Dolomitic Limestone

[Bill Stock]

I had my PH crash and my Nitrates shot up. I think my biological filter got
killed by the low PH, because I'm fairly good about the cleaning. PH was
less than 5.5, KH was 0. Ammonia OK so far.

So I bought some Dolomitic Limestone to stablize my PH and Raise KH. I've
added 1/2 a tsp of baking Soda so far and PH is 6.5. KH is 40. I want to
raise the PH another 1+ before I add the Limestone. But how much do I need
for 55 gallons? I put 2 tablespoons in half a glass of water to test this
stuff and PH is 7.5+. BUT the water is VERY CLOUDY! Should I rinse this
stuff before I add it to the tank? I plan to put in a media bag, not loose.

Guidance appreciated.

[Geezer From The Freezer]

take a litre of your tank water out
and add a fair chunk to it. Then test
how high your PH goes. If it doesn't go over 8.4
don't worry about it, put the lot in.



Bill Stock wrote:
>
> I had my PH crash and my Nitrates shot up. I think my biological filter got
> killed by the low PH, because I'm fairly good about the cleaning. PH was
> less than 5.5, KH was 0. Ammonia OK so far.
>
> So I bought some Dolomitic Limestone to stablize my PH and Raise KH. I've
> added 1/2 a tsp of baking Soda so far and PH is 6.5. KH is 40. I want to
> raise the PH another 1+ before I add the Limestone. But how much do I need
> for 55 gallons? I put 2 tablespoons in half a glass of water to test this
> stuff and PH is 7.5+. BUT the water is VERY CLOUDY! Should I rinse this
> stuff before I add it to the tank? I plan to put in a media bag, not loose.
>
> Guidance appreciated.

[[email protected]]

exactly. it will be cloudy for 1/2 hour or so and then start to clear nicely.
Ingrid

Geezer From The Freezer > wrote:

>take a litre of your tank water out
>and add a fair chunk to it. Then test
>how high your PH goes. If it doesn't go over 8.4
>don't worry about it, put the lot in.
>
>
>
>Bill Stock wrote:
>>
>> I had my PH crash and my Nitrates shot up. I think my biological filter got
>> killed by the low PH, because I'm fairly good about the cleaning. PH was
>> less than 5.5, KH was 0. Ammonia OK so far.
>>
>> So I bought some Dolomitic Limestone to stablize my PH and Raise KH. I've
>> added 1/2 a tsp of baking Soda so far and PH is 6.5. KH is 40. I want to
>> raise the PH another 1+ before I add the Limestone. But how much do I need
>> for 55 gallons? I put 2 tablespoons in half a glass of water to test this
>> stuff and PH is 7.5+. BUT the water is VERY CLOUDY! Should I rinse this
>> stuff before I add it to the tank? I plan to put in a media bag, not loose.
>>
>> Guidance appreciated.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[Kodiak]

Where did you buy the Dolomitic limestone?
i can't for the life of me find any around here (montreal Canada).
....Kodiak

"Bill Stock" > wrote in message
...
> I had my PH crash and my Nitrates shot up. I think my biological filter
got
> killed by the low PH, because I'm fairly good about the cleaning. PH was
> less than 5.5, KH was 0. Ammonia OK so far.
>
> So I bought some Dolomitic Limestone to stablize my PH and Raise KH. I've
> added 1/2 a tsp of baking Soda so far and PH is 6.5. KH is 40. I want to
> raise the PH another 1+ before I add the Limestone. But how much do I
need
> for 55 gallons? I put 2 tablespoons in half a glass of water to test this
> stuff and PH is 7.5+. BUT the water is VERY CLOUDY! Should I rinse this
> stuff before I add it to the tank? I plan to put in a media bag, not
loose.
>
> Guidance appreciated.
>
>
>
>

[Bill Stock]

Hi Kodiak.

I found it at Sheridan Nurseries here, but I would imagine some place like
Canadian Tire might carry it. The brand was CIL BTW. If you're really stuck
I'll mail you some, as I now have a lifetime supply.

PH was 7.2 after two days. I guess it will eventually get closer to 8.


