# Raising Ph with Baking soda.



## SpeedFreak (Mar 14, 2008)

My current Ph is around 7.5. I would like to raise it to 8-8.2. I was told that Ph is easily raised safely with baking soda and that it will stabilize the water permanently. I also was told to add a little bit of aquarium salt or regular non iodized table salt. I was also told Epsom Salt would help to stabilize the water so it wouldn't be so easily effected by changes. Well I've obviously been told a lot so i figured I'd go to the experts and see what works for you and what you guys all think.

I was also told to raise the PH I should put in one table spoon per 5 gallons.

What do you guys think?  :fish:


----------



## Gibbs (Apr 21, 2008)

G'day speedfreak. Are you still on about this :lol: :lol:

It is true you can add a buffer recipe and it is safe

Bi-carb 1 teaspoon per 5 gallon to raise ph. Won't go any higher then 8.2
Epsom 1 tablespoon per 5 gallon to increase hardness which buffers the ph.
Salt 1 teaspoon per 5 gallon (optional) and always debated in this hobby as you no 

I add it because my tap water is terrible and my fish seem happy breed all the time and i can't remember my last casualty, that includes my fry tanks which i add it to also. This way i know exactly were my water is at

Some people in the hobby maintain that water parameters that this recipe is used for aren't even that important. Like having a ph. level of 7.6 and soft water is acceptable.

Just make sure you are adding correctly and everything will be fine


----------



## alicem (Jul 26, 2007)

> I was also told to raise the PH I should put in one table spoon per 5 gallons.


The epsom salt raises GH (general hardness) and baking soda adds buffers which affects pH.

I would experiment with a plastic bucket of tap water. 
Try the baking soda to raise the pH adding by the teaspoon full stirring it and checking after a hour or so.

For an example:
When my water comes out of the tap it's pH is 7.5 and after aerating (using a bubbler) for
several hours it raises on it's own to 8.2. I add just a little baking soda to stabilize it there.
hth


----------



## SpeedFreak (Mar 14, 2008)

Gibbs said:


> G'day speedfreak. Are you still on about this :lol: :lol:
> 
> It is true you can add a buffer recipe and it is safe
> 
> ...


HAHA yeah I'm still figuring everything out. The last post was just about salt so I wanted to throw the baking soda idea out there...  Its good to know it wont go over 8.2. Can you get Bi-carb from something else or is that just a fancy term for Baking soda?

As far as the soft water at 7.6 I'd really rather add it as well. If it can't hurt then it will only help if anything. I'll def take your word for it. Thanks again have a great day!! :dancing:


----------



## speakerguy (May 19, 2004)

Arm & Hammer baking soda will be perfectly fine.

It may not get the pH all the way up to where you want it. Seachem makes a product that is a mixture of carbonate and bicarbonate salts that will get it up where you want no problem. Or else you can just use washing soda (or baking soda heated in the oven at 250 degrees, which will turn it into washing soda) which is pure sodium carbonate (this has the potential to raise pH a LOT, so add small amounts).


----------



## SpeedFreak (Mar 14, 2008)

ok thanks i'll try that.


----------



## Jedu (Oct 24, 2007)

Hey speed freak,

I use 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons and it keeps my pH right around 8.1-8.2 . I think I should clarify just incase, the more baking soda you add, the higher your pH there is no upper limit But as long as you remove an equal amount of water (with baking soda in it) and replace it with an equal amount you should have no problems.


----------



## gordonrp (Mar 23, 2005)

Jedu said:


> Hey speed freak,
> 
> I use 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons and it keeps my pH right around 8.1-8.2 . I think I should clarify just incase, the more baking soda you add, the higher your pH there is no upper limit But as long as you remove an equal amount of water (with baking soda in it) and replace it with an equal amount you should have no problems.


What? I understood the opposite.

I understood baking soda has a PH of 8.2, and if it is pure baking soda then the max it will raise to is 8.2 I could of sworn that my tests a few months back indicated this to be true also.... hrmmmmm


----------



## Gibbs (Apr 21, 2008)

Baking soda only has the PH. potential of 8.2. No more

For this reason adding to much baking soda is pointless


----------



## SpeedFreak (Mar 14, 2008)

I can only speak from my recent experience with messing around with the Ph but so far mine hasn't went over 8.2. I have a 75 Gal tank and I added baking soda spread throughout 2 days. I didn't want to do it all at once so I added then tested then added more. The first day I added enough for 40 gals of water.(8 teaspoons) then yesterday I added 7 more teaspoons for the other 35 gals and the waters fine. Along with that I did do the Epsom Salt to help the water hold the PH as it was explained to me and then I added enough salt for about 40 gals from whats recommended. I figured some people say add it and some say don't and then theres always the ones that say its a waste of time so I just picked the middle option.

