Peat Moss usage in filter.

[Flexy]

Can someone please tell me how to use peat moss in the filter??? How often to replace, should monitore the ph in the tank??? ???? ????? ???? ???
Let me know how to operate with peat?? When to replace?????? All these questions keep poping out on me. I have no answers.. Thank You...




8)

[roger]

Hello Flexy

I found that peat in the filter works fine but its a little hard to control. It may make more sense for you to setup a water aging system and use peat on that instead. With that you can atleast mix in tap water to adjust it before you put it into your tank. Use a large bucket with a AC300 or something on the side. Throw a heater in there as well and thats all it takes.

Though it does seem that after about a week peat starts to loose its punch.

[Don_Lee]

Flexy, why do you want to use peat in your filter? What are your water parameters? As was already mentioned, if your water is too soft peat could cause a crash, and if your water is too hard it does little for the pH. Sooo, tell us more for a complete answer.

Don

PS-Not planning on using any premium gasoline with that are you Flex?? lol

[roger]

I should have mentioned that the pH on my water out of the tap is 8.4 or so and its fairly hard water.

I was using a 5gal bucket and an small canister style filter and that got great results. I just moved up to a 55gal tank yesterday so I dont know how thats going to work.

I am going through all this because the teenage fish that I have really like the water and keep spawning. They are 3 spawns in 3 weeks so far (though all the eggs turn white).

Yes I know, I should use RO water but I cant afford that yet and the peat is 6 bucks for a jumbo block at Home Depot.

Peace
Roger

[Don_Lee]

Sounds like you are on the right track Roger, one just has to be careful about the effect peat can have. Different peat gives different results, even within the same brand name from what I have read/heard.

Don ;D

[Smokey]

Howdy Flexy; I use peat, boy do I use a lot of peat.
Here are my findings - A 5 gallon bucket full of peat treats 250 to 300 liters of water. It drops the ph from7.8 to 6.0; the gh from 160ppm to 1oo ppm and the kh from 95 to 40 ppm.
The trick is too let your tap water flow through the peat bucket( with the lid on). I use a flow rate of 0.5 liters per hour-- single pass. I've been doing this for about six weeks now and it works extremely well. The peat filtered water will rise to ~ 6.5ph, but it does stay stable in my the tanks. the hardness remains stable as well. BTW, the tap water is at 85 degrees F. As the barrel fills, I aireate the peat water, treat for nh3's and add to the tanks. I found if the water sits for days the ph seems to rise; but I change 150 to 300 liters per day, so I just make up the water as I need it.
My pH stays very stable and the discus love the copper tinged water....

Smokey
works for me.

[roger]

I dont remember where I saw it but someone mentioned using a magnum hot which helps get the yellow out :)

Thanks for the heads up on the peat quality. I hadnt thought about it yet. Since Ill be filling out of the 55 into a bucket I should be able to figure out how much tap water to in to give me the pH of around 7. Though Im probably more concerned with dropping the gH down.

[samcatj]

The times that I have used peat in my filters I do it by putting some in a piece of ladies hose, tying both ends and placing it in the filter..works great and there is no mess to clean up. When the water starts to lose its "ice tea" look I take it out and place in another one. Hope this helps you.

samcatj