Member
PH and DKH/ALK are two different things and can be controlled separately to a degree. For instants I have soda ash connected to the air inlet of my skimmer and adjust fresh air to soda ash with valves to control my PH. Then I had baking soda to my RO top off to control my DKH/ALK. 1 tablespoon to 5 gallons of RODI water.
Chris.sturgis
Well-Known Member
Had a similar issue and my sand bed was calcifying under my rocks. Switched to baking soda using Randy’s method and that took care of my issues.
Last edited:
chadfish
Well-Known Member
Soda ash is
While alkalinity and pH differ, the buffers we use increase both.
Last edited:
Chris.sturgis
Well-Known Member
You mean Soda Ash is Sodium Carbonate right.
chadfish
Well-Known Member
Lol. That was before my coffee. I’ll edit
