Baking Soda Issues

[Chapstick]

I am just starting up a new tank after many years away. The tank had been cycling for 3 months and over that time Alk had dropped to around 6dKH. After a seemingly too quick Google I attempted to rectify with the addition of baking soda.

Starting parameters
Cal 465
Mag 1530
dKh 6
PH 8.

I added enough baking soda over the course of 4 days to raise the dKh back to 8.5. I did this by dumping dry baking soda into the overflow thinking this was a good high flow spot. Tank is 500L and I estimate to have used maybe 5-6tsp of powder total.

Now I have small white specs flying around the tank as well as a layer of what looks like the same floating on top of the tank. Unsure if something has precipitated out of the water of of the baking soda didn't fully dissolve. I am running a filter roller which isn't doing anything to remove. It's been over a week now and the issue has not improved. I'm now trying to run a wet skim, other than that I'm out of ideas baring a full water change which I'm dreading!

Current parameters

Cal 450
Mag 1530
dKh 7.2
PH 8

Any help greatly appreciated.

 

[Chapstick]

I just wanted to post an update. I’ve just turned off all flow and many of the white dots are in fact copepods, I can see them darting through the water column as well as all over the glass. Now I’m wondering if all the tiny dots flying around are microscopic pods that are not yet mobile? It appears the tank is blooming with them.
Would be definitely interested to hear from a chemical perspective, could the addition of the baking sofa of the quantity that I added cause any precipitation to occur? If not maybe I put all the dots down to a pod population explosion.

 

[gbroadbridge]

I am just starting up a new tank after many years away. The tank had been cycling for 3 months and over that time Alk had dropped to around 6dKH. After a seemingly too quick Google I attempted to rectify with the addition of baking soda.

Starting parameters
Cal 465
Mag 1530
dKh 6
PH 8.

I added enough baking soda over the course of 4 days to raise the dKh back to 8.5. I did this by dumping dry baking soda into the overflow thinking this was a good high flow spot. Tank is 500L and I estimate to have used maybe 5-6tsp of powder total.

Now I have small white specs flying around the tank as well as a layer of what looks like the same floating on top of the tank. Unsure if something has precipitated out of the water of of the baking soda didn't fully dissolve. I am running a filter roller which isn't doing anything to remove. It's been over a week now and the issue has not improved. I'm now trying to run a wet skim, other than that I'm out of ideas baring a full water change which I'm dreading!

Current parameters

Cal 450
Mag 1530
dKh 7.2
PH 8

Any help greatly appreciated.

Are you certain you used baking soda and not baking powder?

 

[Chapstick]

Are you certain you used baking soda and not baking powder?

Yes absolutely.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Yes absolutely.

I wouldn't expect that to happen.

Have you tried dissolving the Baking Soda in DI water and seeing if anything remains undissolved?

Presume this is a food grade product?

 

[Chapstick]

Yes food grade, when mixed with RO it completely dissolves. As I mention above I may be barking up the wrong tree and it could be pods/pod eggs? Thinking back when I first noticed it is when I started to see some pods on the glass during the day. I never recall seeing this happen with pods before. I will update the post if I can determine anything conclusive.

 

[VintageReefer]

I always take a solo cup of tank water and add the baking soda, mix real good, then pour in chamber 1 of the sump. It’s fully dissolved by the time it reaches chamber 3 with the return

 

[Chapstick]

I always take a solo cup of tank water and add the baking soda, mix real good, then pour in chamber 1 of the sump. It’s fully dissolved by the time it reaches chamber 3 with the return

It’s sounding like the floaters in the water are not bicarb which is a relief.

 

[VintageReefer]

It’s sounding like the floaters in the water are not bicarb which is a relief.

You will get precipitate if you don’t mix ahead of time. Not sure if that’s what happened here but seems like it to me

 

[Dburr1014]

Perhaps the floaters are dead?
You do want to mix baking soda to water before adding to tank.

Presume this is a food grade product?

Good question but the baking in the baking soda pretty sure means food for the food grade. LOL

 

[VintageReefer]

I gots that black market baking soda. NO it’s not regulated by those fda scammers. This the real deal

 

[Dburr1014]

I gots that black market baking soda. NO it’s not regulated by those fda scammers. This the real deal

Sodium bicarbonate then?

 

[VintageReefer]

Sodium bicarbonate then?

Top secret

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I always take a solo cup of tank water and add the baking soda, mix real good, then pour in chamber 1 of the sump. It’s fully dissolved by the time it reaches chamber 3 with the return

IMO, it is a better plan to use a cup of fresh water. The super high alk in the cup of tank water may result in precipitation of calcium carbonate before it gets dispersed in the tank.

 

[Chapstick]

You will get precipitate if you don’t mix ahead of time. Not sure if that’s what happened here but seems like it to me

Okay thanks it sounds like this is what happened then. What has actually precipitated and can it go back into solution? My next step will be to get the finest filter sock I can find and try to get it out this way. Hoping I can get something finer than my Clarisea.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Okay thanks it sounds like this is what happened then. What has actually precipitated and can it go back into solution? My next step will be to get the finest filter sock I can find and try to get it out this way. Hoping I can get something finer than my Clarisea.

If it is calcium carbonate, it cannot redissolve. If it is magnesium hydroxide (not typical from baking soda, but from sodium carbonate or hydroxide) it can.

 

[Chapstick]

If it is calcium carbonate, it cannot redissolve. If it is magnesium hydroxide (not typical from baking soda, but from sodium carbonate or hydroxide) it can.

Thank you Randy, would a 10 micron sock be able to remove the precipitate, something larger? Would like to get out of this without dumping all the water.
Your advice much appreciated

 

[TokenReefer]

It's harmless. I dose calcium carbonate intentionally.. Filter sock should get what doesn't settle. Full disclosure though I'm not Randy

 

[Chapstick]

It's harmless. I dose calcium carbonate intentionally.. Filter sock should get what doesn't settle. Full disclosure though I'm not Randy

Thanks, my main issue is it looks horrendous flying around the tank and my filter roller isn’t removing it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I agree the solids cause no harm and will disappear in a few days. They just waste calcium and alk.