Peat Moss Methods

[slimbolen99]

How do you use peat moss to lower pH?
Does peat moss only affect pH, or does it remove dissolved solids as well?

Here's what I have been doing, not sure if it's the right or wrong way, but it seems to be dropping the pH.

As you know, I have a series of six 55 gallon water storage barrels linked together with 1 1/2" PVC along the bottom. The water flows between all six, and is cycled using a water pump. I also have sponge filters in each barrel.

After doing water changes, and the barrels are almost empty, I fill them 75% of the way full of tap water treated with ChlorAm-X, and two tablespoons of Seachem Acid Buffer. This typically brings the pH to around 7.0 neutral. I haven't tested gH or kH as I lost my dang test bottles for those.

I have a five gallon bucket on top of one of the barrels by the tap faucet. I take the hose coming from the faucet, and put it into the bucket under a light "drip". I do this over night. By the time I get up in the morning, the barrels are full.

My Peat Moss Bucket consists of the following, from the bottom up:
1. Twelve 1/4" holes in the bottom of the bucket for the water to drip from the bucket into the water storage barrel:
2. About 2" of pillow stuffing to keep the peat moss above it from coming into the storage barrels.
3. About 12" of peat moss.
4. About 2" more of pillow stuffing to keep the peat moss off of my hose.

When I've tested pH with my API liquid test kit, the indicator is extremely yellow. The guide only goes down to 6.0, and the yellow is more intense in the beaker deal than the paper guide...so I'm assuming I'm getting the pH much much lower...maybe in the 5.0s?

So, obviously, I need to get a more accurate reading on pH, gH, kH, and TDS...
I do have a few questions, and if you have suggestions, please share them.

Question 1: How long will the peat moss last? I'd estimate I have about 75 gallons going through it each water change. I've done six water changes since I first put the original peat moss in there, and it seems to still be working.

Question 2: I have had the bucket overflow, and it flows into the barrels. I'm sure some peat moss got into the barrels. Do I have any water chemistry issues to be concerned about with peat moss floating around in my water storage...and thus that peat moss possibly getting into my aquariums?

Question 3: Do I need to be concerned about the pH creeping back up? I do 50% water changes twice a week in the aquariums. All tanks have about 10 - 40 pounds of driftwood in them.

Thanks for the time looking at this post. I know it's long. I'd like to see how others "treat" with peat moss as well.

 

[tjudy]

I like the set up you have. I think that your method is the first I have heard of a peat system that drops the pH relatively quickly. I think the amount of peat you are using and the relatively slow rate of flow through it is the key... as to your questions:

Question 1: How long will the peat moss last? I'd estimate I have about 75 gallons going through it each water change. I've done six water changes since I first put the original peat moss in there, and it seems to still be working.

Indefinitely, though the rate of acidification will diminish. I would let the color guide you. Once the peat stops leaching tannin it is probably not reducing the pH as quickly.

Question 2: I have had the bucket overflow, and it flows into the barrels. I'm sure some peat moss got into the barrels. Do I have any water chemistry issues to be concerned about with peat moss floating around in my water storage...and thus that peat moss possibly getting into my aquariums?

No issues. No problems.

Question 3: Do I need to be concerned about the pH creeping back up? I do 50% water changes twice a week in the aquariums. All tanks have about 10 - 40 pounds of driftwood in them.

Depends upon the KH of the tap water. If you have a high KH then it is possible that it will eventually neutralize the acid and the pH will come back up.

I am going to try your system, but instead of running tap into the peat I will recirculate water from my RO vat through the bucket.

 

[animalmgc]

I to like this set up in the coming weeks UI'm setting up a vat or 2 with a RO unit and I think I'm gonna steal some of this
nice set up Slim.Saw ur fishroom build somewheres and also found that nice

 

[slimbolen99]

Here's a pic of the bucket on top of the barrel. I took out the floss on the top so you could see how much peat was in there. When I first started, the peat came almost all the way to the top of the bucket, it has since compacted down quite a bit.

 

[slimbolen99]

What I found out tonight is that if you "fluff" the peat moss, basically grab it and mix it up, breaking it back up into tiny pieces, it will flow better, and the tanins will start to release again. I'm going on my 12th water change on this same bucket and still getting some tanins coming out, and the pH still seems to be going down. Just something to think about.

