# Roy’s Dolomite Adventure



## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

*Roy’s Dolomite Adventure*

*6/17/16*
There has been some discussion recently on this forum about the possible benefits of using CaMg(CO3)2 (aka Dolomite) instead of CaSO4, CaCl2, or MgSO4 as a source of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) for the plants in our tanks.

I was very ill for 5 months this last winter. Now I have a 30 gallon tank that I have been unable to get into back into ‘balance’ since my recovery with thriving healthy plants. The plants look anemic, for example the leaves of my java fern ‘Trident’ (Microsorum pteropus ‘Trident’) are light green with a darker center vein, roots of all species are not healthy or growing well, necrosis (dead spots) in leaves have appeared on my java fern ‘Windelov’ (Microsorum pteropus ‘Windelov’), my Blyxa japonica is barely growing, and the Marselea minuta is just sitting there not spreading at all and barely forming roots. I also have watersprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides), Cryptocoryne wendtii ‘Bronze’, and Hygrophila lancea in the tank along with the cuttings/plants five species I am converting over from emersed growth to submerged growth.

For the first 3+ months this year I was dosing the same nutrients and dosage levels as I was before I became ill - but the plants did not respond. My dosing for the tank the last 2+ months has included trying additional doses of phosphate (P), potassium (K), nitrate (NO3), CaCl2, and MgSO4, Typically I would do a week or two of increased dosages watching new growth for improvement but saw little of any.

My typical dosages on a weekly basis (without the aforementioned variations) were:
KNO3 = 3/16 tsp / 3X week
K2SO4 = 1/32 tsp / 3X week
KH2PO4 = 1/32 tsp / 3X week
Equilibrium = 1-1/2 tsp / 1X week
CaCl2 = 3/16 tsp / 3X week
MgSO4 = 3/16 tsp / 3X week
Glutaraldehyde (Excel strength) 1 “Initial” & 3 “Daily” doses per week
Liquid Iron = 3ml / 1X week (provides about 0.2ppm iron)
CSM+B = 1/32 tsp / 3X week

My dosages of Ca and Mg above may seem high to some folks but our water where I live Seattle area / Seattle municipal water is very, very soft with typical readings (after sitting 24 hours) of:
PH = 7.0
dKH = < 1.0
dGH = < 2.0
Ca = 7.7 ppm
Mg = 0.9 ppm
no detectable levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and 0.02ppm potassium

My tank parameters as of last week (6/10/16) were:
PH = 6.4
dKH = 3.0
dGH = 4.0
NO3 = 30ppm
Temperature = 75 degrees
CO2 level = not checked or changed lately; will provide info later – probably about 15ppm
Substrate = calcined clay; Soilmaster Select Grey (discontinued)
Water Changes = Weekly approximately 40%

Lighting: Previously I used a DIY AH Supply 2X39 watt kit with MIRO4 reflector that provided [email protected] at the substrate level with new lamps and [email protected] with one year old lamps. Three weeks ago it was time to change the lamps again and I decided to go with the 36” / 46 watt Fluval Fresh & Plant 2.0 which provides me with [email protected] at the substrate level. I have always run a split photoperiod: 08:00 – 10:00 and 18:30 – 21:00 for a total photoperiod of 5.5 hours.

Here is what the tank looked like a couple of years ago.









And this is what it looks like today including some detail shots of plants with issues.





































The experiment (aka adventure):

I am going to use my regular dosing of Macro and Micro nutrients outlined above with the exception of substituting KAL Dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) ($6.89 including tax for 1 lb) for the Equilibrium, CaSO4, CaCl2, and MgSO4 that I have dosed in the past. Since excess calcium (Ca) can inhibit the uptake of magnesium (Mg) and excess magnesium can induce a deficiency of calcium I will try to use doses of Dolomite that approximate the ppms of Ca and Mg I have used in the past. In addition I will monitor the PH, dKH, and dGH of the tank (after water changes; before dosing dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) on a weekly basis.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

This should be interesting! I will certainly be watching.


