Accidentally bought soda ash instead of sodium bicarbonate should I use it?

[leonardomanzano]

I do a lot of my shopping at night after work and I ordered the BRS 2 part pack with the gallon jugs, What I didn't realize was that the combo came with soda ash instead of the regular sodium bicarbonate that I buy. Now I am not entirely sure how to dose it properly as I heard you will use less of it compared to regular sodium carbonate and it drives up pH as well.

I have a 55-gallon (display) and a 7-gallon sump with a 5-gallon ATO reservoir.

How should I go about this?

sorry if it's a dumb question, my tired brain isn't computing right. It's currently 12:39 AM and I realized this is the wrong powder just as I was about to pour it into my gallon jug.

 

[SaJon]

I do a lot of my shopping at night after work and I ordered the BRS 2 part pack with the gallon jugs, What I didn't realize was that the combo came with soda ash instead of the regular sodium bicarbonate that I buy. Now I am not entirely sure how to dose it properly as I heard you will use less of it compared to regular sodium carbonate and it drives up pH as well.

I have a 55-gallon (display) and a 7-gallon sump with a 5-gallon ATO reservoir.

How should I go about this?

sorry if it's a dumb question, my tired brain isn't computing right. It's currently 12:39 AM and I realized this is the wrong powder just as I was about to pour it into my gallon jug.

Hey.. There's no such thing as a dumb question in this hobby. What are you wanting to do, raise the alkalinity?

 

[leonardomanzano]

Hey.. There's no such thing as a dumb question in this hobby. What are you wanting to do, raise the alkalinity?

yeah, this is my first time having to deal with a substance that increases my pH.
Will I have to dose less of this and more times throughout the day at a lower rate?

I have never tested my pH or meddled with it as it’s something I’d rather let settle on it’s own.

I pretty much dose or purposely alter and test the following

alk
Cal
Mag
Nitrate
Phosphate

trace elements

 

[homer1475]

You will use exactly half of what your currently dosing.

BRS chems are designed from @Randy Holmes-Farley diy solutions.

It only bumps PH a slight bit. I would not worry over it, and dose as you have been but use half.

IE:
If you dose say 50ml of sodium bicarbonate, then dose 25ml of soda ash.

 

[SaJon]

yeah, this is my first time having to deal with a substance that increases my pH.
Will I have to dose less of this and more times throughout the day at a lower rate?

I have never tested my pH or meddled with it as it’s something I’d rather let settle on it’s own.

I pretty much dose or purposely alter and test the following

alk
Cal
Mag
Nitrate
Phosphate

trace elements

What is your magnesium level ? If your dosing to raise your alkalinity and other levels like magnesium is at the normal level , dose slowly and at night. Usually when your dosing at night PH doesn't get affected to much. Always check magnesium before dosing anything. You don't want to raise your alkalinity mire then 1.4dkh in a 24 hr period or raise PH more then 0.2ph. Do you know your exact water volume minus rock, equipment that is displacing water? BRS has a calculator that you can go by once you know your exact water volume. Be careful dosing anything, go slow test regular. Is easier to add rather then remove. Big swings can crash a system if corals are involved.