My Peat System Journal

fishboy7

fishboy7

Amazonian Specialist
Jun 12, 2010
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For a while now, I've been wanting to get my tank set up, and it's finally under way!!! :dance:

Anyway, I wanted to have soft, acidic water for Amazon fish. So, I set up a peat moss system in my basement. I have two 5 Gallon Buckets (with water in them) with 1 Gallon of Peat in a tied up pillowcase in each. I also aerate them. I have been running both of them for two days now and today one off the buckets water got to the level I wanted: pH 6.5 and water is soft.

So, since I have a 5 Gallon Quarantine Tank and a 36 Gallon Main Tank, I filled the 5 Gallon with the water and it's about 60% full. By tomorrow, the other bucket should be ready (I don't know why they drop at different rates :confused: ) and I can fill up the 5 Gallon the rest of the way. So on Saturday I can finally get fish to quarantine! :goldfish:

Also, any comments or suggestions would be appreciated!
 
Very cool!

Are the peat "bags" just sitting in the buckets or do you have the water flowing through it with a pump or by gravity?
 
The answer to the first question is yes.

The answer to the second question is that they just absorb water and slowly sink due to gravity.

Also, I will post pics soon! (When I figure out how that is.)
 
Update!

The peat soaking process has been going for about 3 weeks now. The 5 Gallon is full and running now, and the 36 Gallon is a quarter full! It's all doing good!
 
Unless you are getting some wild caught, you are going to a lot of trouble for no real reason. You might need to find another method if it has taken you 3 weeks to make 9 gallons of water.
 
The actual amount of water is 6 Gallons per week, or 18 gallons in 3 weeks. I guess the 36 is actually about a third full ( I measured to make sure).

Personally, I don't think it's to much trouble, but that's just my opinion.
 
Glad to see soemone who is willing go bit more than most to prepare an ideal condition for fish they want to keep.

Although extra efforts are needed in the beginning, less preparation maybe required as its original ability to stablize pH( KH) will drop with time. At such time you may be able to use straight tap (hopefully small amt) or mixtures as new water during wc to keep the tank well stablized.

What is your final goal of this tank, fish wise?
 
You can just get some RO water from one of those vending machines for like 30 cents a gallon. Water vending machines are outside of almost every grocery store. You can probably use a 50/50 combination to make your water reasonably soft, more if needed. What are your regular tap's parameters?

What makes fish happiest are frequent water changes, and your system makes it difficult to do the 25% weekly changes which are the minimum recommended. Beneficial bacteria does not "like" a pH below 6, and since aquariums always tend towards acidification, you are at risk of promoting instability in your tank by starting with a pH of 6.5...have you measured the alkalinity (KH) yet?
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/fwsoftness.htm

The setup you have is fine for breeding fish, but to keep them long term you're going to need some way of making more than 6 gallons per week.

I have a feeling what you like best is the aesthetic quality of the amber water - why not just make some DIY blackwater extract?
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&complete=0&biw=800&bih=441&q=diy+blackwater+extract&btnG=Search

Or put some Indian oak leaves or alder cones in your tank? This will give you the tannic look without so much hassle.

Bob and I are not trying to hate on you, just trying to warn you that the system you have set up is very impractical, and there are better ways to achieve the look and feel you are after.
 
Last edited:
Cerianthus said:
Glad to see soemone who is willing go bit more than most to prepare an ideal condition for fish they want to keep.
Click to expand...

Is it really ideal if the fish this person is purchasing are generations from this sort of water chemistry? I guess it all depends on the species of the fish, whether wild caught or tank bred...

But if this person is just going to the pet store and getting some neons which have been sitting in the shop tank with a pH of 7.4, and then quarantining them in a pH 6.5 tank, I don't see how that is actually doing the fish good, quite the opposite.

Cats are originally from the desert, I don't think most housecats feel more at home in the Mojave.
 
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