Peat Moss

[mr86mister]

ok cool, i'll figure it all out when i get the peat moss from Big Al's and do what i can

now i've read that you are having problems with your pH going down to 6.0 is there a way to keep it at like 7, should i put a smaller amount in the filter and the pH of my tap like i said is like 8.0 and if i do pwc often shouldnt that keep it at a constant 7-7.2?

 

[greenmaji]

the peat at the garden center is by far cheaper and works the same.. (I would rinse it before using it, test it to make sure it isnt too powerful)

 

[Codefox]

Would the peat moss make a good filtration substrate as well? Say in my Penguin 200, if I take out the filter pad and use that instead? Would I get enough in there to effectively buffer a 55 gallon tank?

 

[greenmaji]

it would not be a very good filter.. its just used as a chemical media like carbon..

 

[Codefox]

Ah, ok, well, the 200 has an extra media slot. I guess I'll have to check and see how much I'd need for a 55 gal to see if that'd work

 

[greenmaji]

*disclamer- lowering the ph is not actually nessisary in most cases and can cause stress and possibly death to your fish.. please be carefull when attempting to change it what-ever means you use

 

[Fishyfanatic]

The peat lowered mine substantially. I'd play around with the amounts to see what works. Start with a very small amount and work your way up. If you do it slowly you won't see any effects to your fish. Mine dropped from 7.6 to 6.0 within 24 hours but I saw no ill effects. I just don't know how much the fish liked it. Slow is better.

 

[greenmaji]

As I said before.. a 1.6 point drop in PH can be lethal.. luck might be on Fishyfanatics side

 

[mr86mister]

yeah definetly luck is on your side fishy


i will try just a bit, maybe a piece the size of a golf ball? or is that still too big for a 10 gallon

 

[Codefox]

I had something similar happen to a tank once. I know the fish didn't like it though...they all jumped out!

 

[greenmaji]

it sounds like an experiment to me..
how much did you use again fishy?
you would have to divide that amount by 5.5 and then again by at least 8-10 to get a safe amount to start with.. :?

 

[mr86mister]

well i guess i will start extremely small, with maybe a gumball size

and if this stuff works well with my water, i will definetly try to get a setup for some Rams, but thats in a at least a month or two

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I think I was pretty lucky that my fish didn't keel over. When I tested the water and saw the results I sat in front of the tank for an hour and kept counting the fish to make sure they were all still alive. It took that long because those teeny tiny cories are quick little buggers that like I manuver around rocks and greenery.

I think James put in the entire box. I told him to put in about a half cup of it, but he put the whole thing in. (I was out of town and wasn't there to put it in myself, BIG mistake) I'd start small, maybe a gumball size and work your way up. I can't divide anything to give an amount. It depends on your current pH and the size of the tank and so on. Patience and experimentation is the key here. Test a couple times a day on the pH to see the effects. You should have the ultimate effect within 24 hours.

Why are you lowering the pH?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I just re-read your initial post. Sorry for the multiple question.

I would definatly start small since you're only wanting to lower it about 1.0. What tank are you going to put the Rams in?

 

[mr86mister]

well thats why its a few months in the planning, i want to put a pair in a well planted 20

for my interest and my mom saw them at the lfs and was amazed and she used to have cichlids all the time and was happy that they only get to about 3" so we want to get the perfect aquarium setting and levels to buy this 10$ fish

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Ok. I just wanted to make sure you weren't planning on putting them in the 10 gal.

 

[mr86mister]

haha...no way, its overstocked to begin with

i'm just going to have them in a tank and maybe an otto or two, i want to get them to breed and have little rams because my lfs gets them only about once every 6 months and they said they would have no problem and buying them from me for about 5$ a fish

so i cant wait