# Adding Peat Moss To Ur Fish Tank To Help With Ph ?



## Joe.G

Hi, SO if I want to go the Peat route to bring down my PH How do I know how much to put in?

How often does the peat need to be changed?

Does Peat just bring it to a certain level and maintains it there?

Does the amount of peat you put in effect how much it changes the PH?

If I leave the carcoal in th efilter will it help keep the water clear?

The PH in tank is over 8 right now, it comes out of the tap at about 6.5. Id like to get it to 6.5 or 7.0. Thanks


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## Piranha_man

Peat my man... it's all about the peat.
One of the coolest things ya can do for yer fish IMO.

1.) Depending on what kind(s) of filter(s) you use...

AC-110- put it in a filter bag or piece of nylons and place under the sponge.

Canister filters- put it in one of the compartments in a way that it will be contained and not flow everywhere.

*Magnum 350- the ultimate peat filter IMO. Place it in the center screened part.

2.) Change it out every couple/few months.

3.) It will lower the pH and keep it there for the most part, with mild fluctuations directly after a partial waterchange.

4.) The amount of peat will determine the pH decrease to a certain point.

5.) Charcoal will help keep the water clearer because it will absorb some of the tannins, defeating the purpose of the peat.
IMO the water looks GREAT with the slight tea coloration anyway.

6.) If your tap water is 6.5 and your tank is 8.0... something in your tank is increasing pH.
Are you sure it's 6.5 out of the tap?
That's not only unusual, but unhealthy to drink.
The human body does much better with a higher pH water intake.


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## Joe.G

Yeah I have had my water checked for hardness and biological things and it tested fine.

The water from the tap tested at 6.5 PH. Ill check it again.

I am running 2 Whisper 3 Filters, they each have two bags that contain charcoal, Should I take the coal out of one of the bags in each filter and fill it with Peat?

Should I just mix it with the coal?

Should I just fill up one bag with peat and leave the other 3 with the coal?

I am just looking for a PH reduction not two much of a color change.

I got a huge bag of Peat Moss.


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## THE BLACK PIRANHA

If you want the peat to lower the PH you will not want to remove the tannins. The tannins lower the PH the peat just releases the tannins. So if you add peat and the coal you are just adding peat for no reason because the tannins will just be absorbed by the coal.


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## Piranha Guru

What is in your tank for substrate? The most likely that way the pH would go from 6.5 from the tap to 8.0 in the tank is if the kH (buffering capability) is really low and your tank has aragonite substrate or a lot of limestone type rock. In that case, you would need to ditch the substrate and rocks for something else. If it really is 8.0 out of the tap, you probably also have a high kH which means that peat won't lower it that much, if any.


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## Parsa

guru i think u meant 6.5 from the tap in the last sentence.


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## Piranha Guru

Parsa said:


> guru i think u meant 6.5 from the tap in the last sentence.


Nope, the last sentence was in regards to if it actually was 8.0 out of the tap instead of the claimed 6.5.


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## MPG

The rocks in his aquarium are upping his PH, but hes dead set on not removing them.


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## BuckeyeGuy777

ya they look sweet man but theyre jackin with your ph


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## Joe.G

I have checked it a few times its def 6.5 from the tap, Out of the tank its dark blue and then if I use the Hi Ph solution it goes to a redish brown its hard to tell what it matches exactly.

The gravel is from a fish store could that be the problem?

I did add the rocks ( Field stone ) I love the way it looks and Id rather keep it and have a little more work in regards to lowering PH.

Do you think once tank cycles itll lower a little?


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## MPG

No


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## Inflade

Rocks have to come out in my opinion. messing around with ph fluctuations is not a good idea.

rocks out, and you got perfect params.


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## rchan11

You can also use co2 to lower your PH.