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Is this tank covered? I've heard those plants could be growing 4 inches a day soon! They might start going up the walls by the end of the week!>>

But in all seriousness, looking forward to seeing your updates. Also have to wonder if going from T5HO to LED is an issue as well?


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hoppy said:


> This should be interesting! I will certainly be watching.


Hi @Hoppy,

Thank you, I thought it would be an interesting experiment and I don't really have anything to lose since the tank has frustrated me for several months. If this doesn't work, or it doesn't work well enough, then I will so a complete breakdown and start up a new 'scape.

I will be posting my findings after the first week either today or tomorrow.

Bump:


Greggz said:


> Is this tank covered? I've heard those plants could be growing 4 inches a day soon! They might start going up the walls by the end of the week!>>
> 
> But in all seriousness, looking forward to seeing your updates. Also have to wonder if going from T5HO to LED is an issue as well?


Hi @Greggz,

lol, I do have a Versa-Top on this tank so I should be able to sleep soundly.....don't want a _Little Shop of Horrors_!!

My 2X39watt florescent (when the bulbs are new) provides slightly more PAR ([email protected]) than the Fluval F&P 2.0 ([email protected]) but at 9 months the florescent lamps put out [email protected] so I would say the LED fixture pretty much splits the difference.


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## gbb0330 (Nov 21, 2015)

Just subscribed to this thread. I am about to order KAL Dolomite powder.
Do you just dump it in the tank?


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi @gbb0330,

I dose the dolomite directly into the aquarium, it clouds the water for several hours.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

When the water clears after dosing powdered dolomite how do you know if it dissolved or just settled out or was filtered out? I would expect that very little would actually dissolve that quickly, so I would expect it to settle or be filtered out, where it would then continue to very slowly dissolve.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

My you have a very regiment fert schedule. The time were ill probably made the plants feel like someone whom is anemic. For they were fed rich food and then just barely enough.

Can't wait to see the results of the dolomite.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hoppy said:


> When the water clears after dosing powdered dolomite how do you know if it dissolved or just settled out or was filtered out? I would expect that very little would actually dissolve that quickly, so I would expect it to settle or be filtered out, where it would then continue to very slowly dissolve.


Hi @Hoppy,

A good question. I guess I believe it is dissolved verses having 'settled out' is the fact that the small pile of dolomite on the substrate has disappeared. A lot of the 'cloudy' water does settle out onto the plant leaves, but that disappears within hours as well. 

I could purchase a Mg or Ca test kit to see if the Mg and Ca are higher after dosing but that is not the purpose of this experiment, the purpose is to see if there are benefits of dosing dolomite verses CaCl2, MgSO4, and Seachem Equilibrium.

Hi @Hilde,

I did lose several species both in my tanks and in my emersed plant bank.

Hi All,

Sorry I am a little late getting this update done. This update is one week after starting the dosing of dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) instead of Equilibrium, CaCl2, and MgSO4 that I was dosing. I have continued to dose my macro and micro ferts as before. 

Overall I see little if any change either for the better or for the worse. I certainly I have not seen astounding growth or plants growing out of the tank with the possible exception of the Myriophyllum mattogrossense stem trimmings that I am converting from emersed to submerged growth......but I wasn't expecting much change after a week. I continue to monitor for the new growth and for improvement in the new and existing leaves. The otos have done a good job starting to clean up the diatoms on the leaves of some of the plants but that is about it. The PH has remained at 6.4. Here is a couple of pictures I took after a week of using dolomite.

Tank overall









'Trident' thicket with Hygrophila lancea in the background









Marsilea minuta


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## Joshism (Nov 26, 2015)

*Dolomite: The real miracle gro.*

I dumped some dolomite in my 150 gallon, my algae bloom immediately disappeared, and my dwarf hair grass immediately grew 5 inches. Here's the pictures to prove it. It's a miracle.









I'm just joking guys. But seriously, I just added some Dolomite powder, too. We'll see how it turns out. No one seems to have a definite amount, so I just randomly poured some to lightly cover my substrate. I'm hitchhiking on this thread to see how it turns out, too.


