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
- Start date
That is not true it all depends on your water. Rams prefer a pH below 7. If you have 7 or lower they are fine. For people that have a pH of above 7 some of them put Peat into there filter or treat the water with Peat before they put in the tank since Peat lowers the pH. Have your water checked first before you do anything.
I don't know exactly what it is or how to use it but it will lower the PH level of the water but you may not need it depending on your water's ph level and what the fish were raised in. Kyle
Just a note, I have german rams being kept happily at a ph of 7.6. I also know of a breeder a couple hours away that breeds rams in a ph of 7.8.
Peat will lower the PH my understanding (which could be wrong) is that it leaches acids into the water similar to what driftwood does when it first goes into the tank, I always put it in a bag and stuck in the filter, or put it in the extra media cartridge for my Emporers. Hound makes a good point, Steady PH is far more important than ideal PH. I used to spend a lot of time, money, and stress over regulating PH, and have found that the fish don't usually care as long as it doesn't constantly swing up and down. I wouldn't personally ever try to adjust PH again. It's constant work even when you get good at it.
HTH
HTH
Agreed with daveedka, a steady, but imperfect pH, is better than a flucuating one that averages to be perfect.
However, peat is one of the things I would suggest using if you want to try to lower your pH. It is one of those "natural" solutions (as compared to using products like pH down). Be warned however, that the peat will have to be replaced every now and then, and that peat doesn't work for everyone. It tends to work for people with a mid-low KH... where as people with a high KH are out of luck. My KH hovers at around 8-9, and peat does nothing except brown the water in my tank. Driftwood can also do the same thing as peat, although overtime, the driftwood's abilities to release tannins into the water will diminish (just like peat). Though this time period varies, depending on how dense the wood is.
Another option you may want to ponder is the use of CO2 injection. CO2 injection can effectively lower the pH of a tank, and if done correctly, is quite a controllable process. It will also benefit any plants that may be in the tank (even if the plants are growing under low light conditions). Keep in mind that CO2 injection will not lower the KH of a tank.
HTH
-Richer
However, peat is one of the things I would suggest using if you want to try to lower your pH. It is one of those "natural" solutions (as compared to using products like pH down). Be warned however, that the peat will have to be replaced every now and then, and that peat doesn't work for everyone. It tends to work for people with a mid-low KH... where as people with a high KH are out of luck. My KH hovers at around 8-9, and peat does nothing except brown the water in my tank. Driftwood can also do the same thing as peat, although overtime, the driftwood's abilities to release tannins into the water will diminish (just like peat). Though this time period varies, depending on how dense the wood is.
Another option you may want to ponder is the use of CO2 injection. CO2 injection can effectively lower the pH of a tank, and if done correctly, is quite a controllable process. It will also benefit any plants that may be in the tank (even if the plants are growing under low light conditions). Keep in mind that CO2 injection will not lower the KH of a tank.
HTH
-Richer