To Peat or Not to Peat, That is the Question.

[Orchid]

Would a pair of Pelvicachromis t. Lobes benefit from peat in the filter? If so, I have half a bale of Canadian sphagnum peat that I use for gardening, will this be safe to use in an aquarium?

I use RO water and Seachem's Acid Buffer, is there another water conditioner that I should use or will the peat take care of this?

What about dither fish? Will Congo tetras make good dither fish for this pair in a planted 20 long tank? Or is there another fish that would make a much better ditherer?

Who would be a good resident algae eater? I was thinking large algae shrimp and some otto cats, but I read an article at the Krib about a pair of westies that killed these two species.

Do I need a scavenger to eat the leftover food? I know to stay away from Cory cats, especially if I want to breed the westies, but what about day hiding Kuli loaches? Has anyone had better success with another scavenger with their westies?

 

[tjudy]

I, personally, am not a big fan of peat. I have never really been into the 'iced tea' look in an aquarium. I prefer to use R/O to soften and carbon dioxide to keep the pH low. If I am not using CO2, I use the Acid Buffer product as well.

There is some debate about the tanins from peat providing some other nutrients or chemical compnent to fish. I do not know if that has ever been specifically worked out. I would argue, in any case, that commercial peat does not come from the areas that our fish do, and that peat bogs are not tropical streams. I do use driftwood in all my tanks, and that adds some tanins

 

[Randall]

Dear Chris,

I think I've got you covered here.

"Would a pair of Pelvicachromis t. Lobes benefit from peat in the filter? If so, I have half a bale of Canadian sphagnum peat that I use for gardening, will this be safe to use in an aquarium?"

Peat can be beneficial in softening and acidifying your water. If you're using R-O filtered water, then peat is not necessary.

"I use RO water and Seachem's Acid Buffer, is there another water conditioner that I should use or will the peat take care of this?"

If you're using R-O filtered water, then an acid buffer should not be necessary. Should you want a lower pH than your R-O unit provides, then you can treat your R-O water with peat, in a holding container, not in the filter. That would be preferable to using an acid buffer. Buffers, and the like, dramatically increase the conductivity of water. You're Lobes would fair better in water with a low conductivity.

"What about dither fish? Will Congo tetras make good dither fish for this pair in a planted 20 long tank? Or is there another fish that would make a much better ditherer?"

Congo tetras are quite active and may grow too big. Better to use smaller tetras or pencil fish as dithers. Cardinals, Neons, etc.

"Who would be a good resident algae eater? I was thinking large algae shrimp and some otto cats, but I read an article at the Krib about a pair of westies that killed these two species."

A few otocinclus sp. should be fine for algae control. Just make sure that your tank is well planted.

"Do I need a scavenger to eat the leftover food? I know to stay away from Cory cats, especially if I want to breed the westies, but what about day hiding Kuli loaches? Has anyone had better success with another scavenger with their westies?"

In a 20-gallon tank, a scavenger isn't necessary. Just keep up with your once weekly partial water changes, and you'll be fine.

Anything else?

Good luck!

Randall Kohn

 

[Neil]

Orchid,
All the various things that make up a Dwarf Cichlid tank are simply tools. At least, that is the way I look at it. You can use your tools for the construction of an aesthetically pleasing aquarium or you can use your tools for a functional aquarium to serve your particular purpose. Hopefully, both can be achieved without sacrificing too many elements of either.
Some people don't like the looks of peat-filtered water, but others consider it more natural looking. That is subjective. Objectively, there are several ways to lower the pH and hardness of the water in your tank, but peat potentially offers an additional benefit, as Trudy alludes to earlier. Without claiming empirical evidence for this, I will say that the tannins leached from peat filtering have seemed to produce effective results for me in the breeding of many Dwarf Cichlids, especially those from blackwater biotopes. However, each project may require the use of different tools, even when the project seems identical to the last.
When your goal is breeding, you must be fluid in your process. If you are to be successful in breeding these fish, you cannot be tied to the use of one methodology or tool for all situations. That would be boring anyway. It is most likely that Randall is correct in saying that the conductivity of the water is of paramount importance. However, peat filtering may be the key ingredient in your success with "Lobe"; then again it may just turn your water tea colored and mean nothing to the fish.
I say it is a tool worth keeping in your bag.

 

[Orchid]

Thanks for all the wonderfull info, it has helped me out tremendously. I had no idea that RO water and Acid Buffer could be overkill. I started using this combo in my 55 gal discus tank because the pH in there is forever high, much to my frustration. There is no pH altering plants in there, a low fish load, lots of driftwood, and a neutral substrate. Yet the pH is fine in my 10 gal tank with just RO water.

I think I will not use the Acid Buffer in the 20 long unless I really must. I will hold off on the peat unless there is a slight pH change. I like peat colored water, there is something mysterious and evokative about it. I will be flexible in my methods, that is a good idea and something I have learned to do with my reef tanks.

No scavengers, plenty of otto cats once the algae starts, and smaller dithers. OK, got it!