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## PortalMasteryRy (Oct 16, 2012)

I got my powder today and I'm going to check out the dose using a 5 gallon bucket with distilled water. I'll wait for 5 days and run a small powerhead to keep mixing the water and we'll see what shows up in the water chemistry.


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## gbb0330 (Nov 21, 2015)

what effect do you think dolomite dosing is going to have on snails and shrimp?


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## sharkbunnie (Oct 22, 2015)

Subscribed! I've been following all this dolomite stuff as best I can. Very interested in your results. Thanks for starting the thread.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

gbb0330 said:


> what effect do you think dolomite dosing is going to have on snails and shrimp?


If it is the mineral dolomite, and not just a product called "dolomite", it should not have any bad effect on snails, shrimp or fish. A product called "dolomite" could have almost anything in it.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

sharkbunnie said:


> Subscribed! I've been following all this dolomite stuff as best I can. Very interested in your results. Thanks for starting the thread.


Hi @sharkbunnie,

Calcium carbonate, which is one of the two ingredients in dolomite is the material that snail shells is made of; it should help to strengthen the shells. 



Hoppy said:


> If it is the mineral dolomite, and not just a product called "dolomite", it should not have any bad effect on snails, shrimp or fish. A product called "dolomite" could have almost anything in it.


Hi @Hoppy,

Based upon what I am reading and researching on the subject it appears that dolomite does break down and provide Ca, Mg, and HCO3 when broken down by free CO2 (i.e. acidic environments). That's sort of what this adventure is about.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi All,

Another week as come and gone and the adventure continues. What, if anything is happening?

To be truthful I am not sure. I have a sudden explosion of runners coming from my Helantum (previously Echinodorus) angustifolia 'Vesuvius'; there also seem to be new leaves showing up in this species. The emersed stems of Myriophyllum mattogrossense have also grown substantially and I had to thin the Ceratopteris thalictroides (watersprite) (but it's Myrio and watersprite what would you expect?). The Hygrophila lancea has grown to the top of the tank. I do not see any significant changes in either of my Microsorum pteropus (java fern) variants ('Trident & 'Windelov') nor the Marsilea minuta. The java fern leaves still seem to be a lighter green than I have seen in the past and no major new growth of new leaves on the rhizomes. The PH is 6.4, the dKH = 2.0, and the dGH is 3.0.

Full tank view









Helantum (previously Echinodorus) angustifolia 'Vesuvius' w/ lots of runners









Myriophyllum mattogrossense is taking off...but it is Myrio









Just like the java fern the Marsilea minuta is not seeming to respond


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## PortalMasteryRy (Oct 16, 2012)

The Marsilea minuta does not stop growing when you get it going. Have you tried to pull the plants at the very edge of the cluster to expose the rhizome. This will give you an idea if the plant is growing by visually checking if new growth is coming out at the very edge of the cluster. The plant usually tries to grow towards the substrate so exposing the rhizome is never a problem. 

Try pulling a couple out like 1-1.5 inches above the substrate.

FYI The Dolomite takes forever to dissolve. I think it may take a total of 1.5 weeks for it to completely be dissolved.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

PortalMasteryRy said:


> The Marsilea minuta does not stop growing when you get it going. Have you tried to pull the plants at the very edge of the cluster to expose the rhizome. This will give you an idea if the plant is growing by visually checking if new growth is coming out at the very edge of the cluster. The plant usually tries to grow towards the substrate so exposing the rhizome is never a problem.
> 
> Try pulling a couple out like 1-1.5 inches above the substrate.
> 
> FYI The Dolomite takes forever to dissolve. I think it may take a total of 1.5 weeks for it to completely be dissolved.


Hi PortaMasteryRy,

I agree that once started Marsilea minuta seems to just keep going. I grew it successfully in this tank for several years. Here is the tank 5 years ago.








That is why I am doing this experiment, to see if substituting dolomite powder for CaSO4 and MgSO4 will help revive some of the species that I cannot get to respond as they have in the past. I would try to lift the rhizomes but I have 2 SAE that are about 4" long and 6 Corydoras sterbai that will root out anything they possibly can.

