AngelThoughts
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
I have read that with S.A. cichlids, specifically Rams you need to add peat? What is that and what is its purpose?
About Peat?
- Thread starter AngelThoughts
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Fruitbat
Aquarium Advice Addict
AngelThoughts...
The peat that is referred to is simply peat moss (the kind you find in hanging baskets and used in gardens). The reason it is often suggested for aquarium use is that a number of fish like Rams (Microgeophagus ramirezi) prefer water that is soft and acidic....which is NOT what most people have coming out of their taps. Some keepers of these fish will add a bag of peat to their filters so that the water passes through the peat. Chemicals that leach out of the peat will cause the water to become slightly acidic (and also frequently give it a nice tea color).
There are other products on the market that will do basically the same thing. Most of them are marketed as so-called 'Blackwater' products. Fundamentally they are mixtures of the same kinds of botanical compounds that would normally be added to the water by peat filtration.
Hope this helps!
The peat that is referred to is simply peat moss (the kind you find in hanging baskets and used in gardens). The reason it is often suggested for aquarium use is that a number of fish like Rams (Microgeophagus ramirezi) prefer water that is soft and acidic....which is NOT what most people have coming out of their taps. Some keepers of these fish will add a bag of peat to their filters so that the water passes through the peat. Chemicals that leach out of the peat will cause the water to become slightly acidic (and also frequently give it a nice tea color).
There are other products on the market that will do basically the same thing. Most of them are marketed as so-called 'Blackwater' products. Fundamentally they are mixtures of the same kinds of botanical compounds that would normally be added to the water by peat filtration.
Hope this helps!
AngelThoughts
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Thanks for the answer! Where is it normally sold?
madasafish
Aquarium Advice Addict
Fruitbat: I think I'm right in saying that peat added to a filter does not have to be moss (e.g. Sphagnum moss), but can be the peat accumulated in peat bogs. This peat (i.e. bog sediment) is preserved extremely well, saturated with water and with a very low pH (usually around 4 or 5; tons of H+ ions) for as much as tens or hundreds of thousands of years in some parts of the world. If dried, it is a highly effective fuel source, and is used for such in many countries. Because of the lack of water movement, the low pH and the tight packing of these organic sediments, peat does not tend to biodegrade naturally. Thus, in peat bogs you can have a historical record of pollen, leaves, branches, seeds etc. that date back as far as the bog. This condition of peat makes it ideal for reducing pH in a fish tank.
Peat moss, such as Sphagnum spp. are also excellent for reducing pH, though, as they are often what most heavily influences the low pH of peat bogs. If you can find some, you might be able to keep it alive in your filter if it gets light.
Fluval markets a peat mixture for use in filters. Using two bags of it has reduced my pH by about 0.5. Unfortunately, I'm doing daily large water changes to try and stimulate breeding, so the pH won't drop much more than this. I would recommend this simply because it's a lot easier to find. But if you live near a bog, Sphagnum moss is not hard to find. Look it up online for a picture.
Peat moss, such as Sphagnum spp. are also excellent for reducing pH, though, as they are often what most heavily influences the low pH of peat bogs. If you can find some, you might be able to keep it alive in your filter if it gets light.
Fluval markets a peat mixture for use in filters. Using two bags of it has reduced my pH by about 0.5. Unfortunately, I'm doing daily large water changes to try and stimulate breeding, so the pH won't drop much more than this. I would recommend this simply because it's a lot easier to find. But if you live near a bog, Sphagnum moss is not hard to find. Look it up online for a picture.
shawmutt
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have tried peat before, and have not found it to be effective. You can get a huge bag at a Home Depot, just be sure to read the label and make sure it is free of pesticides.
When I had my blackwater tank, the only way I got the pH and hardness low and kept it there was by using store bought ro water (I started using distilled, but that got expensive) and adding the necessary additives to it for the fish. I added Electroright and BlackWater Extract from Tetra.
That being said, unless you are breeding the fish and they are picky about breeding conditions, a steady pH is far more important than a "natural" pH. BlackWater extract can be added if you want the authentic look, it may negligably affect water parameters but did not for my tank.
When I had my blackwater tank, the only way I got the pH and hardness low and kept it there was by using store bought ro water (I started using distilled, but that got expensive) and adding the necessary additives to it for the fish. I added Electroright and BlackWater Extract from Tetra.
That being said, unless you are breeding the fish and they are picky about breeding conditions, a steady pH is far more important than a "natural" pH. BlackWater extract can be added if you want the authentic look, it may negligably affect water parameters but did not for my tank.
Fruitbat
Aquarium Advice Addict
madasafish...
You are quite correct in your assessment regarding peat for aquarium use. Whether the peat is in its highly compressed form (from peat bog sediment) or in its mossy form the net result of its use is the same.
shawmutt...
You're also correct in saying that the use of peat will not always dramatically shift the pH of aquarium water down. A lot depends on the initial pH and buffering capacity of the water you start with. I had more success using the 'blackwater' extracts that are commercially available than I did with peat, which is why I mentioned them in my post.
You are quite correct in your assessment regarding peat for aquarium use. Whether the peat is in its highly compressed form (from peat bog sediment) or in its mossy form the net result of its use is the same.
shawmutt...
You're also correct in saying that the use of peat will not always dramatically shift the pH of aquarium water down. A lot depends on the initial pH and buffering capacity of the water you start with. I had more success using the 'blackwater' extracts that are commercially available than I did with peat, which is why I mentioned them in my post.
Endgame319
Aquarium Advice FINatic
My lfs has two kinds of peat, the moss and the granular stuff? Whats is the difference? I'm looking for one that will lower the pH but not make the water brown.
Fruitbat
Aquarium Advice Addict
They'll both make the water brown, unfortunately. You can mitigate the color problem a bit by making sure that you have activated carbon in your filter and by replacing it frequently.
Endgame319
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Wouldn't the carbon get rid of the tannic acid, removing both the tea color and the pH drop?
breadlowry
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
carbon is good, it'll lock up damn near anything. There are different forms of carbon worth researching too.