"Kodiak" > wrote in message
.. .
> Where did you buy the Dolomitic limestone?
> i can't for the life of me find any around here (montreal Canada).
> ...Kodiak
>
> "Bill Stock" > wrote in message
> ...
> > I had my PH crash and my Nitrates shot up. I think my biological filter
> got
> > killed by the low PH, because I'm fairly good about the cleaning. PH was
> > less than 5.5, KH was 0. Ammonia OK so far.
> >
> > So I bought some Dolomitic Limestone to stablize my PH and Raise KH.
I've
> > added 1/2 a tsp of baking Soda so far and PH is 6.5. KH is 40. I want to
> > raise the PH another 1+ before I add the Limestone. But how much do I
> need
> > for 55 gallons? I put 2 tablespoons in half a glass of water to test
this
> > stuff and PH is 7.5+. BUT the water is VERY CLOUDY! Should I rinse this
> > stuff before I add it to the tank? I plan to put in a media bag, not
> loose.
> >
> > Guidance appreciated.
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>

[[email protected]]

go to a local garden center and ask them if they can order a small bag of organic
dolomitic limestone. or, try a fish store. you might try Jo Ann (when she gets back
from vacation) or Ken and ask if they sell or know where you can get the liquid
stuff. Ingrid

"Kodiak" > wrote:

>Where did you buy the Dolomitic limestone?
>i can't for the life of me find any around here (montreal Canada).
>...Kodiak


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[Bill Stock]

"Bill Stock" > wrote in message
...
> I had my PH crash and my Nitrates shot up. I think my biological filter
got
> killed by the low PH, because I'm fairly good about the cleaning. PH was
> less than 5.5, KH was 0. Ammonia OK so far.
>
> So I bought some Dolomitic Limestone to stablize my PH and Raise KH. I've
> added 1/2 a tsp of baking Soda so far and PH is 6.5. KH is 40. I want to
> raise the PH another 1+ before I add the Limestone. But how much do I
need
> for 55 gallons? I put 2 tablespoons in half a glass of water to test this
> stuff and PH is 7.5+. BUT the water is VERY CLOUDY! Should I rinse this
> stuff before I add it to the tank? I plan to put in a media bag, not
loose.
>
> Guidance appreciated.

I just had a thought on the Limestone. Last year when we put down some penny
pavers, they were underlayed with compacted Limestone screenings. I don't
know what kind of Limestone this is, but it's a thought. I'll throw some in
a glass of water and report back in a few days. You should be able to find
this stuff at any building centre. BUT, I suspect the PH may be too high.

[[email protected]]

it may well max out at 7.4 or so. Ingrid

"Bill Stock" > wrote:

>Hi Kodiak.
>
>I found it at Sheridan Nurseries here, but I would imagine some place like
>Canadian Tire might carry it. The brand was CIL BTW. If you're really stuck
>I'll mail you some, as I now have a lifetime supply.
>
>PH was 7.2 after two days. I guess it will eventually get closer to 8.
>
>


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[Bill Stock]

> wrote in message
...
> it may well max out at 7.4 or so. Ingrid

Tank is now about 7.4.

My test solutions of Lawn Lime (Dolomtic Limestone) and Limestone Screenings
(Construction rock) are both at about 8.2. The screenings seemed to change
the PH more quickly, but definately require a prewash. My original batch of
Screening test water tested positive for Nitrites and Nitrates, so that's a
bit of a concern. But after a wash it was OK.

The one plus for the screenings is that they are a little coarser, so should
allow better water flow if placed in a filter. I find my Lawn Lime turns to
mush in the filter and tends to impede the flow more. Of course since
screenings are not being sold for this purpose, results may vary
significantly between manufacturers/batches/regions. So try this at your own
risk.


> "Bill Stock" > wrote:
>
> >Hi Kodiak.
> >
> >I found it at Sheridan Nurseries here, but I would imagine some place
like
> >Canadian Tire might carry it. The brand was CIL BTW. If you're really
stuck
> >I'll mail you some, as I now have a lifetime supply.
> >
> >PH was 7.2 after two days. I guess it will eventually get closer to 8.
> >
> >
>
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
> http://puregold.aquaria.net/
> www.drsolo.com
> Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
> compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
> endorsements or recommendations I make.