Second New DIY Two Part Recipe with Higher pH Boost

WWIII

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If I buy 50 lbs of Lye am I going to end up on some watchlist or something? :p

Probably :D


Seriously though, I wouldn't think so. It's used for homemade soap making all the time. I'm not sure what's on the watch list, but I doubt 50lbs of lye would be.
 
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Randy Holmes-Farley

Randy Holmes-Farley

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If I buy 50 lbs of Lye am I going to end up on some watchlist or something? :p

Bright lights in the basement too? Lots of electricity use? You are screwed. [emoji23]
 

gobble

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I just bought 4 pounds of it locally from a place that uses it for making soap. The guy described how it could be used to dissolve a body in a week, kind of creepy. I hope it doesn't dissolve my fish?
 

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I just bought 4 pounds of it locally from a place that uses it for making soap. The guy described how it could be used to dissolve a body in a week, kind of creepy. I hope it doesn't dissolve my fish?


Don't put it on the fish! :D But do be careful with it, it doesn't feel good either in raw bead form or once mixed in solution. Something about melting the fat cells in your body and it gets slimy because of that and is hard to get off. Other than that, my tank is enjoying the higher ph for well over a month. I'm dosing 120ml per day in my 200 gallon display.
 
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Randy Holmes-Farley

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I just bought 4 pounds of it locally from a place that uses it for making soap. The guy described how it could be used to dissolve a body in a week, kind of creepy. I hope it doesn't dissolve my fish?

lol

It won't. :D
 

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lol

It won't. :D
Randy I just noticed this thread and I wondered if it is possible combine potassium iodide and sodium tetraborate (borax) with sodium hydroxide... (if so, maybe wait untill the sodium hydroxide first dissolved?) Kind regards, Tim
 
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Randy Holmes-Farley

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Randy I just noticed this thread and I wondered if it is possible combine potassium iodide and sodium tetraborate (borax) with sodium hydroxide... (if so, maybe wait untill the sodium hydroxide first dissolved?) Kind regards, Tim

Yes, any order is fine. :)
 

Tmmste

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Yes, any order is fine. :)
Edit; is the 5300 dkH per 283 sondium hydroxide correct???
607016f08b3018078f098728774a1f4e.jpg


if 1 mole of sodium carbonate is 5600 kH.. then 3.353 is already 19796 dkH... and 7.07 mole of sodium hydroxide would equal the same amount of carbonate ? that would that be also 19796 dkH right?
 
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Randy Holmes-Farley

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Edit; is the 5300 dkH per 283 sondium hydroxide correct???
607016f08b3018078f098728774a1f4e.jpg


if 1 mole of sodium carbonate is 5600 kH.. then 3.353 is already 19796 dkH... and 7.07 mole of sodium hydroxide would equal the same amount of carbonate ? that would that be also 19796 dkH right?

Sorry, I’m not understanding the exact question. I think the recipe in my first post in this thread is correct. The old recipe used more than 1 mole of sodium bicarbonate or sodium carbonate per gallon.
 

Tmmste

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Sorry, I’m not understanding the exact question. I think the recipe in my first post in this thread is correct. The old recipe used more than 1 mole of sodium bicarbonate or sodium carbonate per gallon.
I am referring to this line: "Dissolve 282.8 g of sodium hydroxide (=7.07 moles of sodium hydroxide to match the 3.535 moles of sodium carbonate in alkalinity)" apart from that you say in the begin of this topic that the 283 gr should provide 5300 dkH.

If 1 mole of bicarbonate is 2800 kH and 1 mole of carbonate 5600 kH. then 3.535 x 5600 = 19796 kH right? so 283gr of sodium hydroxide would provide 19796 kH not 5300.. and 1 mole sodium hydroxide = 40gr = 2800 kH. Or am I miscalculating stuff?
 
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Randy Holmes-Farley

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I am referring to this line: "Dissolve 282.8 g of sodium hydroxide (=7.07 moles of sodium hydroxide to match the 3.535 moles of sodium carbonate in alkalinity)" apart from that you say in the begin of this topic that the 283 gr should provide 5300 dkH.

If 1 mole of bicarbonate is 2800 kH and 1 mole of carbonate 5600 kH. then 3.535 x 5600 = 19796 kH right? so 283gr of sodium hydroxide would provide 19796 kH not 5300.. and 1 mole sodium hydroxide = 40gr = 2800 kH. Or am I miscalculating stuff?

dKH must be a quantity of dry compound in a specific volume of liquid. It is not an inherent value of a specific amount of dry solid. In this recipe, it is in a gallon. You are calculating as if it was in a liter.
 

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Can a product like AquaForest Mineral Salt (basically nacl free salt mix) be used in conjunction with the 2/3 part solution to better maintain ionic balances?
 
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Randy Holmes-Farley

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Can a product like AquaForest Mineral Salt (basically nacl free salt mix) be used in conjunction with the 2/3 part solution to better maintain ionic balances?

Not exactly. If you want to use a product like that, you would use only calcium chloride and sodium bicarbonate/carbonate/hydroxide.
 
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Randy Holmes-Farley

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@Randy Holmes-Farley
I don’t have a scale, could I just measure 10 ounces since it’s so close?

When folks use volume to measure ounces, it not applies to water or something with identical density.

I’ve not gone through these additives to find a bulk density (the way to measure a specific mass by volume). It varies by manufacturer, but you can look it up in tables of typical values.
 

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Thanks Randy for all the info, always a great read!
I never thought tossing in lye, ice melt, stump remover, Epsom salts, and baking soda into a reef aquarium with all the expensive fish and corals. Just simply amazing that a delicate Ecosystem tolerates harsh chemicals.
 

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dKH must be a quantity of dry compound in a specific volume of liquid. It is not an inherent value of a specific amount of dry solid. In this recipe, it is in a gallon. You are calculating as if it was in a liter.
Yes this is indeed 1 mole per liter. So the 283 is 283 / 3.78 = 74,76 grams NaOH per liter total volume. That would be 74,76 / 40 = 1,869 mole per liter. 1,869 * 2800 kH = 5233,2 moles of NaOH per liter right??? (I thought it stated 5300 per gallon.. but it is per liter (1900meq/L)). I cannot get to 5300 kH though, unless 1 mole of sodiumcarbonate is not 5600 (per liter) and 1 mole of sodium hydroxide not 2800kH (per liter)..

Could you help me out with the calculations??
 
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