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## BuckeyeGuy777

Joe.G said:


> I have checked it a few times its def 6.5 from the tap, Out of the tank its dark blue and then if I use the Hi Ph solution it goes to a redish brown its hard to tell what it matches exactly.
> 
> The gravel is from a fish store could that be the problem?
> 
> I did add the rocks ( Field stone ) I love the way it looks and Id rather keep it and have a little more work in regards to lowering PH.
> 
> Do you think once tank cycles itll lower a little?


feild stone...im gunna guess by how it looks is lime stone...ur gunna keep having problems with it....you can get other rocks to do something similar like granite som shales...but with that high of a ph if you have an ammonia spike it might not be so good


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## Piranha Guru

Also, trying to fight pH swings with a low kH is a recipe for disaster. Fieldstone is limestone and is what is causing your problems. Either keep the rocks and switch to African cichlids or ditch them and use more driftwood (or rocks safe for low pH setups...driftwood is easier).


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## BuckeyeGuy777

Piranha Guru said:


> Also, trying to fight pH swings with a low kH is a recipe for disaster. Fieldstone is limestone and is what is causing your problems. Either keep the rocks and switch to African cichlids or ditch them and use more driftwood (or rocks safe for low pH setups...driftwood is easier).


we just said the same thing at the same time


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## Piranha Guru

BuckeyeGuy777 said:


> Also, trying to fight pH swings with a low kH is a recipe for disaster. Fieldstone is limestone and is what is causing your problems. Either keep the rocks and switch to African cichlids or ditch them and use more driftwood (or rocks safe for low pH setups...driftwood is easier).


we just said the same thing at the same time








[/quote]

You got yours in first though.









Also, your point of an ammonia spike being more of a problem at a higher pH is a good one that needed mentioning.


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## BuckeyeGuy777

it might suck one day....an easy problem to fix with just changing limestone out with another type of rock


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## Joe.G

Ok, I tried the vingar thing on some of the rocks and got no Bubbles. So Shale rocks are ok? 
I have a shale bank on my property. 
Is there a place I can order safe rocks?


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## Piranha Guru

Shale is a poor choice because it starts to break down over time and some shales release organics such as petroleum into the water. Slate and granite are your best bet...lava rock can work too, but has sharp/rough surfaces that aren't good for skittish fish like p's. Best place to look for cheap rocks is a local landscape company that sells mulch and rocks.


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## BuckeyeGuy777

Ya I typed shale but meant slate...


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## Joe.G

I got a gallon of white distilled vingar and also a gallon of muriatic acid, This is stuff I should use to see which rocks need to go?

Anything special that I need to do?

Let it sit or will it bubble right away?

Do I need a drop or a bunch?

Thxs for all the help so far, I know I can be stubborn.


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## BuckeyeGuy777

ok for limestone just one drop or 2 of acid is enough to bubble but i do know that some times the acid in vinegar isnt strong enough.... hydrochloric acid is the best but u probably dont have that so try the vinegar


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## Joe.G

I have a gallon of muriatic acid which I believe is hydrochloric acid,

I have had field stone in my tanks before, and never had a problem, I am guessing that I have one or two bad rocks this time.

Do The rocdks have to be totaly dry to do this test?

And will these rocks if I dont take them out will they keep raising my PF? or will it prob stay where it is at now at a steady 8 Plus?


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## BuckeyeGuy777

i believe they will have to be dry... field stone doesnt really mean anything besides that you found it outside...it could be anything...besides the work that you put in to it ur not gunna lose anything if you take all the rocks out...thats what you need to do...30 people have told you man...take them out let them dry and you can test for limestone but im telling ya i work in environmental science education you have rocks that are not good


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## Inflade

i cant understand the resistance to taking the rocks out. they HAVE to go. its obviously increasing your ph. ditch em and add drift wood. the tank will look better anyways in my opinion.


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## BuckeyeGuy777

i love the rock in my tank...you just gotta choose the right ones


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## Joe.G

Ok So I took all the rocks out of the tank, test each one with a cap full of muriatic acid which I believe is hydrochloric acid, and not one bubble left it on there for a couple of minutes, all it did was clean the rock int he area i put it, I put the acid on a spot I scratched on a smooth spot and any spot where the rock was chipped/ cracked to get it in side and not one bubble. What Do I do Now?

The olny thing I have checked yet is the gravel which was brought from the fish store for use in fish tanks, I mixed to diffrent style/color gravel.

ANd Back to my Orginal Question whats the proper way to use Peat?


