Domolite lime and other lost arts...

[reefburnaby]

Hi,

I will pass on the cyanide part...it was just an example. As for pesticides, that's actually a controlled substance. So, it should not be any where near lime nor is it suppose to spill out. Domolite packaging is actually much better than one would think (like a concrete bag). If domolite gets wet or has a runoff, the concentrated domolite is quite corrosive to green plant life (due to high pH). So, the bags are design to protect that from happening. Besides, if there is going to be any crosscontamination (say fertilizer), then what...1% of your lime will be fertilizer at most ? Even 1% is pretty hard to acheive since it would have to leach past the paper and plastic protective covering of the bag. That bag would be in pretty bad condition at that point...I think you would pretty ignorant to buy that bag.

Come to think of it...there is a little secret that I use when buying lime. I only buy the bags that are not expose to the outside. Usually, these bags of lime are on a crate. A selected number of bags are always touching another bag and never expose to the elements. I pick those ones.

As for a newbee taking this as a defacto standard (Domolite that is). Well, if a newbee is reading this board and research about domolite, then he would be spending the time to see all sides of the story (i.e. if you do a search on RC...there is tons of info on this topic). As you know, bbs are full of different types of people. Some say the true, some don't know what they are talk about, some misread the question and etc. With so many opinions, the newbee isn't go to say...look "Victor" said it is alright....I am going to buy it right now. Victor is not a Dr Ron, Dr Mac, or even a Randy. Why should the newbee believe me in 100% confidence ? I am just one reefer out of many thousands giving my opinion. I believe this is what a board is for and I think a newbee already understands that.

As for magnesium slowly leaching in to the system. Did you know that magnesium slowly precipitates too - to form domolite or just magnite (pure magnesium carbonate) ? It is quite normal and that was one of the proponents for using domolite in the past. Today, salt mixes have higher than normal magnesium levels to compensate. So, regular water changes have been able to replenish magnesium levels. So, what will happen in my tank. The rate of preciptation is dependent on the levels of magnesium in the tank. Higher levels...higher precipitation. So, if the dissolution rate of increase is slow enough, the preciptation and dissolution should find an equilibrium where both are happy.

BUT...we will see. Time will tell. [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

- Victor.

[ 23 January 2002: Message edited by: reefburnaby ]

[ 23 January 2002: Message edited by: reefburnaby ]</p>