Peat Moss question

[imagirlgeek]

Is the peat moss you get at gardening centers the stuff people use in their filters to keep their pH low?  We need to get some and don't want to get anything that may hurt the fish (chemicals, insecticides, etc)

[Spot86t]

Re: Peat Moss question

I got some at wallyworld for about 1.99 - schultz was the brand - 8 qt bag.  Got it for doing my killie eggs.  Check the ingredients on the bag - should say nothing but sphagnum peat.  I've also asked other killie peeps what they use and they also recommend the jiffy pellets.  I was going to get those, but they were .99 for 10 or 12 or so, so I got the bag instead.  Figure I can always use it outside if I have extra.  For filters tho, you may want to go with the pellets - kinda like having it pre-measured for you.  

Don't forget to boil it before you use it - messy but otherwise it will float.  I boiled it for about 3-5 minutes and by then none of it wanted to float except a few sticks that I removed.  The bagged stuff has a lot of very fine particles, so you may want to strain it before putting it in your filter or put it in some sort of filter sock.  Dont know if the pellets are the same way, been a while since I've used them.  I boiled some the other night to bag a plant for my frog tank.  Instead of "a little goes a long way", it's just the opposite.  4 heaping cups made a about 1.5 cups of wet cooked peat.  I used landscaping cloth material to make a "pot" - tied with string to hold it in shape.  I've use the landscape cloth in my pond plants a lot - no harm to any living critters.  Rinsed and wrung out first of course so that it's more "flow-thru-able".  It might work well for making a filter sock if you can't find one elsewhere.

[imagirlgeek]

Re: Peat Moss question

Thanks Spot!  That's exactly what I needed to know.  I didn't know I needed to know so much, so extra thanks for that!  

[Spot86t]

Re: Peat Moss question

I didn't know it either but my first 'peat boil' taught me a good bit that I wasn't expecting  :)
Glad I could be of some help!

[blacksmith37]

Re: Peat Moss question

The easy way is to just put in a filter, or fill a bag and hang it in the tank.
I don't think you can use too much ,except it will color the water.
I put about a one inch layer in the bottom of a 55, then buried it with gravel. In a few days the water looked the color of ice tea. I changed some water every week for a year before the color looked like weak ice tea. Angels,discus ,tetras, etc didn't seem to mind.

[jklntx]

Re: Peat Moss question

I use my wifes knee highs or I buy em cheap at Walgreens and fill them with 100% Canadian Sphagnum peat 2.2 cu ft for 6.99 at Home Depot. Put them in canister filters.

[roberte]

Re: Peat Moss question

xxx

[imagirlgeek]

Re: Peat Moss question

We wanted to use it to lower the pH.  I see there is a lot more to consider than just buying some and putting it in the filter.  :)

We have some fish who like a neutral pH, and since we don't have to do anything special at all to maintain between 8.0 and 8.4 on all the other tanks, I figure we are going to have to do something to help lower the pH for this one tank.

I'm a little scared now, but thank you all for the information.  

[roberte]

Re: Peat Moss question

xxx

[Bogdan]

Re: Peat Moss question

roberte,
Can you write a little bit more about the way you use it. How big is the tank,  how much peat you add to the filter, how do you prepare it and how the water parameter change (pH and hardness).

[fishlady]

Re: Peat Moss question

plant the tank heavily traci.....and add some driftwood that softens the ph very well in my tank for my rams.....i don't add anything to the filters....i leave that for the natural placement of the plants and driftwood......

[imagirlgeek]

Re: Peat Moss question

Plants!  Ack!  I can't even grow those in dirt!

[roberte]

Re: Peat Moss question

xxx

[roberte]

Re: Peat Moss question

xxx

[wvgdiscus]

Re: Peat Moss question

If your storing your wtaer for at least 24 hours before doing a water change. I do this to stabilize the water.
You can add the peat moss in the water storage tank.

I have never known why someone adds water without storing it before hand.
When someone is adding water without storing it. It causes a swing with everything in the tank.