RE: Peatmoss to lower pH in breeding tanks

["Brett Kemker" <bkemker@mailer.fsu.edu>]

The killifish folks boil their peat.  (I should know as I am a closet killi
guy). The peat is boiled to sterilize it as well as to leech out the
majority of the tannins since a lot is used and a two gallon tank would get
too dark to see the fish if you didn't  do this.  The peat itself is used as
a spawning medium for some species of killifish.  The water is usually
discarded in these applications.  Having become aware of this method I
thought the use for this discarded water could be used for SA dwarf
cichlids.

Boiling peat on the stove can stink up the whole house and put you in
divorce court.
What I do is bring large pot of distilled water to a boil and then dump this
water outside into a 5gal bucket half filled with pure garden peat.  The
peat is saturated instantly and the tannins released.  Add more hot water
until the bucket is almost full and allow it to cool.  What you get is a
strong blackwater concentrate.  Put this in a squeeze bottle and your good
to go.  Place the extract in your tanks while monitoring your tank's pH and
fish behavior until you get the desired effect.

As for sand, I have used sand in all of my tanks since the mid 80's with
excellent results.  I use quartz and various local pristine creek sands.  I
add about one half of an inch in the breeding tanks.  In fry tanks I usually
add about two fistfuls to a ten gallon tank.  Detritus can not settle into
it like traditional gravel but merely conveniently accumulates in low spots
for removal by siphoning.  I have found that the tanks are much more
chemically stable than without sand.  The sand probably provides more
surface area for beneficial bacteria (whatever they are).  The fish are more
at ease as well I believe.
Be good to yourself,
		      Brett
___________________________
Brett Kemker, Ph.D.
Dept. of Communication Disorders
The Florida State University
Tallahassee, Fl. 32306-1200
Ph:850.644.2238
Fax:850.644.8994


-----Original Message-----
From:	owner-apisto@admin.listbox.com [mailto:owner-apisto@admin.listbox.com]
On Behalf Of Frauley/Elson
Sent:	Tuesday, September 14, 1999 5:14 PM
To:	apisto@admin.listbox.com
Subject:	Re: Peatmoss to lower pH in breeding tanks

jason@norac.ca wrote:
>
> Hello every one, I'm alurking coming out of the closet, looking for some
> help.  I am looking for any help on how to either make my own black water
> extract or how to use peatmoss, in the tank to lower the pH.  Any and all
> help would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> "See you at the top!"
>
> Jason "Primer" Clark

There are many ways of doing this. I'm lazy, so I take a lot of garden
peat, of a local brand I know from experimentation doesn't have
additives, and let it sink to the bottom of an unused 30 gallon. The
tank is 18 inches high, and at least six inches is water saturated peat.
It takes a couple of weeks to get the peat to the bottom, but then I get
six months of water treatment. I use about 15 gall a week, drawn off the
top. An airstone keeps the water 'sweet'.
It gives me a stock of nice brown water in which I've spawned a variety
of killies, plus D maculatus, A aggassizii and cacatuoides.
A good old fashioned corner bubble filter filled with peat will
sometimes work to trigger spawns, although it does little to my water.
It's scarily low-tech, but with water changes, it works for me.
Gary


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