Also I don't remember who it was that said it but somebody said you could bake the arm and hammer baking soda to make it stronger... Does anyone know more about this or how long or anything? More details would be great.


----------



## BLKHWK (Jun 6, 2008)

so you put the baking soda straight in the water?doesnt it make the water cloudy?


----------



## Gibbs (Apr 21, 2008)

No you don't put the soda straight in the water.

When doing water changes add it to your last bucket of water and make sure it is fully dissolved before it goes in and then poor it all around your tank. If you don't use buckets get a container and scoop up some tank water and dissolve it in this.

If you add it straight to your tank, it forms a film at the bottom and there it will sit for a while


----------



## SpeedFreak (Mar 14, 2008)

BLKHWK said:


> so you put the baking soda straight in the water?doesnt it make the water cloudy?


Gibbs is 100% right. That is the way your suppose to do it. However I have a spray bar that pumps the water back in from the filter and i used a teaspoon to put it in so i just sprinkled it off the teaspoon in front of the spray bar thats aiming at a 45 degree angle and it was just fine. If I poured a full teaspoon in some of it would hit the bottom and it would take a longer time to dissolve then the salt does but it didn't harm anything. If you sprinkle it in you should be fine. Its lazier I guess but it works and you'll see it dissolve and disappear. I asked my parents because we use it in our pool and they said it doesn't cloud the water and it didn't. Like i previously said if you just add a little at a time it works great and it will save the bucket time. Hope I could help


----------



## Jedu (Oct 24, 2007)

Well the whole thing about pH is, it is a measure of the H+ ions in a solution, when you add something like say, baking soda, it binds with the free H+ which in turns raises the pH. So the more you add, the more there is to bind.

There is also probably a buffer zone, of around 8.2 which would tend to stableize the pH for awhile, but if you kept adding more it would break out of this palateu and rise further.

Here is a picture I made awhile back to show how it works:


----------



## TheExoticFish.com (Jun 11, 2008)

It maxes out at 8.2


----------



## SpeedFreak (Mar 14, 2008)

Jedu said:


> Well the whole thing about pH is, it is a measure of the H+ ions in a solution, when you add something like say, baking soda, it binds with the free H+ which in turns raises the pH. So the more you add, the more there is to bind.
> 
> There is also probably a buffer zone, of around 8.2 which would tend to stableize the pH for awhile, but if you kept adding more it would break out of this palateu and rise further.
> 
> Here is a picture I made awhile back to show how it works:


thanks thats very helpful


----------



## speakerguy (May 19, 2004)

This is even better:

Shows the which form of bicarbonate is prevalent at what pH.










You can see that if you dissolved straight NaHCO3 you would be right at 8.2. Adding CO2 like you would in a planted aquarium would drive the pH lower, and adding washing soda (Na2CO3) could push it way up.


----------



## SpeedFreak (Mar 14, 2008)

wow that charts confusing.... lol :?


----------



## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

SpeedFreak said:


> wow that charts confusing.... lol :?


Sure is. :-? Just keep it simple and add enough baking soda to bring KH up to a range of 8-10. pH will come up to about 8-8.2.

I've never heard of the 'plateau' theory, but I learn new things every day.  I've always read that there's a max of about 8.2 or so that won't be exceeded no matter how much is added. Sort of a moot point because you shouldn't need to raise pH higher anyway. Still, I'd be interested in seeing some links to more info on that.

You'll need to add the sodium bicarb occasionally because the buffers get used up over time, so it's never stabilized 'permanently'. Most add them during water changes. Periodic testing will tell you how much and how often.

See Practical Water Chemistry. Lots of good info there.


----------



## BLKHWK (Jun 6, 2008)

ok think *** got the baking soda part..now whats with the salt *** heard the salt content in you r water doesnt disapate?if you keep adding doesnt your water get too salty?


----------



## SpeedFreak (Mar 14, 2008)

BLKHWK said:


> ok think I've got the baking soda part..now whats with the salt I've heard the salt content in you r water doesnt disapate?if you keep adding doesnt your water get too salty?


yes with evaporation i understand the salt stays in the water. its only removed when you do your water changes. so you just need to do the math and add what you take out. if the water just evaporates then the salt content goes up because you now have less water. Hope thats a help. the epsom salt is just a buffer


----------

