Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!grc!jeff
From: jeff@grc.UUCP (Jeff Frank)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: raising pH in a marine tank..
Message-ID: <404@grc.UUCP>
Date: 17 Jan 90 16:50:18 GMT
References: <25AED539.16687@paris.ics.uci.edu> <1296@island.uu.net>
Reply-To: jeff@grc.UUCP (Jeff Frank)
Distribution: usa
Organization: GENROCO, Inc., Slinger, WI
Lines: 32

In article <1296@island.uu.net> rich@island.uu.net (Rich Fanning) writes:
>In article <25AED539.16687@paris.ics.uci.edu> rang@paris.ics.uci.edu (Roger Penaranda Jr. Ang) writes:
>>Bicarbonate.  Anyway, the question.  Isn't Sodium Bicarbonate the same
>>as Arm & Hammer baking soda?  Could I use the later for the same
>>purpose?  Explanations would be appreciated.

Is there anything else besides the this main ingredient in either
product?  Purity may be an important factor.

>
>My local aquarium store recommended sodium biphosphate for raising pH
>in fresh water.  (At $1 per ounce, of *course* they did!)
>
>I wonder why sodium bicarbonate could not be used instead.  It would have the
>additional benefit of not supplying phosphates for algae.  Is it that 
>biphosphate is a better buffering agent than bicarbonate?
>

Are you sure sodium biphoshate is what he said?  I think phoshate is
trivalent.  As such I think tri-sodium phosphate is what he actually
proposed.  A one molar solution of this would be 50% better than a one
molar solution of bicarbonate.  So, at the expense of the algae problem
you correctly raise it would be a better pH buffer.

>If bicarbonate would work OK, I wonder if Arm & Hammer has any additives
>which would cause problems.

My guess is that it is quite safe.
-- 
Jeff Frank
GENROCO, Inc.  Slinger, Wis.
{rutgers, lll-winken} !uwm!grc!jeff