peat filtering and ph?

D

dt4552

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Jun 15, 2005
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I have a 10 gallon species tank of neon tetras and i am interested in replicating their natural habitat to the best of my ability. I have taken interest in researching the blackwater of the amazon and it plants substrate and chemical properties. I would like to add peat to my filter however it is a small hang on back filter and i can not find a peat filter for my type of filter.
please tell me of away i could do this besides just adding blackwater extract to my tank. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated...thanks a lot
 
I know you want to replicate that environment, but you can't entirely. You would be much better off not doing a thing with your water. It won't be stable, and thats unhealthy for the fish. Don't worry about the pH or coloration of the water, just focus on plants and fish for the tank.
 
The Amazon and it's tributaries aren't always blackwater, and from what I've read in collection accounts, neons and other schooling fish are found pretty much in all kinds of water types in the river system. And when it's rainy season, the water's outright muddy, something I'd rather not replicate.

If you do want to use a peat filter, go to Wal Mart or Lowes and get a small bag of Sphagnum Peat Moss (a type, not a brand)--- it's much "weedier" and coarse than the peat moss typically sold in big bags, which looks a lot like fluffy potting soil. I've used them both and the Sphagnum is the best b/c it stays in the bag, whereas the finer stuff often leaches out and makes a bit of a mess on the aquarium substrate.

Any kind of filter bag or old hose stocking will work for it. Just beware as NatakuTseng mentioned, it does mess with the pH a bit, lowering it. I haven't had any trouble with a fluctuation before, I personally think it stabilizes it in the lower pH zone.
 
If you want to use peat and not have the hassles of fluctuating ph, put the peat in your change water and add it that way. This way you can watch the ph in the change water and when it gets to were you want it then you can do a water change. Doing it this way Ime dose not screw with your ph in your main tank, b/c you are always puttuing in the same ph water.
 
Thanks for the replies, maybe instead of concentrating on all the in depth water chemistry, I will concentrate more on the aquascape of the region. My ph is at 6.8 right now and seems to be pretty stable, so it sounds easier to just keep it that way for now. I am using artificial plants right now which might be considered a sin to some of you but it is working for now and surprisingly has a natural look to it. The tank is about 2 month old and i am trying to do some research and do it right.... a method i wish i would have used with past tanks that ended in disaster. thanks again
 
You PH is good for amazon fish. Most are captive raised and tolerant of more neutral PH. My angels were born and raised here in MA so they have always known MA water. I have an amazon biotope in my aaquarium. You only need a very low PH if you want to breed difficult fish like rummy nose and cardinals (of which I have both). These two tetras are often wild-caught and come from as low as 3-4 PH so they need to gradually be acclimated to neutral PH. Both HATE flucuations on temperature and PH so its actually better to keep them at the normal PH of your water than to try to mess with them PH. Amazon fish like a lot of driftwood and adding driftwood will lower your PH and for a time give you that light tea-colored black water, just remove your carbon from the filter.
 
Most fish will adapt very well to a higher pH. I keep going back to discus, but they really are a good species to show people how adaptable fish are. Young discus are almost always grown out in water that has a pH close to 8, and has a high Total dissolved solids count. They don't need the acidic pH or soft water at all untill spawning comes into play.
 
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