# Alternative for dolomite for MTS?



## scotty b (Oct 23, 2012)

ive herd of people using bonemeal or azomite if you can find ether as for the clay special kitty natural clay litter at wallmart is verry good


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## Dan's85 (Mar 18, 2013)

Thanks. How about using cuttlebone?


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## scotty b (Oct 23, 2012)

im not sure of the composition of cuttle bone but if you powdered it i think it would work


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## Dan's85 (Mar 18, 2013)

Thanks what I'm thinking. Anyone else have any opinions?


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## lochaber (Jan 23, 2012)

Dolomite is a magnesium/calcium carbonate - it's also slower to dissolve then most carbonates (it typically won't fizz via the acid test very easily)

(CaMg)(CO3)2

Cuttlefish bone is just calcium carbonate - CaCO3, basically the same stuff as most limestone, crushed coral, oyster shell, etc.

The main mineral component of bone meal should be apatite - Ca5(PO4)3OH, although there is going to be quite a bit of other organic stuff in the bone meal as well.

If you can't get dolomite, I'd try for some form of calcium carbonate - shells, coral, cuttlefish bones, marble, etc. I believe part of the reason to use dolomite is to give some buffering to the lower substrate levels, and prevent them from going too acidic, as well as supplying Magnesium and Calcium cations for plants to use.

I don't really know anything about azomite, and the wikipedia entry looks a bit unreliable, so I don't really have anything to add as to that.

I'm not sure the apatite in bone meal would work very well for this, and I think the additional organic components might cause some problems.


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## Dan's85 (Mar 18, 2013)

Thanks for the reply! I'm going to look a little harder this weekend for some dolomite, but I think I'll have to go with one of the calcium carbonate substitutes.


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## Kareen (Apr 6, 2013)

*Dolomite*

Hi There Go to www.pawtasticpet.com Tay have the Dolomite go to Gravel look for Estes Ultra Reef Dolomite. good luck


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## Dan's85 (Mar 18, 2013)

Kareen said:


> Hi There Go to www.pawtasticpet.com Tay have the Dolomite go to Gravel look for Estes Ultra Reef Dolomite. good luck



Not a bad price for the dolomite, but the shipping is $48!!!


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## Ozymandius (Jan 13, 2013)

Thx Lochaber. I don't have any dolomite handy nor a desire to buy a big bag when I only need a handful or two. However, I do have massive amounts of crushed marble dust from my sculptor friend. Now I can brag to all my friends that my substrate is imported from Italy. Lol.


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## ckraft (Feb 19, 2013)

A local hardware store sells dolomite in the garden section. You might check at a similar store near you.


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## Dan's85 (Mar 18, 2013)

The dolomite that is found for gardening is dolomite lime. It's dolomite mixed with lime stone, not good for MTS. I bought some aquarium dolomite from a member on another forum.


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## Cool_Citrus (Mar 23, 2009)

I've been wondering this too since I cant find dolomite unless its in like 50kg bags.

Can I substitute with calcium carbonate and magnesium chloride?


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## sg1trogdor (Aug 23, 2013)

a little late but you can just buy dolomite powder from any vitamin store (gnc etc. I got mine from http://www.vitaminlife.com/ only a couple bucks for 16oz. It even gives you a break down of whats in it. no surprises here. :red_mouth

Iron 2 mg 11% 
Magnesium (as Magnesium Carbonate from Dolomite Powder) 630 mg 
Calcium (as Calcium Carbonate from Dolomite Powder) 1100 mg


Just remember that you have to put a fine layer more like a dusting down in the bottom of the tank them build your substrate layers on top of that.


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