Treating Peat

[charlon_ellul]

After struggling to find some Irish Peat Moss, I found some

I came home searching a bit on the net how to prepare it but to no avail, maybe the kind of peat moss is not that common in the East either.

I filled a thights socks (worn by women under skirts) that have very fine holes, which should leave the very fine particles to leave the sock (it works). After filling it with peat, I rinsed it, and re-rinsed it for several times ... then filled a pan with water and put the sock+peat in it and left it to boil for about 15 min. Afterwards I re-rinsed it with cold water, several times again ... HOWEVER the tannins seems uncontrollable. After several times of re-rinsing I gave up, however it was obvious that as soon I add the peat to the water everything will turn dark brown.

It happened perfectly the same when I added water. Is there something I'm doing wrong? How can I reduce the tannins from the peat? And will rinsing the peat several times reduces the effect of softening the water?

Also, a friend of mine locally, uses a different method to that usually described to breed annuals ... instead of filling a container with peat, he covers the whole tank bottom with 1-2cm of peat. What are the cons and pros, in your opinion, of using this method?

Thanks.

[Leo]

Charlon,

I used at first peat too, but now I changed to coconut-fibre - it is the stuff, which is used for a terrarium as a soil on the floor.
I mix it wit 1/3 peat.

Both things mixed up with a little natrium-bicarbonat (don't know the correct word in english, sorry) I put it in a pot and put boiling water in this pot - and keep it standing there for a whole day - it's like making tea ;-). Afterwards I put it in a fine fishnet and wash it again under running water - be careful, don't do this in the kitchen, don't do this in the bathroom - better choose an other place, where it is not visible for wifes - best thing: do it in the garden with a tube.

Anyway: in this way you the substrate is not that acid. If you put it into your tank, the water will get brown thogh, I dont' know if there is any way to avoid that.

My annual fish have all a container with this substrate in their tanks. If you don't use a container, the excrements of the fish are in teh substrate, I was told this is bad for the eggs, they might go fungus if it is "too dirty".
another thing: I can use planted tanks with this method.

Good luck with your annuals ;-)

Servus!
Greetings!

Leo

[charlon_ellul]

Hi Leo,

I think like you said, it's definitely better with the container than with covering the whole bottom.

Re: pH, my tapwater is ph8, so lowering a bit would be useful ... what I fear is a pH crash, but till now had no losses as a result.

Good luck with your annuals ;-)

Thanks, I will wet a batch of Austrolebias affinis "Durazno" a friend of mine sent me recently in 80 days :P