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Can anybody give me some basic guidelines on using peat. I want to lower the ph on my 75g to make it more of a biotope. My ph now is about 7.9. How much do you use, how often do you change it, and what brand do you use.

what kind of filter to u use....if u have a cansiter for example...u have to place it at the middle area enuf to cover that...it will definitely lower ur pH in time as well as give u a little tannning of water...but u have to watch it from time to time if ur pH starts creeping up again...and thats the time u know ...that u need to change it.

Is this stuff ok to use for peathttp://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1335620&cp=&keywords=peat&y=0&searchId=10412573311&x=0&parentPage=search

I believe that's the correct kind. Check the label and the actual contents for additives such as the little fertilizer balls. Might be good to test it by soaking some in water and adding something like a few ghost shrimp. I used the big bags of canadian spaghum moss that were about 5 times that size for $8. You can either add it to your filter or use it in seperate buckets then mix it with tap water to get the desired ph. If you add enough it can potentially create 5.0 ph blackwater. The problem I had was I couldn't add enough carbon to my filter to be able to see into my tank. All I managed was dropping the ph .4 or so before the tank was a very dark brown.

I would buffer and nuetralize the PH using baking soda then proceed to lower it using the peat moss and ph Down until the desired ph is reached. Just test daily until you find out what it takes to keep the Ph buffered that low. Water changes should be done with water of the correct PH and really this kind of tank has to be very closely monitored to avoid PH shock of the fish. Don't introduce any fish until you have stabalized the tank at the desired ph.

If you are trying to lower an existing fish tank do it slowly but surely over months.

koi

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Although baking soda will raise the kH (buffering capacity), the pH will go up too. So, instead of starting with 7.9 pH and 5 kH, you'll have (roughly) 8.2 ph and 10 kH, which will only make it more difficult to achieve your ultimate goal of less than 7.0...

Plus, "pH UP" is baking soda, so it's effectively adding "pH UP" then "pH Down", which seems a bit overkill.

You'll need to determine your kH level first. It may need to be raised. I just don't think baking soda is the answer... IMHO.

As for peat, I've heard the "peat granules", are pretty good. They're made to go into filters, are clean, and don't contain as much stringy stuff. I'd experiment with a very small amount, and see how your water parameters change.



Last edited by georgia at 17-May-2005 14:14

Sorry, but questions about using peat always make me think about how I tried to do the same thing many months ago... and what an absolute PITA it was. I can understand the biotope concept - plants, fish, decor, even the temperature... but to stress out about the pH... looking back on when I tried to do the same I just feel silly.

If you have the time to dedicate to doing that then far be it from me to stop you, but trying to control pH long term with peat is like trying to hold a big, giant beachball full of air under water: if you pay constant attention you can keep it there, but slip up once and it'll pop right back up in a hurry. If it lasted for the life of the aquarium, that's one thing... but as it is, it definetely falls on my list of "more trouble than it's worth". Just my opinion. Good luck!

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Greenmonkey, this entirely depends on what type of filter you are running.
Assuming you run a Canister filter such as a Fluval, Eheim, Rena XP etc, then you can easily add peat to your filter.
I have found the best peat product is Fluval brand Peat Granules. They are more concentrated, and there is no stringy stuff to float loose into your tank.
Heres what I do: my ph is naturally 7.6 with a hardness of ~300ppm . I am not sure what dgh or kh it is.
I take a knee high pantyhose, rinse it well, then fill it with half to three quarters of the bag of peat granules, until it is enough to fill the entire chamber full in my Fluval 204. I tie off the pantyhose, double the extra over, and pop it in the filter chamber. I also then take another knee high and fill it with another 1/2 - 3/4 bag of peat granules and put this in the near to top level in my Eheim 2217.
3 days later my ph is 6.6 and the hardness is between 80-100ppm. Much better for angels and discus and rummynose and the like. The total peat in both my filters is about 1.5 boxes of peat granules, or about 15 dollars Canadian (12USD), and this maintains my tank at this ph and hardness for 3-4 months. I use activated carbon in my filters as well, so this helps with the tannins, but leaves a light golden color in the water, which I find very nice looking. This dissipates with water changes over the next couple of months. Then, when I do my filter cleans, which I spread 1 month apart, I change the peat in the first one, then 1 month later change the peat in the other. This helps to maintain a low ph and soft water.
I hope this helps you some.



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