peat

[dismatt]

hi guys was just wondering if i can yous the peat in the presealed packs at bunnings they say there 100% natural the packs expand to heaps when you open them cheers matt

[mistakes r crucial]

Very often garden peat can contain chemicals so make sure the one you have doesn't. A Canadian brand of peat called Sunshine Peat is about as pure as it comes and is available in nursery's, you just might have to call a few local ones to see if they stock it. It's cheap too, last time I bought some it was $28 for 20kg.
MAC

[Baro]

There is also a German peat (sorry don't know brand) that doesn't have any heavy metals etc and is suitable for aquarium use. It may be "100% natural" and still not be suitable for aquarium use. Can you post the brand and that may help as other users of that product can share their experience. The manufacturer may have some information too. Some products say they are "peat" but they are coconut husk fibre instead, these are not as good as peat moss for acidifying and softening water.

Cheers,

Paul.

[magic-city]

I also use the same Canadian brand of peat called Sunshine Peat for discus tanks….I have not found any reasons for concern with this particular brand of peat. Also use in frog terrariums and proves itself to be safe in my experience. Local Nursery explained/cautioned that many of the pre-packaged peat pellets often contain wetting agents that might not be good for fish and other critters.

[Bubbles]

Can anyone help with peat moss product for me here in Melbourne, hard to find without chemicals as we keep apisto's in a ph of around 6-6.2

Cheers,
Bubbles aka Karen :D

[mistakes r crucial]

Ring around a few nursery's and try and find Sunshine Peat as mentioned above. You could also try agricultural suppliers.
MAC

[Bubbles]

Ring around a few nursery's and try and find Sunshine Peat as mentioned above. You could also try agricultural suppliers.
MACThanks MAC,

Will ring around & see how I go.

Thanks for your speedy reply

Bubbles

[flaggy]

Has anyone bought Sunshine Peat in Sydney? If so, could you tell me which shop / nursery you bought it from? Saves me having to ring around, if someone already has the experience ;)

Many thanks

[fish_r]

i have a 235ltr bale of the Canadian stuff coming from here @ $50+gst
http://www.triffidpark.com.au/htm_pages/sundries.htm
there about the size of a hay bale.
the shop is in Melbourne...

[ILLUSN]

fish_r thats the best stuff you can buy!!!!!

[samir]

what do you need the peat for ?

[fish_r]

good to know Jothy, hoping it will arrive tomorrow and getting it through work so no freight costs.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v402/KharmaKazi/thumb.gif

the water is very hard here Samir so using it to soften my water.

[flaggy]

235l? wow, maybe you can sell us all some ;)

[samir]

the water is very hard here Samir so using it to soften my water.

just wondering what the Sydneysiders were doing with it :?

[flaggy]

the water is very hard here Samir so using it to soften my water.

just wondering what the Sydneysiders were doing with it :?

some apistogrammas like acidic blackwater...

[samir]

same as discus ?

[flaggy]

there are some that do ok and breed in neutral pH water, but some that only breed in very soft water and pH between 4 and 5. i have some that apparently prefer 5'ish pH, and planning to get some which may prefer even lower pH (graduated from the easy ones) so checking out what's out there for conditioning the appropriate water, short of getting an RO unit.

[samir]

be careful, i've had a few ph crashes lately in my driftwood tank, ph dropped to 1.9 :shock: Sydney water is pretty soft to start with.

[fish_r]

235l? wow, maybe you can sell us all some
it would probably cost more in freight than it would be worth ?
i did see someone selling it in aust post bags for $15-$20 on a local forum though"maybe it was on here" so i'll try find it for u.

in my 5ft discus tank iv'e been putting sera peat and shell grit in one of the filters to balance things a bit to keep the pH stable. so thats the plan for that tank and replacing the sera stuff with the Canadian stuff.
and will be putting it in a bag in the aging drum too.

wow 1.9 lol :shock:

[ILLUSN]

just wondering what the Sydneysiders were doing with it

before the rain, when my rain water tanks were empty at dads place i used it to soften the water, now i use it with sickish looking fish to lower the ph slightly (only goes down by about 0.5 form 5.5 to 5.0) and for the black water effect, helps new fish settle in.

you dont need much, 1/2 a cup in a 2217 works a treat.

[flaggy]

hey fish_r - how's the peat moss going? any good or did it kill some fish?

i just ordered a bag from this company, so let me know whether you have any problems with it. $41 plus delivery from within NSW:

http://www.gardencityplastics.com/peat.htm

[fish_r]

hey Flaggy, iv'e had it in my cannister for about a week now and my fish seem very happy :)
but havn't had the time to do any tests to see whats happening with the water yet.

i payed $55 inc tax for my 235ltr bale, but got it on the company account i work for and free freight so probably works out about the same price for me...
actually u just reminded me, i havn't payed for it yet :lol:

[flaggy]

hi fish_r, i put the peat moss in an old canister filter and pre-treat the water in my water aging container. it brings the pH down to below 4.5 in next to no time. after a couple of times refilling the container, it stops having much effect and i need to replace the peat moss.

have you checked yet what it does to your water?

cheers

[ILLUSN]

it brings the pH down to below 4.5 in next to no time

you've gotta love sydneys super soft water at the moment.

have you noticed the improvment in your fish's behaviour since adding the peat treated water?

[Gone Fishing]

Hi Guys,
I think your ph dropping in Sydney, due to soft water can be fixed with adding a combination of mineral salts that 'Auburn Aquarium' sell.
I also use 'Ocean Free-Natural Miracle Leaf. It puts a slight tannin colour to the water, fish are very calm and seem happy and content I have no issues.

I suppose I should tell you of the rest of the setup.

I use a top filter setup with a few enhancements & adjustments.
Besides the bio-noodle that comes with the tank when I bought it I used 'Ehiem' filter media with a 'Purgen' pouch, which I put on top of the filter media as well as the 'Natural Miracle Leaf' satchet.
With the filter pads that are on top of them I change every second water change and squeeze them as clean as I can into some of the water from the tank to clean them when I'm not changing them.
Then finally on top of all the filter setup I put plastic lids with small holes(4-6mm) drilled all over it to evenly distribute the water, that comes out of that centre tube, right across the entire spectrum of the filter.
I use 'Prime' and 'Sera' fishtamins( which works a marvel!).

A penny for your thoughts!

Many Kindly Fishy Regards
Jason

[Merrilyn]

Jason, I'm interested in your experience with Purigen.

Have your fish stopped spawning behavior since you've been using it in your filter?

I've since removed Purigen pads from the breeding tanks, and behavior is back to normal.

[Gone Fishing]

Hi Merrilyn,
Purigen is a wonder to my community tank. It clears it up really well and I had spawning just fine, but to continue the performance you have to recharge the pad as it says once every 2-4 weeks.
Don't just sit it in the bleach or dechlorinator, when it's time to clean it, give it a double run through with the bleach and also really work the bleach (and the dechlorinator) through with your hands to make it a thorough clean.

Many Kindly Fishy Regards
Jason