Peat Moss/GH/KH/Total Dissolved Solids

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tammy911

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Jan 26, 2003
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Peat Moss/GH/KH/Total Dissolved Solids

Hi Everyone!

This is the first time I have ever signed onto one of these forums. You guys sound great! My problem is with peat moss filtration. It was suggested to me because our water here is hard and the ph is high (7.8) I don't have numbers on water hardness... no test quit for that yet. Anyway, my aqarium is 75g. I had been user a chemical ph adjuster, but would rather do it more naturally. Since I put in the peat moss, the level of the ph has stayed stable at 7.0. The problem is that I am not sure if I like the water color. I have read that the tannins are 'light eaters'. Does this mean that it will be detrimental to my new plants? If I put the carbon back in the filter, will it clear the water but still maintain the ph and water hardness levels? My filter is an Aquaclear 500 and I keep the temperature at 80F . I am just starting this tank (about 3 wks now) I have 6 longfin blue danios, 6 rummy noses, 3 cardinal tetras (had more, lost a bunch) and 1 harlequin rasbora ( again, there were more but...) So if anyone has any words of wisdom for me, I would really appreciate it!
Thanks!
 
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wetmanNY

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Hi tammy911! welcome to AquariaCentral, home of the mossiest fishheads on the net. (Did I do that okay, gang!)

Yes the peat will filter the light. But the tannins etc. ("humic substances") dissolved in the water are chelating nutrients for the plants, things like iron that would rapidly precipitate as hydroxides and become unavailable. And the lower pH means that CO2 isn't being locked up in carbonates. That's also good for the plants.

You gain some, you lose some...

Fresh activated carbon would adsorb the color-- whether it reduces the chelating power of dissolved tannins etc is a disputable question.

I bet you'll find when you test that your water isn't all that highly buffered after all. Not on the Laurentian Shield. That's why it's responding so well to peat filtration.

I don't think you have a problem at all. Your tetras should glow in that golden water.
 

tammy911

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Hey thanks Mr. Wetman!

So you don't think that I should put the carbon filter back in? Will the ph continue to drop? If I do put the carbon back in, will the benefits from the peat remain until I do a water change? So many questions, so much to learn!
 

wetmanNY

AC Members
If I do put the carbon back in, will the benefits from the peat remain until I do a water change?
I think so. I think I think so...

This is not a newbie question.

Take the peat out of the filter when your pH is where you want it. Soon you'll strike an easy balance. Many biological processes also put acids into the water and tend to lower the pH in between water changes.
 

amy

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Dec 1, 1999
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Welcome Tammy!

A pH of 7.8 really isn't that outrageous. Unless you are planning to breed a fish that is native to waters with lower pH, I wouldn't bother trying to change anything in the water out of your tap. A stable water chemistry is more important than the "right" water chemistry. All you really need with what you've described so far is a dechlorinator (and something to remove chloramines if your water department adds that) and regular water changes.

You mentioned that your tank has only been running for 3 weeks... Is it cycled yet? If you don't know what cycling is, then your tank probably hasn't been fully cycled -- which may explain some of your fish deaths. And if the tank isn't cycled, then it doesn't make too much sense right now to try adjusting the pH. Check out some of the info in the stickies at the top of the forum to learn more on cycling, then come back here if you have any more questions.

Good luck!
 

Wulfy

AC Members
INSTEAD OF PEAT you can use a Synthetic Resin.
It lowers the GH (General Hardness) by taking out
Magnesium and Calcium salts out of the water and
substituting Sodim salts.

Best thing is, you can recycle the Resin by soaking
it in salt water.

It doesnt color your water but you may not like an ugly
teabag dunked in your aquarium.

I had the same problem as you. Our tap water
is stupidly hard here (10Gh).
I tried resin for a while.

Now I am using bore water.
Our local brewery is using deep bore water and sells
that to the public for U$2 for 15L.
The stuff is magical.
Only 0.5 Gh, 50 conductivity and 7Ph.
My fish got drunk on the stuff, left the aquarium and raped the local cats in their drunken stupor.
 

Faramir

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Nov 20, 1998
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The problem with the resin is that although it reduces the measured hardness of the water, it replaces each Ca++ ion with two Na+ ions.

The TDS (total dissolved solids) figure of the water actually increases.

It is the opinion of a lot of fishkeepers that fish that like soft water aren't so fussed about the actual GH, but about the TDS. Resins therefore make the situation worse for these fish.
 

Tim Bo

Does fuzzy logic tickle?
Apr 11, 1999
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Yes Faramir! My escapades with cichs, especially the dwarfs, and peat have led to discovering how important the TDS factor is in breeding some of these little buggers. GH has been the least important factor, atleast when breeding SAm dwarfs IME.
 

wetmanNY

AC Members
But there's a good trick!

All the water softener salts folks say that potassium chloride is just as effective as sodium chloride. It merely costs more. So recharging in a KCl brine instead of NaCl will substitute potassium ions for the calcium and magnesium ions...

then the plants will take up the potassium-- and some extra nitrogen and phosphate too, if K has been the limiting factor in the system-- as it often is.
 
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