Racine Vice
Member
- Messages
- 67
- Location
- Racine, WI
First some background. I am interested in breeding dwarf cichlids, mainly West Africans and Apistogramma. Space is limited so I only keep a few small aquariums. So far I have spawned N. parilus, S. tinanti and A. cacatuoides 'Triple Red'.
I know most dwarfs need soft acidic water and the use of peat moss seems like the best option. I have been contemplating filtering my water through peat for some time, but haven't had the need until now (I recently aquired a breeding pair of A. panduro). Currently my method of making this soft acidic water will be based on the following link:
http://www.marksfish.me.uk/index.php/Tips/Peat-Filtering.html
I read through the existing threads here and found that peat filtration is popular. There seems to be a variety of methods, but I didn't find anything like this. I am using a 5 gallon bucket, about 4-5 inches of filter floss and 4-5 inches of peat moss. My question is, what exactly do I do with the resulting water (use all peat water for aquarium water; half peat water, half tap water; 1/4 peat water, 3/4 tap water; etc.)? The water is a lot darker than I expected it to be. With a few inches in a white bucket I cannot see the bottom. Should I be concerned about pH crashes?
Because the water is stained, I cannot measure the pH and hardness of the peat water, or the pH and hardness of the combined peat and tap water for that matter (I have the API liquid test kits). Last time I tested my tap water I think the pH was between 7.3 and 7.5 and GH was around 11, but I will test again soon to be sure. I ultimately want these fish to have the proper breeding conditions necessary for success.
Please advise,
Scott
I know most dwarfs need soft acidic water and the use of peat moss seems like the best option. I have been contemplating filtering my water through peat for some time, but haven't had the need until now (I recently aquired a breeding pair of A. panduro). Currently my method of making this soft acidic water will be based on the following link:
http://www.marksfish.me.uk/index.php/Tips/Peat-Filtering.html
I read through the existing threads here and found that peat filtration is popular. There seems to be a variety of methods, but I didn't find anything like this. I am using a 5 gallon bucket, about 4-5 inches of filter floss and 4-5 inches of peat moss. My question is, what exactly do I do with the resulting water (use all peat water for aquarium water; half peat water, half tap water; 1/4 peat water, 3/4 tap water; etc.)? The water is a lot darker than I expected it to be. With a few inches in a white bucket I cannot see the bottom. Should I be concerned about pH crashes?
Because the water is stained, I cannot measure the pH and hardness of the peat water, or the pH and hardness of the combined peat and tap water for that matter (I have the API liquid test kits). Last time I tested my tap water I think the pH was between 7.3 and 7.5 and GH was around 11, but I will test again soon to be sure. I ultimately want these fish to have the proper breeding conditions necessary for success.
Please advise,
Scott