I use r/o water in one of my tanks and grow crypts and anubias in it fairly well. I too am curious about peat filtering.
Practical advise needed on setting up a low-pH species tank
I am interested in trying my hand at keeping some fish that require low-pH, soft-water environments (ie. Betta persephone, and some killie species). I (think I) understand the science behind it, but I am hitting a wall on the practical application of that. I read about setting up peat filtration, boiled oak leaves, etc. Frankly, I am stuck on how to begin and maintain the environment. Also, can this be done in a low-tech, "Walstad" fashion (ie. soil substrate, sunlight, etc)?
First of all, what exactly is peat filtration? Is this as simple as putting peat in the substrate, or using peat instead of soil? Is this what I would call generic peat moss found at garden centers, or sphagnum(?) peat moss? (Are there other types?) If not in the substrate, would peat in a filter bag in a filter, or sitting in the corner of the tank work?
Secondly, what about the use of oak or almond leaves which I see mentioned on different web sites? They will frequently mention them being boiled. Are these fresh, tree-picked leaves? Dry, dead leaves? If boiled, for how long (don't they just disintegrate)? I've never boiled leaves, so I'm not sure what is involved. How long do these boiled leaves last in such an environment? Does it get messy?
What about plants, then? I would assume things like Java Moss and Java Fern would work, as they seem so hardy as to work in just about any environment. What about other types of plants? Any crypts?
As you can see, I find lots of data to work from, but I cannot find any documentation on how to implement the suggestions. Hence my verbose confusion above!
Thanks for any assistance.
Oh, one other thing. My tap water, the starting point, is always pH 7.0 and a GH/KH of ~1dH.
First of all, what exactly is peat filtration? Is this as simple as putting peat in the substrate, or using peat instead of soil? Is this what I would call generic peat moss found at garden centers, or sphagnum(?) peat moss? (Are there other types?) If not in the substrate, would peat in a filter bag in a filter, or sitting in the corner of the tank work?
Secondly, what about the use of oak or almond leaves which I see mentioned on different web sites? They will frequently mention them being boiled. Are these fresh, tree-picked leaves? Dry, dead leaves? If boiled, for how long (don't they just disintegrate)? I've never boiled leaves, so I'm not sure what is involved. How long do these boiled leaves last in such an environment? Does it get messy?
What about plants, then? I would assume things like Java Moss and Java Fern would work, as they seem so hardy as to work in just about any environment. What about other types of plants? Any crypts?
As you can see, I find lots of data to work from, but I cannot find any documentation on how to implement the suggestions. Hence my verbose confusion above!
Thanks for any assistance.
Oh, one other thing. My tap water, the starting point, is always pH 7.0 and a GH/KH of ~1dH.
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Some have said to me that it is not the pH so much that effects the fish as GH. Now I am more confused!
Seriously, all the information says that Fish A needs, say, pH 5.5-6.5 and GH of 10. But then again apparently most, if not all, fish will apparently adapt to my city's tap water (pH 7.0, GH/KH ~1dH). So... Why do they need pH 5.5-6.5 if they will live fine in pH 7.0?
Yet another person said that if the fish breed in the "wrong water" (wrong GH or pH) then the offspring can be malformed, or something....
A bit more confused now than before...
Seriously, all the information says that Fish A needs, say, pH 5.5-6.5 and GH of 10. But then again apparently most, if not all, fish will apparently adapt to my city's tap water (pH 7.0, GH/KH ~1dH). So... Why do they need pH 5.5-6.5 if they will live fine in pH 7.0?
Yet another person said that if the fish breed in the "wrong water" (wrong GH or pH) then the offspring can be malformed, or something....
A bit more confused now than before...
1 - 6 of 6 Posts
