Is peat effective at lowering ph?

[gabysapha]

A friend gave me some peat for Christmas. I never intended to use peat, especially considering a major source of peat is not sustainable!

Would peat be worth my time? Ph is 8.6. I don't know what my hardness is, but it's definitely crunchy with limescale all over my water fixtures i would assume peat would not fight the buffering capacity of my water. All my tanks have large pieces of driftwood in them, and my ph has never lowered after placing the wood.

 

[aqua_chem]

Sadly, it sounds like you're trying to stop a bulldozer with a tricycle. Peat is most effective in soft water, I believe.

 

[BBradbury]

pH Question

A friend gave me some peat for Christmas. I never intended to use peat, especially considering a major source of peat is not sustainable!

Would peat be worth my time? Ph is 8.6. I don't know what my hardness is, but it's definitely crunchy with limescale all over my water fixtures i would assume peat would not fight the buffering capacity of my water. All my tanks have large pieces of driftwood in them, and my ph has never lowered after placing the wood.

Hello Gaby...

I do large, weekly water changes, so don't worry about the chemistry of my tank water. Honestly, I haven't tested the water in a long time. Last I researched, tropical fish prefer more alkaline water and as long as the pH levels remain constant, an alkaline level in excess of 8.5 is quite tolerable.

The key is large, weekly water changes. I remove and replace 60 to 70 percent of the tank volume every week and my fish and plants have adapted to this routine and the treated tap water with no problems.

You probably know the water changes maintain a stable environment for the fish and that's more important to your fish and plants then the particular chemical makeup of your tap water.

I don't think trying to change the water chemistry is ever a good idea.

Just a thought.

B

 

[gabysapha]

Thanks everyone! I also do not think peat will be effective, and I never liked the idea of altering ph anyway.