Hello All,
I've been dosing Red Sea dry Sodium Bicarbonate mixed in with my RO/DI auto topoff water in the typical float valve configuration. The alkalinity has been maintained consistently this way. However, I have low pH (7.6 morning to 7.8 evening) and I want to increase it with Sodium Hydroxide (target range of 8.0-8.1morning and 8.2-8.3 in the evening). Can Sodium Hydroxide be mixed with Sodium Bicarbonate in the ATO?... or will it just precipitate Sodium Carbonate? Or would it be better to use Sodium carbonate in conjunction with Sodium Hydroxide? Or will I have to drip the Sodium Hydroxide separately? Dripping Sodium Hydroxide with a secondary container creates its' own complications. I currently don't have an array of peristaltic pumps (which I want to eventually get) to dose with.
I have never dosed Sodium Carbonate instead of Sodium Bicarbonate. Is Sodium Carbonate by itself enough to increase the pH instead of using Sodium Hydroxide?
Thank You for your responses.
Red Sea 425 XL 88-gallon display.
Edit: I tried Kalkwasser. Dosing until the alkalinity reached 9.5. The pH was still 7.8. I checked the Calcium and it was 800ppm!!! So Kalkwasser is a no go.
Also, I was dosing Brightwell pH Boost, but the product is pretty weak (pH 10.8). I was dosing 150ml a day and I didn't even get the pH into the 8.0's. It would be a logistic nightmare and too expensive to use that product.
Oh, I don't use a calcium reactor... I dose Calcium Chloride manually as needed.
I've been dosing Red Sea dry Sodium Bicarbonate mixed in with my RO/DI auto topoff water in the typical float valve configuration. The alkalinity has been maintained consistently this way. However, I have low pH (7.6 morning to 7.8 evening) and I want to increase it with Sodium Hydroxide (target range of 8.0-8.1morning and 8.2-8.3 in the evening). Can Sodium Hydroxide be mixed with Sodium Bicarbonate in the ATO?... or will it just precipitate Sodium Carbonate? Or would it be better to use Sodium carbonate in conjunction with Sodium Hydroxide? Or will I have to drip the Sodium Hydroxide separately? Dripping Sodium Hydroxide with a secondary container creates its' own complications. I currently don't have an array of peristaltic pumps (which I want to eventually get) to dose with.
I have never dosed Sodium Carbonate instead of Sodium Bicarbonate. Is Sodium Carbonate by itself enough to increase the pH instead of using Sodium Hydroxide?
Thank You for your responses.
Red Sea 425 XL 88-gallon display.
Edit: I tried Kalkwasser. Dosing until the alkalinity reached 9.5. The pH was still 7.8. I checked the Calcium and it was 800ppm!!! So Kalkwasser is a no go.
Also, I was dosing Brightwell pH Boost, but the product is pretty weak (pH 10.8). I was dosing 150ml a day and I didn't even get the pH into the 8.0's. It would be a logistic nightmare and too expensive to use that product.
Oh, I don't use a calcium reactor... I dose Calcium Chloride manually as needed.
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