Actually the Kal Dolomite Power dissolves fairly quickly. I seldom see any residue after 12 hours. For those who don't believe that dolomite dissolves in water:


> Because dolomite can be dissolved by slightly acidic water, areas of dolomite are important as aquifers and contribute to karst terrain formation.


I am into my four week of dosing Dolomite and I plan to continue for about 4 more weeks. If there is no response by the end of July I will completely break down the tank and start anew. This tank has been set-up since December, 2009 without being torn down and re-done.


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## Clinton Parsons (Apr 11, 2016)

I do not understand something. Wouldn't it be stressful for your fish/shrimp if you changed water then added the dolomite directly into the tank? Would that entire process drop the GH/KH and then have it rise slowly over 12 hours? Isn't that the point of using products like equilibrium/gh/kh booster so that they will dissolve very quickly in the new water before we add it to the tank?


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Clinton Parsons said:


> I do not understand something. Wouldn't it be stressful for your fish/shrimp if you changed water then added the dolomite directly into the tank? Would that entire process drop the GH/KH and then have it rise slowly over 12 hours? Isn't that the point of using products like equilibrium/gh/kh booster so that they will dissolve very quickly in the new water before we add it to the tank?


Hi Clinton Parsons,

Good questions. I do not keep shrimp although I have in the past and I find them to be more sensitive to water changes than most fish species. Within reason I find fish are remarkably tolerate of changing water conditions. I suspect because the rivers and streams that they live in can have their water conditions change rapidly during downpours or during the onset of rainy seasons.

I have not lost a fish when adding baking soda (dKH) and Equlibrium or DIY GH Booster (dGH) directly into my tanks after water changes although I typically will not change the dKH or dGH more than 2.0 degrees at a time. That said I always watch my fish for signs of distress during water changes or when changing the water parameters.


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## GrampsGrunge (Jun 18, 2012)

Subscribed: Not yet purchased the Dolomite pending your experiences, I seem to be doing OK with a just a small amount of crushed oyster shell as a buffer. At least my Sword plants, Water Sprite and Ludwigia are doing well but I'd also started a DIY CO2 system 3 weeks ago.


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## TaylorTurner (Mar 15, 2016)

Roy, 

How is the experiment coming along?


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi All and @TaylorTurner,

Sorry for the delay on this post....the adventure continues. Last Friday (7/8/16) marked three (3) weeks since I stated this adventure. What have I noticed in the last week? The Hygrophila lancea, Ceratopteris thalictroides (watersprite), and Myriophyllum mattogrossense continue to grow well and the Helantum (previously Echinodorus) angustifolia 'Vesuvius' continues to throw off runners. I did notice this last week that the Microsorum pteropus (java fern) 'Windelov' has a flush of new leaves hiding under the older ugly leaves and the microsorum pteropus 'Trident' seems much thicker than before. I will likely have to thin the 'Trident' and the H. lancea this week along with removing some of the runners of the Helantum (previously Echinodorus) angustifolia 'Vesuvius'. There has been little if any change in Marsilea minuta and the Blyxa japonica.

Here are some pictures I took last Friday before doing the weekly water change.

The tank overall on 7/8/16; note the M.mattogrossense continues to go crazy....but not inches overnight.









The 'Trident' thicket is expanding; the H. lancea needs a haircut









The watersprite, 'Windelov', and Myriophyllum









Lots of runners coming off of the Helantum (previously Echinodorus) angustifolia 'Vesuvius'...they will get trimmed as well; not much happening with the Blyxa japonica









The Marsilea minuta just sits there









The 'Windelov' thicket old leaf @ arrow left and new leaves @ arrow right


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## TaylorTurner (Mar 15, 2016)

Thanks for the update! I am curious to see how the dolomite ends up working out for you. We have very similar water out of the tap and I have done nothing to mineralize it thus far. I wonder about problems I may encounter down the road.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi All,

