Is Peat Filtration Media Worthwhile?

[John Thomas]

I've got an Aquaclear 300, which lets me pretty much stuff in bags of
anything I want into it. It's currently filtering a 46 gallon bowfont
tank with water parameters and fish appropriate for a South American
flooded forest biotope.

The pH is closer to neutral than what is supposed to be ideal, but it
works well enough for the fish and invertebrates. After having my tank
for a half year, the shrimp, snail, and corys have laid plenty of
'treats' for the other residents of the tank- which I take as another
sign that the residents are quite happy. (In fact, I've lost no fish
since I've had the tank, but have lost one AppleSnail and a half dozen
ghost shrimp.) Finally, the tank is lightly planted and lit dimly, but
the duckweed and hornwort are more than happy enough as is.

I use two sponges to sandwich an activated carbon insert, and it seems
to be working great- which is why, of course, I want to perturb the
equilibrium :-) So, my question is- when I the activated carbon insert
change comes up, is there an benefit at all to using peat instead?

Current residents:
Hornwort
Duckweed
5 Silver Hatchet Fish
5 Harlequin Rasboras
6 Cardinal Tetras
6 Neon Tetras
3 Albino Corydoras aeneus
3 Otoclinus affinis
6 Ghost Shrimp
1 Apple Snail (Pomacea bridgesii)

[Rick]

"John Thomas" > wrote in message ...
> I've got an Aquaclear 300, which lets me pretty much stuff in bags of
> anything I want into it. It's currently filtering a 46 gallon bowfont
> tank with water parameters and fish appropriate for a South American
> flooded forest biotope.
>
> The pH is closer to neutral than what is supposed to be ideal, but it
> works well enough for the fish and invertebrates. After having my tank
> for a half year, the shrimp, snail, and corys have laid plenty of
> 'treats' for the other residents of the tank- which I take as another
> sign that the residents are quite happy. (In fact, I've lost no fish
> since I've had the tank, but have lost one AppleSnail and a half dozen
> ghost shrimp.) Finally, the tank is lightly planted and lit dimly, but
> the duckweed and hornwort are more than happy enough as is.
>
> I use two sponges to sandwich an activated carbon insert, and it seems
> to be working great- which is why, of course, I want to perturb the
> equilibrium :-) So, my question is- when I the activated carbon insert
> change comes up, is there an benefit at all to using peat instead?
>
> Current residents:
> Hornwort
> Duckweed
> 5 Silver Hatchet Fish
> 5 Harlequin Rasboras
> 6 Cardinal Tetras
> 6 Neon Tetras
> 3 Albino Corydoras aeneus
> 3 Otoclinus affinis
> 6 Ghost Shrimp
> 1 Apple Snail (Pomacea bridgesii)


peat bags in the filter will make your water a bit more acidic however as
soon as the peat is exhausted then the PH will climb back up. If things are
working well now why bother changing it?. I would do away with the carbon
insert which after a few days just becomes a bag that acts as a mechanical
filtration and add another sponge or some bio max rings.

Rick

[Iain Miller]

> peat bags in the filter will make your water a bit more acidic however as
> soon as the peat is exhausted then the PH will climb back up.

It will only climb back up as a result of water changes with harder water.
Treating water with peat (in or out of the tank) basically drops the Kh. A
lower Kh gives a lower Ph at a constant level of CO2 i.e. it basically
removes the buffer from the water and its a permanent change.

> If things are
> working well now why bother changing it?.

Indeed

> I would do away with the carbon insert which after a few days just becomes
> a bag that acts as a mechanical
> filtration and add another sponge or some bio max rings.

Agreed.

I.

[John Thomas]

Thanks for the advice, all. Pretty much what I'd thought, but its nice
to get a sanity check.

[Rick]

"Iain Miller" > wrote in message
...
> > peat bags in the filter will make your water a bit more acidic however
as
> > soon as the peat is exhausted then the PH will climb back up.
>
> It will only climb back up as a result of water changes with harder water.
> Treating water with peat (in or out of the tank) basically drops the Kh.
A
> lower Kh gives a lower Ph at a constant level of CO2 i.e. it basically
> removes the buffer from the water and its a permanent change.
<snip>

well then I guess don't do water changes and maintain the same PH and KH. So
let me clarify , when the peat becomes exhausted AND you do a water changes
using tap water which I assume is harder water or why would you be using
peat, your PH and KH will rise and unless you are testing constantly you
will not know when this is occurring.

Rick