# Dolomite: the time it need to react with water



## EDGE (Feb 28, 2004)

How long does it usually take for dolomite to dissolve in water to the point where it is readable with a gH testkit?

I am dosing 1-2 teaspoon of dolomite with every water change, but I am not getting a reading from it. 

It is a brandnew AP testkit.


----------



## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

Measurable calcium should get into the water in just a day or two. If you are adding CO2, ,The lowered pH will dissolve the limestone more rapidly. It also depends on how finely ground the limestone is. I have one tank where I get the CO2 up to around 50 ppm, and old snail shells dissolve in just a few weeks there.


----------



## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

If you add dolomite, get finely ground dolomite.

It takes a while, some put it in their filter baskets or in the CO2 reactor or outflow.

It does not dissolve fast.

Regards,
Tom Barr


----------



## EDGE (Feb 28, 2004)

I am thinking that the dolomite could be causing the huge imbalance in nutrient uptake.

I am using a really fine powder dolomite (5x% Ca 2x% Mg ratio). Water become cloudy for the first 12 hour after dosage.

The nutrients in the water are: 5 ppm of NO3 and at least 0.6 ppm of PO4 (all base on dosage)
5 ml of flourish/plantex is added after each waterchange. (read quote for explanation on low dosage)

Below is the post from a different forum (minor editing to new water test result)



> I am having a huge problem with bba ever since I replaced the tank.
> 
> I cannot figure out what nutrients I am low on in the tank.
> 
> ...


----------



## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

Well I can tell you the CO2 is most likely your problem. 
While you say your pH is 6.7-6.8, KH 4, this is subjected to some error.
Try to keep the pH lower, 6.6 range and try and keep it there for the entire day. Take a long hard look at your CO2, not just once, but in am and the pm times in light cycle. 

I bet it's not what you think it is.

Also, I do not trust cheap NO3 kits. 
Try water changes and re setting the NO3, PO4 each week, then you at least know the ranges without dealing with that issue.

Water changes prevent build up, dosing 2-3x a week prevents anything from running.

I think you are likely low on both CO2 and NO3. 

Ca/Mg etc is not going to cause much issue unless you simply don't have enough. MgSO4 is cheap, CaCl2 is cheap also, these both dissolve fast.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


----------



## EDGE (Feb 28, 2004)

This is a discus tank with heavy feeding and a 60%+ water change every few days. 


I am running the co2 through a controller. The probe had been calibrated on the 29th. 

The pH is fairly constant at 6.7-6.8 throughout the day/night cycle

Sera is the better kit I could find within the city. The LFS's AP testkit registered 0 on Friday. 

I have lower the co2 shutoff to 6.65. 

If it was low on co2, will the plants pearl a lot throughout tomorrow?

Thanks for your help Tom


----------



## Anthon (Feb 26, 2004)

EDGE said:


> I am having a huge problem with bba ever since I replaced the tank.
> 
> PO4 is at 0.6+ (based on dosage)
> 
> When I dose po4 to bring it up to 0.3x ppm, the black brush algae grows even faster.


In my personnal experience I saw that BBA simply love high NO3O4 ratio but hate low ratio.

If you decrease PO4 you increase ratio. Instead I think you should try to increase PO4 (you can also decrease NO3 and keep PO4 at this level).

Anthony


----------



## EDGE (Feb 28, 2004)

For the first time, the ludwigia sp 'cuba' new growth is yellow. I am guessing the tank is low in Fe now. 

I added 5 ppm of no3 and .4 ppm of po4 today in addition to the 2.4 ppm no3 and .2 ppm of po4 from yesturday. 

I will also increase the micro dosage as well. the plants arent pearling that well still.


----------



## EDGE (Feb 28, 2004)

I am now having a problem with stunt growth and dead shoot tips.

The dolomite does not seem to raise the kH in the tank. I add 1 teaspoon of dolomite and 2 teaspoon of baking soda at each waterchange. The kH would register 4 kH within 1/2 hour from baking soda. When I check 2 days later, the kH is still the same. dolomite doesn't seem to be raising the kH at all.

I am wondering if the dead shoot tip is cause by exccess Na because of the high(?) amount of baking soda I am using.


----------