Weekly update time! Yesterday I did a major re-work of the tank because it was becoming overgrown and difficult to document. Pictures of before and after included with this post. I also changed dosing for iron (EDTA) from 0.13ppm to 0.40ppm because of the 'washed out' green coloration of the leaves of my two java fern species in particular as well as the Myriophyllum mattogrossense. In addition I increased my dosing of CaMg(CO3)2 from 3/16 teaspoon 3X per week to 1/2 teaspoon 3X week to increase my dosing to 6.22ppm Ca and 3.77ppm Mg for the same reason as the increased iron. Prior to dosing the tank was PH=6.8.

For the re-work I removed most of the old leaves on the 'Windelov'; removed most of the 'Trident' (see picture of what was removed) and re-populated the driftwood with mostly bare rhizomes. The Hygrophila lancea was removed from behind the thicket of 'Trident' and the Myriophyllum mattogrossense was trimmed and moved there instead. All of the runners were removed from the Helantum (previously Echinodorus) angustifolia 'Vesuvius'. The watersprite was thinned to about 1/2 its original size as was the patch of Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Bronze'.

My observations of last week were correct, there was a flush of new leaves under the old leaves of the 'Windelov' that can now be seen much better. There was a 'surprise' when I removed the thicket of 'Trident'.....one of the emersed grown Hygrophila pinnatifida cuttings has apparently adapted to the submerged environment and is taking off! The Blyxa and Marsilea continue to just sit there with minimal changes. I will continue this experiment for a few more weeks then I likely to break down the tank and give it a thorough cleaning and re-set.

Before re-work









After re-work









'Trident' thicket before re-work









Amount of 'Trident' removed (20"+ of rhizomes)









'Trident' thicket after re-attaching rhizomes









'Windelov' after removal of old leaves









Emersed grown Hygrophila pinnatifida cutting taking off!









Yes, the Marsilea minuta is still just sitting there


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## burr740 (Feb 19, 2014)

Seattle_Aquarist said:


> I also changed dosing for iron (EDTA) from 1.3ppm to 4.0ppm


This seems like an extremely high amount, even the 1.3. Why so much?


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi burr740,

I made a typo it should read 0.13ppm to 0.40ppm, thank you for spotting it. I corrected the post.


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## GrampsGrunge (Jun 18, 2012)

Bump!

Any updates on the tank?


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## Maryland Guppy (Dec 6, 2014)

I'm in for an update too.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi All,

I discontinued the dolomite 'adventure' last Friday, July 30th. Why? The primary reason is the last couple of weeks my PH had been steadily creeping up and it reached [email protected] and that concluded the experiment. What were the finding? I would like to tell you conclusively that it did or did not work but I cannot. Some plants seemed to do better, specifically the Microsorum pteropus 'Trident', Helanthium angustifolius 'Vesuvius', and the Myriophyllum aquaticum and to a lesser degree the Microsorum pteropus Windelov'. What did not noticeably respond was the Marsilea minuta, the Crytocoryne wendtii 'Bronze' and the Blyxya japonica. 

So a week ago yesterday I did removed some watersprite plants and added some Persicaria sp. 'Kawagoeanum' cutting from another tank, trimmed the tops off of the Myriophyllum aquaticum and planted them next to the original stems, and added some Ludwigia repens X arcuata. Interesting to note that as I was doing the plant removing, moving, and planting I found a definite layer of white material about 1/2" below the surface of the substrate which I assume was undissolved dolomite. Pictures of the tank as of the end of the adventure are below.

What else can I add? Well this experiment required me to sit in front of my tank at least once a week and actually look and and study my plants. As a consequence of my studys I noticed some deficiency symptoms that resulted me re-evaluating my EI dosing levels, one thing I found I was dosing only about 1/3 of the suggested level of CSM+B for my tank. I also re-installed my drop checker and found my CO2 level was only about 10ppm; I have since re-adjusted the level to 25ppm.

