Lime Rite Dolomite - Impact on PH - GH - KH - how much to dose 110g

[basementboy]

Have FW 135 gallon tank (110g water column). GH and KH are both around 1-2. Have some Lime Right Dolomite Lime that has Magnesium and Calcium. (5o lb bag from Home Depot - Pelletized for the lawn).

How much do I put into 110 gallon tank to raise the gh/KH to 4 or 5?

Will the PH go up?

Should I dissolve it first then add the water?

Put into Cannister?

Crush pellets or just rinse off and let dissolve?...

Have fairly heavily planted tank, and about 35 good size fish - rainbows, platys, swords, dollars, etc. Want to harden the water a little for the rainbows.

 

[Slappy*McFish]

Put about 4 cups of it in your filter. It is very slow to dissolve...which is better for the fish.

 

[basementboy]

How to raise GH/KH without raising PH too much - using Dolomitic Lime

Not sure how to reconcile the numbers on the bag of Dolomitic lime since they dont add up to 100...Looks like roughly half calcium and half magnesium.

CaCo3 52%
MgC03 41%
calc 21%
Mag 12%


Did a quick test...Added a couple tablespoons of granules to some water...It dissolves very quickly.

Now have a squirt bottle with brown murky water...When I add a few drops to extracted aquarium water it bumps up the GH. But the PH is now off the chart.

So how to raise GH/KH without a huge spike in PH?

Want to correct the following situation...the PH is 7-7.2, but my GH/KH are still around 2 degrees if I am reading the test right.

 

[RTR]

When you increase the KH, the pH goes up in tandem.

To increase GH without KH, you would need to use non-carbonate forms of Ca and Mg, such as the chlorides or sulfautes.

 

[Slappy*McFish]

Try to get some pure dolomite...it may be harder to find, but will dissolve much more slowly(if ever) and can be added to the filter in much the same way crushed coral is used.