Peat And Ph Q's

[connorsbala]

Hey
Posted this in the Tropical Chat section already, but i think that was the wrong place
Ive recently setup a planted tank. My boss at work is ordering me an external filter in for me this week. Ive just got an internal with bio-balss in the tank at the min to cycle it, ill add the balss into the external obviously.
Im planning to have peat in the external. Ive got the pH at around 6.5. I use Ro water with a lil bit of tapwater. I dose the water with some chemical that adds all the stuff back to RO and i use a 6.5 bufffer. My question is if i use the buffer and peat, will the pH become to acidic due to the peat or will it keep the pH constant?
Cheers

 

[aaronnorth]

i'll answer this with my 1st answer in the tropical chat section.

Peat softens and acidifys water so not many fish will stand a ph that low, discus won't mind though.

 

[connorsbala]

Im goign for tetras and Corys... so dont use the peat and stick to pH buffer?

 

[aaronnorth]

they can stand 6.5 but i would use peat rather than chemicals if you use any.

 

[Themuleous]

Whats the idea behind the peat? If you already use RO water then there is no need for peat. Also whats the pH buffer for?

If it were me, Id ditch the peat and pH buffer and just use the RO water with tap as that will already have a low pH. It looks to me like you're wasting money! Also, adding tap water back to RO adds all the minerals, etc that the RO unit takes out so you also dont need to use the

some chemical

to add things back, the tap water does that for you.

Basically you've over complicated things.

Hope that helps

Sam

 

[connorsbala]

Ok, thanks
The buffer just keeps the pH at that constant level (RO is 7 so it will drop it down to 6.5 and keep it there). My tap is very high at 8.2, so i want to keep adding the buffer as im sure the pH will gradually rise due to it.
What would the peat drop the pH down to?

 

[Themuleous]

Who knows.

 

[connorsbala]

Lol, ok cheers for your help!
Ill pop down to the LFS 2moz and see what they think

 

[Themuleous]

Be aware (and this is cynical I know) but a LFS will try and sell you something, its in their interest to get you to buy stuff, so take their advice with a pinch of salt.

BTW whats the desire to have a pH of 6.5? pH 7 should be fine.

Sam