Re: Tonics, Peats, and Buffers

[IDMiamiBob@aol.com]

In a message dated 6/9/00 9:57:17 PM Mountain Daylight Time, 
sturob@swbell.net writes:

<snip>> Number 2: Peat, any differences between brands?  Some better than 
>  others?  Plant nursery peat OK?

Not so much different brands, but different types.  The best is sphagnum 
peat, which is almost exclusively harvested fromQuebec and Ontario.  I buy 
mine at nurseries, in 40-lb bags.  It's cheap that way and lasts a long time. 
 If it does not specify sphagnum, it's something else.
  
>  Number 3: Phosphate buffers: I realize they're relatively stable 
>  buffers (like Seachem's Discus Buffer), but is all that phosphate 
>  stressful to S. Am. fish?

Phosphates are linked to algae growth.  They were banned from detergents in 
the US because the resulting algae caused problems in some bodies of water.  
Other than that, they cause an increase in conductivity, and Amazon fish 
generally prefer minimal conductivity.  Not that they can tell how well 
electricity is being conducted by the water, but they can tell when the ionic 
concentrations increase.

Bob Dixon
Cichlid Trader List Administrator
http://cichlidtrader.listbot.com


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