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Is baking soda good to use in fish aquariums2007-11-24 23:37:13

Baking soda increases carbonate hardness (kH) which raises and buffers pH. I use baking soda all the time in my african cichlid tanks since these particular fish thrive in high kH and high pH conditions.

How much to use depends on the kH and pH of your source water. Try adding 1 tsp per 10gal per day (dissolved in a cup of water) until target kH/pH levels are achieved. (you'll need a test kit).

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I'm rather confused? Alkalinity refers to the buffering capacity of water due to a concentration of hydrogen carbonate ions. Baking soda will increase your KH. There is a term alkaline which is the same thing as saying "basic", or high pH.

In general a high kH in the case you are describing is good. It means that you pH will tend to remain stable, and your fish will have lots of minerals for bones and what not. It's only an issue if you want soft water fish like discus, and angels. It you don't know about you fish check out liveaquaria. They list the KH range for most fish.

Reducing KH is almost always a bad idea. As it will nearly alwat throw you pH out of wack. The best IMHO is distilled water as it has a KH of near 0. Mix it with your tap. Keep in mind pure distilled water is bad as it lacks minerals, and will easily change pH. Also keep in mind that nothing is so bad it justifies a rapid water chemistry change. Rapid changes kill more often than the conditions you are trying to treat.

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Don't use baking soda. Alkalinity is TIED to the pH. pH measures the acidity, while pOH measures the alkalinity, and the scales are only reversed. Baking soda will increase the water hardness, then you have to deal with the water getting hard.

You need a better aquarium test kit that has the chemicals to alter the pH of the water. Use the kit and follow the directions on getting the pH to where you want it. Neutral is 7.0