Peatmoss questions

[Scat]

Hi :D

I need some more advice please !


1. Does peat moss discolor water in the same way as tannins from driftwood does, Does frquent water changes remove this coloration or is it still strong ? ( dont like the tannin look )


2. Is it better to stuff peat moss in a stocking and let it leach or put it inside a canister to help soften water for my 7x2x2 , also how long before you throw out the peat moss and put fresh stuff in ?


3. Is using peat moss the most easy and ideal way to soften your water and reduce the water hardness or do you think ph down, ro units ect are better for this ?


My ph is currently 7.0-7.1 ( ph pen couldnt decide ! ) and my gh is 120 ( am new to testing for gh as ive never bothered with my malawi`s and have used malawi buffer often )

Thanks for all your help :D

Craig

[Merrilyn]

Hi Craig, yes peatmoss does discolour the water, and the fish will love it !

It's the most gentle way to soften the water, but your readings are quite suitable for discus straight from the tap, unless you want to breed.

If you hope to breed them then it will be necessary to lower the pH and soften the water, but just for maintaining your fish, stable water conditions are more important than 'ideal' water conditions.

If your fish are happy and healthy, then you don't need to add the peatmoss at all.

[Scat]

Thanks Merrilyn :D

Yes i do want to breed but need my discus to grow out and then pair off. Will they pair off in those conditions ?

I will be breeding them in seperate tanks when the time comes and will condition the water appropiately.

Just bought some seachem discus buffer today to try and 6 cobalt discus also !

Thanks :D
Craig

[Hollowman]

To be honest I don't like the 'adding chemicals' to lower ph. To have stable conditions, which you already have is far more important as Merrilyn has said.
To condition your fish (once at a breeding age)I would go down the RO unit route, and mix with your tap water until you have a condition which is stable (and maintainable). To get the maximum growth from your fish, which is key initially, having a higher Ph will let them concentrate on feeding and not breeding. Get this right, which will take a little time (adult fish imo are 12 months +) and then you can slowly lower the Ph, and see if pairs start to form.
I mean, pairs might already have formed at the higher level, but as the females especially reach an adult age, which imo is earlier than males, they tend to think about laying eggs more over than eating, which tends to make them stop growing, or slow right down.
Lots to think about, hth

H :)

[vanessa messig]

Hello,

Does anyone know where in Melbourne, I could buy peat moss which does not contain fertilizer? Seems LFS do not sell it.

[flaggy]

In Victoria, you can Canadian sphagnum peat moss from http://www.triffidpark.com.au/htm_pages/sundries.htm

I bought the same brand from another company in NSW, and it was quite effective.

It's such a large bale that before I had used too much of it, I got lazy and started to use acid instead in my aging container.

[vanessa messig]

Thanks so much Flaggy, thats a lot of peat but it will always come in handy and the place is not far from where I get my discus from :)

I have had to use acid as well but its best to keep it natural.. I've been looking for good quality peat for ages. Thanks again,

[peppermintman]

I think i just bought the last 2 of a Sera product. Supa Peat. The fish shop i went to only had 2 left. The ones you get from landscaping shops do have chemicals in them. The hydo shops have a coco nut peat and i dont know if they have chemicals at all.