peat not lowering pH

[Lungfish]

Hi Guys,

My tank is about 2 months old now with just a few cardinals to get the nitrate cycle going. These are my hardness and pH levels:

KH: 3
GH: 8
pH:7.4

I got some peat from my garden center, put 500ml or so in a stocking and put that in my filter. 2 days later, the pH is exactly the same (although it seems to have softened the water a bit). Is there a specific type of peat I should be using to get the pH down?

[FishLover]

Peat is not going to have a huge impact on the pH. It will reduce pH a bit over time. It needs a lot amount to work. You did not say how big was the tank. 500ml may not be enough if you have a big tank. You also need to replace peat once it is no longer effective.

I would also be careful with the peat you get from the garden center. Make sure they don't add nasty things in it. It could kill your fish.

[Lungfish]

my tank is 250l, what sort of peat should I be using and how often do you need to change it?

[Robdog]

Are you in Oz or elsewhere?

[Lungfish]

I'm in South AFrica

[samir]

get something from your pet shop that contains phosphoric acid. add one ml at a time and slowly bring the ph down. peat will soften the water and in a bit the ph will gradually come down. are you using carbon in your filter ?

[Lungfish]

Hi Samir, yes I am using carbon. At some stage I'd really like to breed discus, is it ok to be using phosphoric acid if I intend to do this?

[samir]

if you're using carbon along with peat, the peat wont work.

[FishLover]

If you want to use peat, use it in a different container to bring the pH down. You need to run the water through lots of peat for few days in order to have a stable pH reading. After that, you can use that water to do your water change. Make sure to heat it up to the same temp as your tank water. A bit of more wark.

Don't use carbon.