Also this experiment caused me to reflect on what I was changing. No only was I substituting dolomite [CaMg(CO3)2] for calcium sulfate (CaSO4) and magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) but by not dosing my GH Booster (I do a DIY booster) I was also cutting back substantially on the amount of potassium sulfate (K2SO4) going into my tanks, one of the key macro nutrients. I may have seem better results if I had calculated the amount of potassium I was no longer dosing with my GH Booster and added additional K2SO4 to compensate. Also with the change to dolomite I was no longer dosing as much sulfur which could have been a problem as well.

Anyway, here are the pictures. If anyone has any questions I will be glad to provide whatever details I can. -Roy

Overall









Re-attached 'Trident' thicket









Marsilea minuta....just sitting there!









Photo taken 8/5/16 one week after returning to MgSO4, CaSO4, K2SO4


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## Maryland Guppy (Dec 6, 2014)

Poop Happens! :laugh2:


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## dukydaf (Dec 27, 2004)

Seattle_Aquarist said:


> What were the finding? I would like to tell you conclusively that it did or did not work but I cannot.
> Also this experiment caused me to reflect on what I was changing. No only was I substituting dolomite [CaMg(CO3)2] for calcium sulfate (CaSO4) and magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) but by not dosing my GH Booster (I do a DIY booster) I was also cutting back substantially on the amount of potassium sulfate (K2SO4) going into my tanks, one of the key macro nutrients. I may have seem better results if I had calculated the amount of potassium I was no longer dosing with my GH Booster and added additional K2SO4 to compensate. Also with the change to dolomite I was no longer dosing as much sulfur which could have been a problem as well.


 Roy, I wanted to thank you for running this setup with dolomite and openly documenting your observations independent of the outcome, unlike others who claim to have discovered the answer to all life on the planet yet do not produce even a single whole tank photo. The critical thinking of the results and reluctance to draw an ultimate conclusion is also a nice change to this forum. Overall, I think many members here, myself included, have something to learn from this thread no matter the result of dolomite addition. Here’s some of what I learned:

First, make all results available not just the significant or good ones. Others can learn from your mistakes. Being public about things keeps you honest and does not allow you to cherry pick a few stems or leaves that show the problems you want.

Second most important thing, this thread shows why experiments with aquariums need a control. Plants grew over time. Good. But are they growing more or less with dolomite addition then they would if you wouldn’t have added any ? Nobody can say. So many things changed from the non-experimental setting. All we can say is so much dolomite for so much time allows plants to grow. 

Third, it is hard to deal with confounders when you make observations on non controlled aquariums. Removal of plants, addition of others, uprooting some, changing the micro regiment etc… all of these may alter what we see in our observation of plants and then eager to see any results of our experiment we blame our intervention for any result. Lack of the normal high ppm addition of S and K with the normal DIY GH Booster method is another confounder that would be hard to remove as rightly pointed out.

Fourth, make sure photos documenting your results are also taken under controlled conditions, same light, same camera settings, same WB, same angle. 
Fifth, during your intervention you will look more at your aquarium waiting for results. You will see a lot more details and some errors. Abstain from tweaking with all things at once.

Lastly, about dolomite… just a rant. It was fun to see how again some guy/gal who wanted to change the world came down from his throne to us the ignorant, unsuccessful, problematic plant keepers who fail at any step. Through meditation about the surrounding harmony of natural organic chemistry-free leaves he was able to determine that the addition of dolomite was a real bonus for his aquarium which needs a machete at trimming time and without offering any plausible coherent explanation put it out there. Your documentation does 100x more than his puffy thoughts. Chemistry does not lie. Manage to dissolve all those chemicals called dolomite and you end up with increased carbonates, increased Mg and Ca. Carbonates act as a buffer increasing your pH and KH too much. Soo many people use RO to remove/reduce KH… why add so much back with dolomite ? Just because the transitional state is more harmonious with atoms being ‘polarized’ the right way ? Ca:Mg ratios are all over the place, if you are a ratio type of guy. Don’t get me wrong, dolomite is great to increase Ca, Mg, CO3. Maybe good enough for a middle of the week, weak GH boost. Would also be good if you wanted to experiment with reduced levels of S and see what happens when you reduce a macronutrient. Remineralize your water only with dolomite and achieve optimal parameters…hard and not recommended.

