fix PH once and for all

[Discus Man]

what's the benefit of using Canadian moss? I couldn't find any at Home depot, so I just bought Pure Peat Moss (didn't say anything about Canada). It didn't have any fertilizers in it or anything.

David

Hi David, there is no industry up there in the north where they cut the Canadian peat, and its sphagnum as opposed to other forms of peat. It doesn't guarentee that you will get good peat, but it does help.

The bag should say Pure Sphagnum Peat wherever it comes from.

As for Blackshark667766, I don't know what you've read but distilled water is not poisoness nor does it taste revolting. It does have a funny effect on your mouth but that passes very quickly. That simply the osmotic properties of your skin...
As for your tirade on ancient versus modern, well, it reads like pseudoscience. Do you have any evidence of this need for aeration?

All the posters from England, Ireland and Scotland have told me Irish moss is not usable, it will break down and form ammonia. Same for Scottish Peat. I would caution you in trying to use this stuff.

 

[fishgeek]

i use irish peat with no nh3 probs
and i think r/o water is better than london tap water to drink

andrew

 

[Discus Man]

i use irish peat with no nh3 probs
and i think r/o water is better than london tap water to drink

andrew

Hi Andrew, thats good to know as I have been told a few horror stories. What brand are you using?
Just in case there's anything you missed, you don't have plants in this tank do you? Secondly, no algae problems or high nitrates in this tank either right?

It'd be good to know a good brand next time a Brit asks me for advice.

 

[aspen]

just as some general info, if you look at a map of canada, consider that a huge portion, say 15- 25% is a muskeg (swamp). it stretches from the northeast corner of BC, just east of the rockies, to quebec. there is LOTS of that stuff up there, so i guess it is why there is so much at a reasonable price. and it is clean, so therefore it shouldn't kill your fish.

the problem with using peat in a planted tank, is that the brown colour blocks your light.

if you are using toronto water, there seems to be a point in your research when you realise they must be using some very good stuff to maintain a high ph of our water, reportedly to not rot the pipes under the city supplying the water to our homes. i believe that other places do this as well. this is why i have always had a hard time maintaining a lower ph with my tapwater, and have found the necessity to cut it with substantial amounts of r/o to breed softwater species. i have tried everything others have suggested with little luck, and now use only r/o with a little tapwater, and either peat if not planted, or co2 if the tank is planted. it works for me. ymmv.

try and get a good recipe with YOUR WATER in a tank with no fish. messing with ph in your apisto tank might lead to dead apistos due to huge ph swings.

good luck, rick

 

[fishgeek]

sorry plants in all my tanks, missed that bit

the peat is shamrock spahgnum moss , first started with test alioquotes ina coffee perk when playing and never noticed any nitrogen by products

i generally have some as substrate or mulm and then only add to r/o when trying to drop pH for spawns

andrew

 

[Discus Man]

sorry plants in all my tanks, missed that bit

the peat is shamrock spahgnum moss , first started with test alioquotes ina coffee perk when playing and never noticed any nitrogen by products

i generally have some as substrate or mulm and then only add to r/o when trying to drop pH for spawns

andrew

Hmmn , this Discus keeper, Mike had a bad experience in that the peat broke down over time and produced ammonia. Since plants readily take in ammonium this may get used as its produced.

Still, I'll remember that Shamrock was fine for aplanted tank... thanks.

 

[apistodave]

Peat in America can have fungus inhibitors and herbicides and other chemicals too--R/0 units do not lower Ph they take out the minerals and other baddies and make it easier to manipulate the Ph