Dosing alk and cal

[Myka]

Originally Posted by dino

Both will raise ph but bicarb is much more efficient for alkalinity with less of a ph swing. If this was not the case then every pool would not use bicarb for alk

Bicarb temporarily lowers pH slightly because of the off-gassing of CO2 but then pH will go back up.

Carb doesn't have CO2 so it instantly raises pH slightly.

Neither raise pH as dramatically as Ca hydroxide (limewater aka kalk).

People don't normally dose a big enough dose to see much pH effect using carb or bicarb. On tanks with higher KH demands the use of carb will trend a slightly higher pH.

The pH effect in freshwater is much more dramatic than saltwater.