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## BuckeyeGuy777

id leave the rocks out and in a couple of days recheck you ph
id make sure you have the solution before you do anything else

do you have a water test kit
do use any chemicals like a water conditioner when you do a water change


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## Joe.G

I have a api master test kit, I havent added any chemicals to the water, only thing I have is two heaters set to 78 F, 2 Whisper 3 filters turned all the way up, and a air pump which I now have set to the lowest level. I do have fish in there to cycle tank. I checked the PH after doing a 50 % water change and the PH is around 6.6 6.8 right now.

Ammoina was at .050 before doing water change everything else is 0.


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## BuckeyeGuy777

every time you do a water change with tap water you should add some conditioner
like stess coat or something like it

what was you ph before the rocks were taken out


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## Joe.G

I only took rocks out to check them with acid,then I put them back in. PH out of tap is about 6.5 6.8. WhenI checked in tank after the water was in there for a few days it was 8 something, When I did 50% Water change today I checked it was around 6.6.

I will be adding stress coat and other stuff after I figure out PH and before I add my Piranhas.


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## BuckeyeGuy777

did you even wait for the rocks to dry? the water probably diluted the acid....u need to leave the rocks out and see if the ph goes up...your rushing through things and your gunna stress the fish with the constant fluctuation of ph....take the rocks out let them dry for a couple of days and before you do another water change check and see what you ph is


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## FEEFA

Lose the rock already!

It will cause you more problems in the long run especially if you ever get an ammo spike which you probably will with hob filters


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## BuckeyeGuy777

in the end youll do what u want to do but u should really listen to what everyone is sayin...


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## Joe.G

Guys I am listing to what ur saying, I am here to learn. I went out and brought acid to test the rocks like you guys said. They tested fine. I really like the way the rocks look. I also dont want to harm my fish. I am sure that there are people out there who have a high PH from the tap. I would to be able to keep them.

what is the proper way to use the Peat Moss? Id like to give tht a shot and if it doesnt work I ll toss the rocks back in my stream.

I want my fish to have a long healthy life. My last ones I had for over 7 years with the same type of rocks.


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## BuckeyeGuy777

its all good man were just tryin to help...but ur high ph tap water isnt the problem cuz its getting higher in the tank

peat moss does good but there are 2 things...
1. it will release tannins in the water turning it a tea color...some people really like the look others dont...i prefer crystal clear water but thats just me
2. every time you do a water change your gunna have big flux in ph which isnt good

and remember if you ph gets to high at the same time ur ammonia does that can spell disaster


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## Joe.G

How much Peat Moss should i add Id like to give it a shot before adding my fish.

Also will the rocks keep raiseing the ph or will it level out with and with out the peat moss.? It seems to be staying level right now.


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## JoeDizzleMPLS

It all depends on the kH of your water after the rocks have been in there -- if it is higher now, then it will take a lot of peat moss to drop your pH, then it will climb right back up. The peat moss strategy will not have the effect that you are looking for, the only solution to your problem is to remove the rocks. Peat moss and driftwood are normally used by people that have a slightly higher pH right out of the tap to drop the pH -- in your case, adding more acid to the water is only going to make the rocks dissolve faster to bring it up to a pH of 8+ -- to make this clear once again, your only solution to a lower pH is removing the rocks.


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## BuckeyeGuy777

x2^^

i know sucks but u really should


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## FEEFA

All this time wasting with acid and crap testing of the rocks.
Why not just remove the rocks, do a 40% waterchange and see what the ph is after a week.
That way you will know for sure if its the rocks and if it is then you could/should leave them out


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## Joe.G

Ok So i set up some buckets with diffrent rocks in them along with a bucket withjust an air stone in it and I ll monitor the ph to see what happens.


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## BuckeyeGuy777

wait...what? im confused....u took the rocks out of the tank?


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## Joe.G

Yes I am testing the rocks in a bucket I ll do water samples today and see what the results are.


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## Joe.G

OK.

1. Bucket 1 with one rock 3 days sitting PH. Around 7.4.

2. Bucket 2 air pump only PH. over 7.8 didnt have high ph tester with me.

3. I changed rocks and changed water will test rest in a few days

4. Water in tank hold steady around 7.4.with rocks I am rotating rocks out of tank to test and see which are rasing it.

5. Water sitting in bowl 5 days straight from tap. Dark blue over 7.4. think its around 7.6/7.8.

6. Ammoina has been holding steady at .25.

7. Nitrate is at Zero.

8. Ill check the Nitrite it was a little high lasttime I checked.

9. So as of now it doesn't seem like it is the rocks causeing the problem, When I had my well water checked they said it was on the hard side but barely.