So again, thank you for your time and effort. I wish more members would do things like this. The cause is in the recipe and preparation. The proof is in the pudding.


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## GrampsGrunge (Jun 18, 2012)

Thanks again Roy, not much I can add that Duckydaf hasn't already said.


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## Nordic (Nov 11, 2003)

That post reminded me of this


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi All,

The is likely the final update to this thread. It's been two weeks since I stopped using dolomite and went back to dosing GH Booster. However I did not go back to the DIY Tom Barr/aquarumfertilzer.com formula that I have been using in the past but altered it to reduce the ppms of K (both the Tom Barr/aquarumfertilzer.com formula and the Seachem Equilibrium formula seem to add excessive K). I also upped my dosing of EDTA chelated iron to combat some chlorosis in young leaves which also the reason I reduced the amount if K2SO4 in my DIY GH Booster...who knew potassium (K) excess could inhibit the uptake of iron? I also increased my KH2PO4 (slightly) to try to improve root growth. I adjusted my CO2 level from 20ppm to 30ppm.

How is it going? Root growth of the java ferns (Microsorum pterous 'Trident' and 'Windelov') with new leaves appearing in both species but the 'Windelov' especially. The Marsilea minuta that is now sending out new leaves and runners. The Ludwigia glandulosa has been putting out new leaves without deformities and with good color. A small Tri-Colored Lily (Nymphaea micrantha) that had been languishing in the tank throughout the entire experiment has begun put out four new leaves. The Myriophyllum continued to grow well. Oh yes, the Blyxa japonica is still just sort of sitting there(lol)! I added some Ludwigia repens x arcuata and some Persicaria sp. 'Kawagoeanum' and both are doing well. 

Is it the increased CO2, extra iron, the increased availability of Ca and Mg, or the adjustment in potassium that I am dosing that is making the difference? Who knows but I suspect it is a combination of the four. Here are some pics of the tank as of last night.

Note the new leaves showing up on the Marsilea minuta









Some new leaves are showing up on the 'Trident'









You can't really see the increased root growth on the 'Windelov' but the news leaves look good; Persicaria sp. 'Kawagoeanum' in the background









Here is the Tri-Colored Lily (Nymphaea micrantha) with all the new leaves and the new growth on the Ludwigia glandulosa


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## happi (Dec 18, 2009)

far as i remember excess potassium can prevent the uptake of Mg and this will result in pale leaves, people will think they are not adding enough Iron.


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## gbb0330 (Nov 21, 2015)

posting to confirm that i ended up with similar results. my ph increased from 7.5 to 8.5 after 2 doses of 1/4 tsp. i have a 40 gal tank.

some of my plants do seem to be doing better.


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## Savetheplants (May 24, 2016)

I get the gist of Dolomite now. It sounded like such a panacea before. Now it's just a middle of the week GH/KH booster. That's interesting, but unnecessary if your tap water is hard enough. The solubility and pH increase make Dolomite hard to work with.

Ah, but part of me still wants to believe. I mean couldn't you mix 40 mg/l Dolomite in soft Seattle or Boston water just to get the mix started. Then you could add all your Sulfate and Chloride compounds but end up with less Sulfate and Chloride because you started with Dolomite. That sounds great, right?


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## PortalMasteryRy (Oct 16, 2012)

happi said:


> far as i remember excess potassium can prevent the uptake of Mg and this will result in pale leaves, people will think they are not adding enough Iron.


What is the so called "excess"? Is it a value or a ratio compared to other nutrients? 

I have run with different levels of potassium in my tanks. I know close to 100 ppm K will cause some problems to show up but I have run with 20,40 and 60 ppm ranges without any problematic issues. I'm more worried about the sulfate levels since my K source is K2SO4 and the sulfate levels tend to hit 100+ SO4 ppm prior to potassium hitting 100+ K PPM.


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