sfsuphysics
Supporting Member
So the other day I needed to restock on Anhydronous Calcium Carbonate, so took a trip to the pool supply store (and since no one in SF has a pool, it was a 45 mile round trip drive... about 1 gallon of gas *sigh*). Anyways, got a 45 pound bucket of it for $67 including tax, fine by me cheaper than any online store and shipping cost me 1 gallon of gas 
I noticed they also sold Soda Ash there too, mind went whirling... soda ash.. sodium carbonate... do I need it... well either way 45 pounds was about the same price. However I still had some arm & hammer at home so, thought I'd research things a bit.
Well first bit of research is cost savings.. 12 pounds of A&H at costco is around $6, doing the straight math, it's WAY cheaper than the Soda ash. However I recall baking it is helpful (although I dont), and I'm not a chemist but I'm curious what exactly is it that affects the alkalinity (in a good way)... Sodium Bicarb, NaHCO3 .. Sodium Carbonate Na2CO3 so I'm guessing it's not the hydrogen. Is it the CO3 that's useful? Or the Sodium? Seems that any way you slice it the A&H is still a much better deal. But it does have me wondering what chemical it is that we use in our tank.
I noticed they also sold Soda Ash there too, mind went whirling... soda ash.. sodium carbonate... do I need it... well either way 45 pounds was about the same price. However I still had some arm & hammer at home so, thought I'd research things a bit.
Well first bit of research is cost savings.. 12 pounds of A&H at costco is around $6, doing the straight math, it's WAY cheaper than the Soda ash. However I recall baking it is helpful (although I dont), and I'm not a chemist but I'm curious what exactly is it that affects the alkalinity (in a good way)... Sodium Bicarb, NaHCO3 .. Sodium Carbonate Na2CO3 so I'm guessing it's not the hydrogen. Is it the CO3 that's useful? Or the Sodium? Seems that any way you slice it the A&H is still a much better deal. But it does have me wondering what chemical it is that we use in our tank.