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## FEEFA

Hahahahahaha Have fun testing your rocks

But keep in mind that water in a bucket without filters and such wont give you the same reading as your tank would with the nitrogen cycle happening.

AGAIN! Wouldnt it just be easier to test your tank a couple weeks after removing your precious rocks???


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## BuckeyeGuy777

be nice ******







lol ...hes just trying to get the tank the way he wants


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## Joe.G

Ok, I am trying here Ill leave rocks out for two weeks, The water with air pump was still high water sitting in bowl climbed these are all things that I have been told to do so I am doing them, and ur given me a hard time about it u think I want to test each rock but thats what was told to me to do. Air pumps and n buckets and all this stuff I have harder well water my water is in rocks here all day long before it comes out of the tap.


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## Inflade

Take the rocks out. wait 3 or 4 days, waterchange. let sit for a day. test your water.


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## JoeDizzleMPLS

If you have hard water out of the tap and the pH is the same as when you have the rocks in there, feel free to keep the rocks... your initial post stated that your tap water was 6.5 and then rose to 8+ after a few days -- people have been giving you advice based on that. It sounds like your tap water has an actual pH above 8 after a couple days, which can happen as the co2 content decreases. The rocks may not be a problem, although not ideal -- but I would recommend aging your water before water changes if you have that drastic of a change in pH after it has aged for a day or two otherwise you will be putting your fish through massive pH swings every time you do a water change.


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## Joe.G

Yeah it seems that the water PH raises with the rocks in or not. The land here is very rocky. The rocks dont seem to make a diffrecne. Its going to bea bitch to age teh water to do the changes.


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## JoeDizzleMPLS

The water from your tap must have a lot of dissolved co2 in it, as it sits in your tank, the co2 gases out and your pH rises, it's pretty common, but I'm surprised that it comes out at 6.5 and rises to 8.2.

Aging water isn't too difficult, you could just go get a 30 gallon trash can to store the water in, keep it in the garage until the day before your water change, then bring it in, fill it up, and run an air stone in it overnight... you could even put an extra heater in there to get it to the same temp as your tank. When it comes time to do a water change, just drain the tank and fill it up with water from the trash can -- you could do it with buckets or you could rig up a hose attached to a small pump to pump the water into the tank.


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## Joe.G

Didnt even think about that I could get a thirty gallon trash can.The Ph in tank is holding steady, I have been doing water changes weekly about 30% 40 Percent. Fish seem happy, they are eatting like crazy, I did lose one Pleco and all my crabs. I did research after I brought them and I guess teh crabs need land also.


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## JoeDizzleMPLS

Yeah, dealing with well water can be a pain sometimes, my last house had well water and it came out of the tap around 7.8 and rose to about 8.2 over the next day or so, I just aged my water in big rubbermaid tubs since I had over a dozen tanks running -- then I invested in an RO unit when I reduced the number of tanks.


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## Joe.G

Do you think a Ro unit would help me? Is it worth the money or do u think the fish will be ok as long as I can keep it stable. What type and how much are they?


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## JoeDizzleMPLS

Getting a RO unit wouldn't be a necessity, but it could be something to look into if you think it would be worth the investment. Your tap water has a high pH, while not ideal, your fish will adapt. I got mine because I was tired of hard water deposits and it was a small price to pay to not have to deal with all the headaches that my hard water was giving me.

You can get a basic RO unit from someone like thefilterguys.biz for around $150, depending on how nasty your water is, prefilters could need to be swapped out every 6 months or so and the RO membrane would last at least a year depending on use.


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## Joe.G

This gets hooked up to the whole house or do u run water though it?


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## JoeDizzleMPLS

You tap into the water line that enters your house, most units come with a saddle valve that pierces the line and has a fitting that hooks up to a tube that goes to your RO unit. It won't filter the entire water supply to your house, you just turn it on when you need water for your water changes and turn it off when your storage container is full, or you invest in an auto shut-off valve and float so that it automatically stops when the container is full.


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