Fwd: Peat

["Ed Pon" <edpon@hotmail.com>]

R. Aaron Walton wrote:
>
>Hi all,
>
>I have a question about peat. I've seen it covered before but had a 
question concerning
>a tank that I am just setting up.
>
>My tap water has a PH of 7.6 - 7.8, however, when I test for hardness, 
it shows as
>soft (the test kit I have doesn't measure it in any definable way other 
than Soft,
>Medium or Hard).
>
>With the addition of peat, will it lower the PH and the softness? Is 
there a point
>where the water is too soft for Dwarfs?
>
>Thanks,
>Aaron
>
Aaron--I've asked this question at the killifish club meeting because in 
carefully reading the aquarium magazines and literature, few people 
claim that peat actually softens water.  A couple of the club members 
insisted that some softening takes place because of ion exchange (don't 
ask me to explain).  

Another thing that I've heard long ago is that nothing can live in pure 
(no hardness) water.  I know of people who raise discus and apistos in 
pure R.O. water (I've done it myself) and the fish seem fine for a long 
time.  In most cases, the fish finally die due to a tank disaster, a 
sudden ph crash.  The trouble with water that is totally unbuffered (no 
minerals) is that the ph swings high and low rapidly, and it is 
difficult to stay on top of this.  This is why many people mix tap water 
with their R.O. water.

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