Peat To Lower Ph?

[Paul70]

When I started my aquarium and was fishless cycling my pH was 8-8.2 which was desirable for the bacterial growth. However now my cycle has completed and my tank is 4 months old now my pH is still 8.0 due to my water gH which is 16.

I have 2 large pieces of bogwood in my tank (see attached pic) and this has had no effect on my water apart from slightly tanning it. water pH still remains around 8.

I am wanting to lower my pH but don't want to add chemicals and am considering adding peat to my 3 filters. will this stain my water even more and how much lower can i expect my water to go pH wise? I am wanting to also start a discus tank and obviously will need to have a lower pH for these so I am again thinking peat filtration.

any advice would be appreciated folks
thanks
paul

 

[soybean]

Would also be interested in how to do this - I have 3 pieces of bogwood but my ph climbs to 8 a few days after a water change, from around 7 out the tap. I'd prefer to lower it a bit.

 

[Paul70]

I purchased 2 700gm boxes of aquarium peat today and cut up a pair of old stockings. they are the ideal size for making peat balls. I managed to get 4 tennis ball sized peat balls out of them and sealed the ends of the balls with tie wrap material. I popped 2 of these into my tank, gave them a good squeeze and after a while they sank to the bottom. Put one of them in a space in my filter column between my active carbon and nitrate removal sponge and 2 hours later my pH had gone from 8.1 to 7.6. RESULT.

I am aiming for a pH around 7.0 to make my water discus friendly so I figure I will add a peat ball at a time until I achieve my desired pH. It appears to have worked well so far. My LFS was going to sell me a chemical pH 6.5 stabiliser for £11.50 a bottle. The aquarium peat cost me £4.98 and the old stockings were already in the house. I also figure that the peat will only need renewing every 6 months whereas the pH stabiliser will need to be replaced as soon as it is finished necessitating an ongoing cost. Hence why my LFS was putting me off peat and pushing me towards the chemicals.

so far so good then and I would recommend people trying this for themselves if they pH issues.

ps-water went very cloudy initially but this was filtered out nicely leaving behind the lower pH. I now have crystal clear water again.

 

[TwoTankAmin17]

So- discus need really clean water. I am on the low side and change 50% weekly as mine are not small. What do you think the tank parameters might be if you take out 50% of the peated water and replace it with your tap at 8+ pH and 16 dg GH?

Here is my standard peat post, hope it helps:

Peat moss softens water and reduces its hardness (GH). The most effective way to soften water via peat is to aerate water for 1-2 weeks in a bucket containing peat moss. For example, get a (plastic) bucket of the appropriate size. Then, get a large quantity of peat (a gallon or more), boil it (so that it sinks), stuff it in a pillow case, and place it in the water bucket. Use an air pump to aerate it. In 1-2 weeks, the water will be softer and more acidic. Use this aged water when making partial water changes on your tank. Peat can be bought at pet shops, but it is expensive. It is much more cost-effective to buy it in bulk at a local gardening shop. Read labels carefully! You don't want to use peat containing fertilizers or other additives.

Although some folks place peat in the filters of their tanks, the technique has a number of drawbacks. First, peat clogs easily, so adding peat isn't always effective. Second, peat can be messy and may cloud the water in your tank. Third, the exact quantity of peat needed to effectively soften your water is difficult to estimate. Using the wrong amount results in the wrong water chemistry. Finally, when doing water changes, your tank's chemistry changes when new water is added (it has the wrong properties). Over the next few days, the chemistry changes as the peat takes effect. Using aged water helps ensure that the chemistry of your tank doesn't fluctuate while doing water changes.

From FINS- Beginner FAQ: Practical Water Chemistry

 

[Paul70]

thanks for the information. I had not considered the potential fluctuations when changing water and obviously for discus this would not be desirable.

My only problem is managing to find a water container large enough to hold the amount of water i would need when changing. I am looking at getting a 350+ tank so would need approx 175 lt of water to change 50%. I may have to buy a rainwater butt in order to do this.