 

[slimbolen99]

I've been fighting some algae issues in the display tanks. One of the suggestions given to me was that our water from the tap in this area has high(er) concentrations of phosphate, which I am told is a major cause of some algae blooms. They recommended using something to help remove the phosphates; whether it be a chemical reactor in my storage barrels, or a natural phosphate remover that they use in ponds; barley straw. Looking around, I found a product called Barley Straw Pellets+, which is basically barley in pellets that folks scatter in their ponds. It also has some pH buffering capabilities, which might also decrease my need for using pH down buffer.

http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=8554

Does anyone out there use anything like this? What are your thoughts / experiences?

 

[Mike Wise]

I really have no experience with this product. My only concern is if it works as an ion exchange medium. Then you would only be replacing the phosphates with another ion. It could even increase the electrical conductivity of the water.

 

[ed seeley]

Phosphate doesn't cause algae. I've kept planted tanks for years and had to add phosphate to keep plants growing to get good growth. What type of algae do you have because each type is caused by different things and needs a different remedy? Often the cause are too much organic wastes (so you up your water changes and clean the filter more regularly), minute spikes of ammonia (tank is underfiltered and/or overstocked) or not enough CO2 (so add CO2 either via gas or by using the liquid CO2 chemicals now available - some of which will actually kill some types of algae like black brush algae).

 

[gerald]

Ed, the fact that you need to add phosphate in your planted tanks does not mean that "phosphate doesn't cause algae". Phosphate can most definitely contribute to algae and cyano blooms (in aquaria, ponds and lakes) if there's more phosphate in the water (and substrate) than your plants can uptake. I often get filamentous cyano blooms (i think it's Oscillatoria) in recently set up tanks with hardly any fish load. I suspect the phosphate corrosion-inhibitor added at the city WTP is one of the causes. A jar of my straight tap water placed near a light or window with nothing else added will grow cyano slime within a week.

Phosphate doesn't cause algae. I've kept planted tanks for years and had to add phosphate to keep plants growing to get good growth. What type of algae do you have because each type is caused by different things and needs a different remedy? Often the cause are too much organic wastes (so you up your water changes and clean the filter more regularly), minute spikes of ammonia (tank is underfiltered and/or overstocked) or not enough CO2 (so add CO2 either via gas or by using the liquid CO2 chemicals now available - some of which will actually kill some types of algae like black brush algae).

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
Just a quickie as I'm in S. Germany at present and don't have regular WWW access. Phosphate is routinely added to tap water to control levels of heavy metals in the water supply. The technical term is PIMS "Phosphate induced Metal stabilisation", an excess of PO4 (orthophospate) mops up any spare cations, and precipitates them out, as almost all phosphate compounds are insoluble in alkaline water. In the UK they routinely add NaOH (sodium hydroxide - "caustic soda") for the same reasons.

If you use tap water in your tank it is very unlikely to be P deficient, unless you alsso have a very large reserve of carbonate buffering (dKH).

Personally I'm agnostic about the role of excess P in algal growth, it is certainly true in the vaste majoriy of the UK#s water courses that high levels of PO4, from the optical brighteners used in washing powders and agricultural run-off, have caused huge algal blooms (and often their associated fish kills when they have died off, and de-oxygenated the water). In the aquarium it is also true that many Aquascapers are using large additions of all the major nutrients, high PAR and added CO2, allied to extreme levels of "cleanliness", to grow amazing algae free aquascapes.

Personally I use the concept of BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) to my tanks, I became aware of its possibilities when we did a lot of "waste water" work in the lab, unfortunately it isn't something that we can easily measure, but the concept is that any biological or chemical compound that we add to the water, all fish food, the biomass of organisms, the respiration of plants, fish, invertebrates and bacteria all contributes to the BOD. I aim to keep that BOD figure as low as possible, whilst providing the fish and plants with sufficient food to live and grow.

I wrote an article for a L number keeping forum a few years ago, it has had a few homes, but it is present hosted by "Plecoplanet", and covers this area in more detail.

It is entitled "Aeration and dissolved oxygen in the aquarium" <http://plecoplanet.com/?page_id=829>, but it is really about BOD, plants and biological filtration, and I would still recommend every fish keeper should read it, and not just because I am the author.

cheers Darrel

 

[wethumbs]

I use pint size bag of peat moss in the tank and change them out every 6 weeks or so. I am able to maintain the pH of 5 or lower with 50% water change every other day.
The 'used' peat moss is then recycle for the grindal worm culture. After that, the peat moss (with some worms still inside) goes to the vegi garden.

 

[Racine Vice]

Here is my peat moss method:

http://www.apistogramma.com/forum/showthread.php?11247-Another-Peat-Filtration-Question

Similar to yours, but my bucket has only one hole.

Scott