# Peat moss question?



## crownfire (Nov 25, 2003)

I have a ssg with a empp 400 and a peng. 330 I have a total of 4 media tray's. My tap water is 8-8.2 ph. I'm thinking of bringing it down too 7ph . There's two theories on ph one is let it be the other is bring into parameter's. I think i want to bring it down and make a chem. free more naturalistic condition. My questions are:

1. how much peat moss to start with so it's a gradual drop?

2. how dark will my water become?

3. will charcoal continue to clear the water?

4. How often do i change the peat?

5. When doing a water change will the timelag between the tapwater and existing water create too much stress while it's equalizing?


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## camotekid (Sep 21, 2003)

we need the experts on water chemistry.
Help.


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## jayrod (Oct 22, 2003)

These are great questions..

I cant answer the all but I have done something similar.

I have 2 emp 400's in a 135gal and I filled up all 4 of the media trays with fluval peat. The water was dark for awhile but it cleared up after a a water changes.

This was about 4 weeks ago and the PH slowly dropped from almost an 8 to about 7.0-7.2. My GH has also dropped from 40ppm to around 22ppm.

I am wondering myself how long the peat works and I would also like to know how it lowers the GH of water.

Does it change the calcium over to salt or does it absorb the calcuium and if it does how much calcium can it absorb before it needs changed?


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## rbP NUT (Dec 2, 2003)

ok guys the only way you know the peat is not working is by taking ph, gh and kh tests before and 3weeks after the introduction of the peat. then test fort nightly to see if the results begin to change when near original results time to change. there may be other ways but i just dont know









charcoal/carbon needs really to be changed monthly for optimal results, unless using carbon for tanins which you are, i dont think there is any obvious signs to de activated carbon.etc


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## crownfire (Nov 25, 2003)

Jayrod, You said you water cleared up. Did it clear up completely?


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## jayrod (Oct 22, 2003)

yes it did...

i am thinking that if the peat has lost its juice it does not cloud the water anymore...


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## rbP NUT (Dec 2, 2003)

no tanins should remain?


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## jayrod (Oct 22, 2003)

i found this article on peat

its pretty interesting

http://ark.aka.org/Scheel/Scheel20.pdf


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## rbP NUT (Dec 2, 2003)

jayrod said:


> i found this article on peat
> 
> its pretty interesting
> 
> http://ark.aka.org/Scheel/Scheel20.pdf


 site doesn't work


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## jayrod (Oct 22, 2003)

works for me...


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## jayrod (Oct 22, 2003)

top one

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=...Scheel+ARK+peat


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## rbP NUT (Dec 2, 2003)

im just getting a blank page, try copy and pasting it?


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## jayrod (Oct 22, 2003)

its a pdf, do you have acrobat installed?


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## rbP NUT (Dec 2, 2003)

i think so, nevermind il keep trying


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