Sphagnum Moss

Lucky you! I know that in living sphagnum peat moss, the cell walls also function as ion exchangers and still absorb cations, such as calcium and magnesium supplied by rainwater and release hydrogen ions into the water. However, I don't think it will have the same rapid affect on your water as partially decayed (humification) peat that has otherwise come into existence via conditions of restricted microbial activity. Like RTR said earlier, you would probably need an intire greenhouse of the live stuff. You might end up using wrotting sphaqnum moss in the long run...As far as I understand, live sphagnum peat moss is part dead and alive since the bottom segment dies off pretty fast from lack of light while the top part is the only live, growing segment. Take from the bottom if you use it. Sounds like an experiment to me...
 
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I'll try it in an empty aquariam or vase. Find out if it works.
 
Will do :)
 
The thing about peat is that the nitrogenous material and easily biodegradeable stuff has already dissolved away-- and been rapidly taken up by strongly growing moss,in the nutrient-poor swamp water. What's left is only slowly breaking down, on its way to becoming humus.

In a similar vein, I put dry dead beech leaves in some of my aquaria, for the tannins etc. If I put fresh green ones, a lot of sappy nitrogen etc would be released into the system.

All the ion-exchanging character that accounts for peat's water softening characteristics is in the humic substances that remain when Sphagnum moss is already partly decayed.

Live Sphagnum is still an interesting experiment. No "nasties" in it-- unless there's a predatory dragonfly nymph. You're much more likely to introduce a pest transferring plants from one fishtank (perhaps at the LFS) to another...
 
I made a little mistake... it's not actually a swamp but a cranberry bog...:rolleyes: Anyway, I disagree that it is poor in nurtients. It is full of minerals and nutrients. Leaves fall from the trees around it every year, which releases the nutrients located in those leaves as they decay. You have to remember that a swamp/bog retains nutrient because it acts like a strainer only for soil. It holds nutrients that are leeched into it from the surrounding soil. As an edition, I went out and took a pH sample, that water was close to 6, give or take a little. This, however, does not only reflect the effects of the peat... also other acidic organic materials such as pine needles.

The nasties are things like dragonfly larvae...the accansional giant water beetle (which is bigger than most my fish). Also, I don't know if there is any parasitic worms that reside in there or things like that. I don't want to take any chances anyway :), I've lost enough fish over the last year.


So, I am going to try it in a vase or my small tank (both of which are empty) and experiment. After probably two weeks I'll put up the results.

Thank you all for your input, I appreciate it.
 
A pH reading that registers as 6.0 may simply be reflecting the low-end limit of the usual pH testing reagent, Bromthymol Blue. Below about 6.2 it merely stays at yellow and can't register lower pH values. A cranberry bog is often well below pH 6.0.

Good water for touchy Apistogramma species, eh!
 
Wow.... Seems like it would almost burn your finger off :), j/k... That's low, does anything live in it, like frogs or other amphibians and insects?
 
I was thinking the same thing after the test...pulling out my finger and seeing just the bone left! There were a few critters around - frogs are plentiful in most areas, birds, but no fish what-so-ever. This bog is rather large - the part I took a test from was from an area of no water movement, well protected - no wind, lots of reeds, little if no colorful vegetation, surrouned by trees (half of them dead), and sporting a very dark, murky sediment. There were lots of insects both airborne and water dwelling. Further out, the water seems more subjected to the elements and there are more colorful plants and grasses growing. I would not be suprised if other areas of the bog gave different readings.
 
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