Peat moss...Help!

Haydn24

Haydn24

Boo!
Jun 28, 2010
944
0
0
Australia
Real Name
Haydn
Hey everyone,

So a quick question I need answered ASAP. I went out to buy some peat moss for my aquarium to keep the pH down. I read around and was told Sphagnum Peat moss was what I had to get. So I went to my hardware store and saw Sphagnum Moss. So i bought a $5 dollar bag of it. But now im under the attention that it had to be PEAT not just normal sphagnum... So can anyone please tell me if what I have can be used to lower pH? I need to know quickly as I have blue rams and angels on the way... Thanks in advance. :)
 
Sphagnum Peat is sphagnum moss that has sunk in a bog and over time decayed. I personally wouldn't try using the straight sphagnum moss as it would probably decay in your tank and lead to an ammonia spike. The stuff you're looking for will be labelled clearly as peat moss and will be a brown, dusty, fiberous substance. Occasionally it will just be labelled "peat moss".

I would also pick up a real fine filter media bag at your local aquarium / pet shop. Filling the bag with it will reduce the amount of dust thrown into the water. If you run a canister filter you can put the bag in one of the media compartments of the filter.

Ric
 
Yeah, this stuff looks almost fresh so maybe not :( Thanks for your input! Im just running 2 sponge filters in the 44g. But that thin bag is a great idea. Thanks.
 
If you are trying to soften your water, its often easier to keep things consistent by soaking the peat in a seperate container then mixing it with your tap to get the desired range. This also prevents alot of hte messes associate with using loose peat either in a filter bag or under your substrate. Also, be aware you will have tannins galore, which some of us prefer though others find them unsightly.
 
It's at 7.6 or so. Also, a more nutral water would give a better mix of krib fry sexs? Am I correct. I'm not worried about hardness. Our water in aus is really soft. I just think angels and rams would be better off at about 6.6-6.8 :)
 
msjinkzd said:
Also, be aware you will have tannins galore, which some of us prefer though others find them unsightly.
Click to expand...

I know! Can you image! ;)
 
what are you considering soft? what is your gh and kh? pH is much less important than hardness and tds when it comes to breeding.
 
Out of my tap it's about 40-60dgh. Not sure about kh though :( sorry
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom