# MTS where to find Potash, Red Clay and Dolomite?



## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Our local Lowes sells the potash and dolomite in the garden section. It's like in 20 pound bags minimum. Do you have any local nurseries? Sometimes they'll sell it to you by small amounts. Red clay you can find at a craft store like Michael's.


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## elliebellie (Jan 28, 2011)

I don't know about the Potash since I am just starting the MTS myself, but I would try your local healthfood stores for the Dolomite, mine didn't have in the store at the time but they ordered it for me, it comes in it's pure powdered form, and I got a 16oz bottle for $5-something.

As for the red clay, I am a potter and it's one of my favorites, you can order it from Dick Blick: http://www.dickblick.com/products/blick-red-earthenware-clay/ The keyword to use when searching for clay is "earthenware" so you don't get polymer clays instead.

Buff or gray clay would also work just as well.

Ella~


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## nalu86 (Oct 19, 2010)

I 'm going to check at pike Nursery , Michaels , Home Dep and Lowes for it. 

And keep reading on it, I just can't stop reading about it 
Thx


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## nalu86 (Oct 19, 2010)

nalu86 said:


> I 'm going to check at pike Nursery , Michaels , Home Dep and Lowes for it.
> 
> And keep reading on it, I just can't stop reading about it
> Thx


Only found the clay at michaels...

They told me about potash, that they can't sell it anymore in GA becouse of people use it for making explosives and drugs or so...

Couldn't even find dolomite at Pike... Nor Black sand anywhere...

Just ordered some Potasium chloride online.. .$8.50 for a pound...
Also I guess I'm have to use crunched corals for the dolomite.

Disappointed...


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## Franco (Jun 13, 2010)

When you get potassium chloride, what does it look like? The NuSalt salt substitute is potassium chloride but it just looks like table salt. Would this have an affect on the longevity of the potassium?


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## Indeed (Jan 28, 2011)

its supposed to look like regular salt (as its a salt substitute) but it has no sodium in it. i think it would work the same but am not sure. i think it would dissolve quicker but if it was really deep in the substrate it might work. you can always make an experiment out of it.


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## heydude819 (Mar 17, 2009)

I have spare potash, dolomite, and clay (terra cotta) if you need any. PM me if you're (or anyone reading this) interested.


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## takadi (Dec 13, 2010)

Is it really necessary to use any of these ingredients if you use "topsoil" from your backyard that contains adequate amounts of these ingredients? I know that the majority of foundation dirt (especially on the east coast) is made of heavy clay. Also, is greensand a good substitution for potassium chloride?


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## sdm (Jan 9, 2007)

Any fertilizer dealer should have KCl and dolomitic lime. Not necessarily a farm store but the actual place where fertilizer is blended. It should be pretty cheap too because the amount you need for an aquarium is nothing to the quantities they are dealing with.


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## mrchach (Sep 8, 2010)

sdm said:


> Any fertilizer dealer should have KCl and dolomitic lime. Not necessarily a farm store but the actual place where fertilizer is blended. It should be pretty cheap too because the amount you need for an aquarium is nothing to the quantities they are dealing with.


It is my understanding that we are not supposed to use dolomotic lime by Dolomite not derived from limestone. you can get regular dolomite by the lb from http://aquariumfertilizer.com/


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## sdm (Jan 9, 2007)

mrchach said:


> It is my understanding that we are not supposed to use dolomotic lime by Dolomite not derived from limestone. you can get regular dolomite by the lb from http://aquariumfertilizer.com/


Yeah, that's probably true...unless it's rift lake tank I guess. I see "dolomitic lime" so often for work that I didn't notice the distinction (a pretty important one at that).


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## moonshinetheslacker (Sep 13, 2010)

If you're interested, I just put some MTS in my tank today, and I'll let you know how the fish and plants fare. Instead of clay, I let steel wool sit in a tupperware full of water for a week (for the iron) Instead of drying, wetting, drying, etc. of the topsoil, I boiled it for 15 minutes (got this info from Tom Barr) it mineralizes the topsoil, just uses heat instead of bacteria. I used nosalt instead of potash, and I used some "pure calcium" reptile sand, which I've heard is bad for reptiles, but I'm not using it for the intended purpose.

Thus far, fish are all still acting normal, 12 hours later... I'll give an update in a few days.


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## moonshinetheslacker (Sep 13, 2010)

Been a couple days so far, and everything is clearing up nicely. Had an ammonia spike, and a nitrite spike, but I hear that's pretty common with swapping out substrate. I accidentally dumped some water that I meant to put back in the tank, for the bacteria... whoops. But all my fish are still alive and doing surprisingly well, considering the higher than normal amounts of ammonia and nitrite. Since it's only been a couple of days, I can't really comment on the plants as of yet. They still just look like plants, lol.


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## nalu86 (Oct 19, 2010)

moonshinetheslacker said:


> Been a couple days so far, and everything is clearing up nicely. Had an ammonia spike, and a nitrite spike, but I hear that's pretty common with swapping out substrate. I accidentally dumped some water that I meant to put back in the tank, for the bacteria... whoops. But all my fish are still alive and doing surprisingly well, considering the higher than normal amounts of ammonia and nitrite. Since it's only been a couple of days, I can't really comment on the plants as of yet. They still just look like plants, lol.


If you have Ammonia and nitrite spikes with fish in ur tank, I would do water changes until the spikes are gone! The Ammonia will burn ur fish gills and nitrites are also bad for the fish!
I just started my 75 gal yesterday with mts and I will resead my filter with a mussel untill everything is 0. Then I put my fish back in.

Do water changes until the ammonia and nitrite spike is gone to 0! Your fish are stressed and will probably die !(depends on kind of fish)


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## moonshinetheslacker (Sep 13, 2010)

I've been doing 30 - 50% water changes daily. Guess I should have thrown that in there. This evening the nitrite is down to zero, and the ammonia is barely registering. It'll probably be zero by tomorrow evening.


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