filtering with peat???

Question - does filtering through peat lower the KH? If it doesn't, how do you allow for it when calculating the CO2 in your tank?

What I mean is, if your KH is constant, but the pH is lower than it "should" be, your CO2 estimate will be off - higher than the real figure.
 
I've never measured the KH, but I'm sure it would be lowered as well as the GH. The peat basically absords some of the dissolved minerals and releases hydrogen (I think!) thus softening the water and making it more acidic.

Bill C.
 
Ion exchange sites in the peat moss will capture calcium and magnesium, thus bringing down your total dissolved solids. The latest thinking is that lower electrical conductivity (i.e. fewer electrolytes) is what "soft water" spawners need. So adding phosphates or other buffers, to stabilize the pH is counter-productive.

Eventually (or quite soon, if your water is hard) most of the available ion-exchange sites have taken up Ca and Mg, releasing that H+ that makes the peatwater more acidic. Then the peat is "spent." Don't throw it out, it's excellent soil conditioner for any kind of gardening.

Dry peat just won't get wet and just won't sink. So, pour a kettle of boiling water on it first, which will wet it and make it manageable. This is a good trick for peat going into potting mix or window boxes too. The hot water will make a "peat tea" that is perfectly good in the aquarium, but remember it's depleted of oxygen. Go easy!

(Guess I better look over the peat filtration section and make it clearer!)
 
To lower the pH when I was planning to raise discus (never panned out) I just threw some of the peat plates in a ten gallon filled with water and a glass top to lower evaporation. I then threw an Aqua Clear 150 on there, which really circulated the water and occasionally ran water over the plates. The pH dropped in a couple of days. Just a thought if you have some leftover equipment laying around.
 
well test results are in...

after 20 hours(started yesterday at 8pm) my ph and kh went from 7.8ph and 8kh to what it is now ph 7.0, kh 6.

I think i will try using peat in my tank nowthat i see it wo'nt take forever to get results and it wasn't much more work. I will jsut have to get my water ready a couople days before i do water changes. I also like how my parametrs didn't change to dramaticly as i might want to add co2 down the road and don't want my tank crashing.

I will keep you posted,thanks for all the help:)
 
Originally posted by Dwarfnut
I've never measured the KH, but I'm sure it would be lowered as well as the GH. The peat basically absords some of the dissolved minerals and releases hydrogen (I think!) thus softening the water and making it more acidic.

Bill C.
Click to expand...

Ta!

Yes. I've finally figured out (that is, really got a feel for) the way the (bi)carbonate buffer works. Adding any acid will decrease the KH.

This may be temporary (Hence the "I added pH down, and it dropped to 6.8, but the next morning it was back to 7.4, so I added more, and by the evening it was at 7.2 again Help Help Help!!!!" posts)

Seems to be a two stage reaction.

CO3-- + 2H+ --> H2CO3 (Carbonic Acid); pH drops

H2CO3 --> H2O + CO2 - no free H+; free CO2 outgasses, the pH bounces back.

But as the amount of CO3-- drops, the extent to which this buffering reaction can occur also decreases.

OK, chemists. Tell me how I've got it wrong... ;)
 
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