Peat Moss

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smittyjr18

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Aug 15, 2004
Messages
56
Location
Dayton, OH
I have a 55 Gal and I want to add peat to lower the hardness and PH. Where should i get it and how much to add? I have tried the stuff from fluvial and it did not do anything to lower either the PH or hardness.
 
I have liquid rock for water too and I'd like to lower my ph. From what I've heard the peat won't help at all. But I'm still trying it on my own and I'll let you know how it goes.

The peat moss can be purchased from a garden supply store -- it's the same stuff as the LFS only infinately cheaper. The bag should say "sphagnum peat moss" and the brand name often is "Canadian sphagnum peat moss."

Otherwise, get a mesh bag for the peat, rinse it out and add it to your filter. Change it monthly.

Good luck.
 
you could also try driftwood. it would be cheaper in the long run because you don't need to replace it.
 
I'm pretty sure that you'd need alot of driftwood to effectively lower ph. Unless you put it in the filter - lol

smitty, hopefully you realize that if you actually add enough peat to lower the pH, it will turn your water significantly tan! And if you try to then remove the discoloration, I'm pretty sure you are raising the pH back up! GL
 
I've added the peat from a fluval as well. just wrapped it in the polyester i use in my aquaclear. Made the water just VERY sighly brown (i only notice it when i pour the old tank water into my white sink)

But it hasn't effect PH or hardness at all. :-( I also have liquid rock. Close to 30 degrees hardness. Its horrible. But my fish still live. I doubt the'll be breeding t hough (which may be a good thing... i'm overstocked)
 
there is little to no reason in most cases to lower PH and GH..
Peat is a hit or miss in doing it in the first place.. its not very stable..
If it has to be done as in allowing soft water fish's eggs to become fertilized then RO water mixed with your's is the best way to go.
 
my water is VERY hard though. Apparently clown loaches like it softer? my goal is to get it at least under 15... 30 is not healthy for the fish, is it not?
 
My water is above 8.5 ph, 420ppm or 28 kh. I know the rule is to find a fish that will be good for my tap. Unfortunately (fortunately?) I've become quite attached to aquatic snails as pets. Their shells are not doing well in my water. The high ph is caustic 8O -- it causes bleaching to the shell, fissures, poor growth, etc. So really if I want to keep my snailains I need to get the ph down below 8. <sigh> There's only so far that they can adjust.

I'm thinking I need to buy RO water and do half RO and half tap for my poor snails.
 
you can also try water softener pillows.. i've used them and they work pretty good... but you have to recharge them with each water change and its tough keeping it stable. I didn't have any deaths or illness when i used one... been thinking about getting another one actually.
 
just a note... i added some peat to my filter day before yesterday and the pH went from 7.6 to about 7.4 yesterday and just now it was right at 7.0. and it was only a small amount in one of my HOB filter's. I have carbon in the filters as well to keep the water from discoloring.
 
i don't think the hardness is affected by peat.. only pH.. and i think the hardness is good to keep the pH stable... i just tested mine again and it's steady at 7.0. I don't have a test for hardness but i know my water is probably really hard cuz my pH was like 7.6-7.8
 
The reason i'm asking is i have a pair of blue german rams and they keep breading about every 2 weeks, but the eggs don't hatch and the parents eat them that is why i want to lower the ph and hardness. She has been laying for about the last 3 or 4 months in about a 2 week span.
 
smittyjr18 said:
The reason i'm asking is i have a pair of blue german rams and they keep breading about every 2 weeks, but the eggs don't hatch and the parents eat them that is why i want to lower the ph and hardness. She has been laying for about the last 3 or 4 months in about a 2 week span.

why not try the water softener pillows?
 
well i'm looking up the pillows now. What if i did the half RO water? Would i need to add anything to the water besides what i currently am now?
 
a mixture of RO water doesnt need a buffer but it needs to be done slowly working up to the percentage your wanting to use.
 
Your rams may be eating the eggs because they are stressed by the other fish in the tank. I have had fertile rams spawns in 9-10 degrees general hardness or 160-179 TDS., but some of the only times the rams didnt eat the eggs was when I removed the eggs and artificailly reared them or removed the pair to a breeding tank before they spawned.
 
I removed the eggs and tried to artificailly reared them , but they all turned white, so i'm thinking the water it to hard. My GH is 214 ppm and my KH is 71 ppm. I live in Ohio and we are on a limestone quary. The water out of the tap is like 8.5 PH, GH 214, KH 214. My PH is up at like 8 as well. I do use a brita water filter when filling the tank i think that is why my KH is so low. I don't add anything to the water at all, but about a teaspoon of salt and stress coat. It is a 55 Gal tank. I was thinking about doing a pwc of 5 gal with 3 being RO is that to much at once?
 
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