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Is peat supposed to lower pH and soften water?

Yes, adding peat to your filter will lower the tank's pH and soften up the water. It's a good idea if you want a natural, proven way to alter your water. Also, it helps if you're trying to mimic the Amazon River, or anywhere in South America.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

Well I have been using it in my filter and my pH hasn't dropped or softened up. My KH is around 80ppm and I am using about a cupful of peat. Do I need more?

I don't know exactly how much you need per gallon, but I'm sure someone else does. How many gallons is your tank? And, how exactly are you adding it to your filter?

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

32 gallon tank and I am putting it in the middle of the filter media in a media bag.

All you need to do is keep adding peat until the waters hardness and ph drop. Add another cupful, wait a week or so, see how it is. If you desire even lower, add another cupful.
I had a ph of 7.8 and water hardness of <300ppm. I added 2/3's of a box of peat granules, distributed in 2 bags, 1 in each filter, now the ph is 6.6 and hardness is >160ppm.
It also gives the water a nice golden brown tinge. I think it looks very "river" like and natural.


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Maybe I should test again for KH because I think it could be higher. What would be better to use in the filter, granulated for, or the fiber form?

Granulated is much much more concentrated. I think if you want to get your moneys worth, use the granulated.
I pack mine inside a peice of pantyhose in my filter, it prevents much of the fibers from getting loose and floating around in your tank, and stops them from clogging up the filters impeller.
In my filter my media goes from bottom to top: Carbon with Zeolite, Filter Floss, Peat, Bioballs.
In my Eheim filter, its from bottom to top: Efimech, coarse sponge, efisubstrate, peat, medium sponge fine sponge.
I try to keep the peat near the top, but not so near that it doesnt have time to flow tannins in.
In my 25g tank, i cannot put peat in the filter, so I pantyhose bagged it, and hung it right under the filters outflow, so it passes through the peat somewhat.


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Well the fiber form seems to have been doing nothing for me.... Granulated it is . I have an AC 200. i have from bottom to top: Foam filter, peat, biomax