Adding Baking Soda To Raise Alkalinity?

[reef tank journal]

Hi reefers! Need some advice. I use All for Reef and I don’t have a lot of SPS in my tank, but I do have a lot of LPS so my alkalinity and calcium levels are always unbalanced. My calcium is high and my alkalinity is low and I want to raise my alkalinity without raising my calcium even more. So I’ve heard about adding baking soda to my tank to supplement AFR. Anyone have any thoughts or have used baking soda before?

The directions on AFR say to use balling B, but I can’t find any locally.

 

[allof fish]

Hi reefers! Need some advice. I use All for Reef and I don’t have a lot of SPS in my tank, but I do have a lot of LPS so my alkalinity and calcium levels are always unbalanced. My calcium is high and my alkalinity is low and I want to raise my alkalinity without raising my calcium even more. So I’ve heard about adding baking soda to my tank to supplement AFR. Anyone have any thoughts or have used baking soda before?

The directions on AFR say to use balling B, but I can’t find any locally.

I don’t have experience with that I just use 2 part but I do think that could work I’ve heard of it working before. Not sure the dosage amount that. If you have kalk or soda ash that can work too

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

but I do have a lot of LPS so my alkalinity and calcium levels are always unbalanced.

That statement is not really accurate.

Its like saying, I like to fish so I eat a lot of steak. Both can be true, but they are not related.

Baking soda is a fine way to give an occasional alk boost when using AFR, but my preference is to use AFR to maintain alk, so dose more of it. Calcium is too noisy in testing to be a good guide to dosing AFR.

 

[reef tank journal]

but I do have a lot of LPS so my alkalinity and calcium levels are always unbalanced.

That statement is not really accurate.

Its like saying, I like to fish so I eat a lot of steak. Both can be true, but they are not related.

Baking soda is a fine way to give an occasional alk boost when using AFR, but my preference is to use AFR to maintain alk, so dose more of it. Calcium is too noisy in testing to be a good guide to dosing AFR.

I want to be able to dose less. Currently I’m at 7ml daily and my calcium is consistent at 520-530 and my alkalinity is at 7 dkh. I want to be able to dose less to lower my calcium but not lower my alkalinity even more.

It’s been testing like this for the past couple of months and I’m starting to see my hammers and torches stressing.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I want to be able to dose less. Currently I’m at 7ml daily and my calcium is consistent at 520-530 and my alkalinity is at 7 dkh. I want to be able to dose less to lower my calcium but not lower my alkalinity even more.

It’s been testing like this for the past couple of months and I’m starting to see my hammers and torches stressing.

AFR is very slightly overbalanced too too much calcium, especially if coralline algae is a significant user of the alk.

Water changes, or adding some alk like you suggest are fine plans.