Soda Ash or Sodium Bicarbonate for KH?

[lastlight]

Originally Posted by Reefer Rob

No, it was high density soda ash. The baked stuff is likely much more gentle.

No I meant your baking soda... don't most people bake theirs?

I actually thought baking the baking soda turned it INTO sodium carbonate (soda ash)?

[paddyob]

Originally Posted by lastlight

No I meant your baking soda... don't most people bake theirs?

I actually thought baking the baking soda turned it INTO sodium carbonate (soda ash)?

+1. That's what I thought too.

[reefermadness]

baked baking soda = soda ash = sodium carbonate
plain baking soda = sodium bicarbonate

[lastlight]

Then by buying the BRS soda ash all I'm doing is saving myself a step (baking it... according to RHF anyways). His instructions also include the baking of the baking soda (which means he's using soda ash).

[Reefer Rob]

Originally Posted by lastlight

Then by buying the BRS soda ash all I'm doing is saving myself a step (baking it... according to RHF anyways). His instructions also include the baking of the baking soda (which means he's using soda ash).

Exactly. You might want to cut it with baking soda if you find you get a snow storm when you dose. I found it precipitated out a lot of calcium carbonate when I dosed it pure, almost doubling my calcium chloride consumption.

[lastlight]

I've always dosed into my overflow box and it gets mixed up really well actually...

[Reefer Rob]

I dosed onto the waterfall where my fuge emptied into my sump. Coated the sump in calcium carbonate.

[lastlight]

If there is any precip it'd end up in the filter sock and then most likely erode away from there. I have a lot of water going over the 2 foot wide overflow and when I sometimes need to adjust I'll toss 100mL directly in there and it's swished up crystal clear pretty fast.

[wayner]

I have been using Soda Ash (BRS) for over a year now and everything appears fine - its what BRS recommends for daily dosing - I follow Recipe 1

[Reefer Rob]

Originally Posted by lastlight

No I meant your baking soda... don't most people bake theirs?

I actually thought baking the baking soda turned it INTO sodium carbonate (soda ash)?

Yes, that is what it does. I don't think it would be as stong (completely transformed) as high density soda ash, but since I'm way too lazy to bake the baking soda I really don't know.