Using peat in filter to lower PH and soften water?

[Desktop Aquatics]

So I am planning on using some peat moss in a media bag in filter to help achieve PHs in the range of 4-5 for a blackwater tank breeding project. I haven't ever tried it and was wondering what people have to say about it and what are their experience or tips and tricks. All stories are welcome and I will be also recording my journey with it on here as I use it.

[Fish Folk]

On 11/27/2022 at 8:29 PM, Desktop Aquatics said:

So I am planning on using some peat moss in a media bag in filter to help achieve PHs in the range of 4-5 for a blackwater tank breeding project. I haven't ever tried it and was wondering what people have to say about it and what are their experience or tips and tricks. All stories are welcome and I will be also recording my journey with it on here as I use it.

What are your water parameters from your tap? Especially: what are your pH and KH measurements?

What kind of filter are you using?

You may find that constant water motion over peat moss like that may cause it to leave fine particles in your tank for awhile.

Have you loaded up on botanicals for your Blackwater setup?

[Desktop Aquatics]

@Fish Folk yah so my tap is hard af but I’ve been using RO water which is 6.8 ph and 1kh and 5GH for about 2 weeks in large water changes. I have a lot of botanicals and a large leaf litter bed but am still sitting at 6.8ph when I’m aiming much lower. Figured I’d try this peat moss method out.

I am using a canister filter right now and a sponge filter inside just for incase I need to move fish into buckets. I’d be putting it in my canister with a media bag.

Edited November 28, 2022 by Desktop Aquatics

[sairving]

Fluval sells peat granules that you can toss in a media bag. I've used them before and they work really well. I dropped my ph from 8.2 to the low 7s on accident once.

[Fish Folk]

On 11/27/2022 at 11:26 PM, Desktop Aquatics said:

@Fish Folk yah so my tap is hard af but I’ve been using RO water which is 6.8 ph and 1kh and 5GH for about 2 weeks in large water changes. I have a lot of botanicals and a large leaf litter bed but am still sitting at 6.8ph when I’m aiming much lower. Figured I’d try this peat moss method out.

I am using a canister filter right now and a sponge filter inside just for incase I need to move fish into buckets. I’d be putting it in my canister with a media bag.

It is certainly worth a try! In certain hatching contexts (e.g. killifish), I have peat moss as substrate to affect parameters.

I will add… you really shouldn’t be reading any GH or KH with RO water.

[anewbie]

You really want to use pure ro water (kh 0) before using peat to lower the ph further. Also you want a fair amount of leaf littler (or similar) to keep the ph stable. If your kh is 1 you will waste an awful lot of peat and similar absorbing those extra ions.

[Schuyler]

On 11/27/2022 at 8:26 PM, Desktop Aquatics said:

@Fish Folk yah so my tap is hard af but I’ve been using RO water which is 6.8 ph and 1kh and 5GH for about 2 weeks in large water changes. I have a lot of botanicals and a large leaf litter bed but am still sitting at 6.8ph when I’m aiming much lower. Figured I’d try this peat moss method out.

I'm pretty new to this. What are you breeding that needs that low of a pH?

[Desktop Aquatics]

Alright for clarification now that I did some reading on my api test kit, the 1 KH I had said previously was misreading the test. It immediately turned the test color which I guess would mean it’s 0 for KH. I have a hefty leaf litter already established in the tank. 
 

for breeding I am looking to breed some F1 ivanacara adoketa. Looking to just get down more to their natural levels and the levels of the breeder I am receiving them from.

[Mmiller2001]

I doubt peat will ever get you down to a 4 pH, even at 0dKH. I would look into a shrimp substrate that lowers pH and run peat in combination and see how low you can get.