inserting perlite & moss in the aquarium

[fyaplam]

would inserting some perlite and/or peat moss into my aquarium be in any way damaging to my fish (7 pictus, 2 angels, 2 plecos)? I want to put a little perlite in a valley in the rocks i dug, and some peat moss in the corner just for looks.

i figure this wont be any problem but just making sure.

 

[RTR]

Perlite floats, it should not be used in tanks.

Peat is very light and exposed peat will be stirred up just by the fish swimming by or over. If there is any current in the tank at all it is likely to all end up in the filter.

 

[Chiron]

fyaplam, are you talking about the ground up peat or the coarse fibrous stuff availabe in some garden centers? RTR is right about the ground form. The whole moss would probably begin to break down with time. I would look into some of the aquatics available like java moss.

 

[Karnaaj]

Perlite will create one heck of a mess.