How Much Peat?

[Queen Bee]

Finally found the peat at a lfs. They had several different kinds, I got the one which was not hard packed or formed into balls. It looks like peat I would use in a garden.

My tank is 45 gallon and I would like to add enough to lower ph, but not too quickly as I have several gourami in the tank and don't want to send the tank into ph shock.

Read notes on soaking the peat and putting in microwave to sterilize. I just don't know how much to add safely.

 

[drobbyb]

Ideally it should go in a mesh bag in your filter. If you have no room you can always hang the bag in the output of your filter. Also I have seen some tanks set up with the bag simply hung over the side of the tank, but I'm sure that isn't as effective, but still useful if you want to change the pH slowly.

 

[Queen Bee]

I'm using a aqua tech hob filter. I have room if I move some of the sponges around. I have 3 pieces of sponge and a large media bag with charcoal instead of the filter cartridges. Should I get the large media bag and fill that or use the smaller one for the peat?

 

[drobbyb]

I would replace the charcoal with the peat.

 

[Queen Bee]

Ok. Thanks for the help!

 

[mr130gallon]

i read somewhere that someone used 1 gram of peat for every litre of water, and it lowered their ph by 0.5, and it didnt make the water "black", personaly im going to be doing 1.5 grams of peat per litre so i can get my ph like 7.5 lower.

 

[Queen Bee]

Great. I've had it soaking, but I can now measure it out for more effect. Thanks

 

[dave_oddballs]

i use peat to lower my ph in a small tank, as mentioned the most effective way is to add it in a media bag in an external filter, the only problem with that is that it will get clogged fairly quickly. i add mine in a media bag straight into the tank in the flow of the filter output and i use roughly a small handful per square foot of aquarium water. it more than likely will colour your water, either slightly or quite a bit depending on how much you use, personally i like it but to keep it down keep the carbon in your filter.

 

[Queen Bee]

I thought of putting the carbon and a sponge on one side and the peat and another sponge on the other side of the filter. The water intake is in the middle and has a compartment on either side of it. I don't like the cartridges the filter came with and made my own.