# Peat as substrate?



## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

Sphagnum peat moss will fly around your tank from the flow of your filter. I use chunk peat and it works great. Shrimp love it. It will affect pH and tannins but both are easily fixed. It shouldnt affect your ammonia much at all. Why would you use it as a complete substrate?


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## Da Plant Man (Apr 7, 2010)

I like the look of it (yes I know of other substrates that give the same effect) and it is cheap. So asides for the fact that it might get blown away from filter current I should be fine? I want to try it as kinda a experimet plus it is something diferent. I might try and mix it with sand. I did this once to make a potting soil for a christmas catus and it worked out great ( love the color). 


-Caton

Sent from my iPod touch using tapatalk.


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

Yes, you could do that easily. If you like the look of a moss carpet, mosses love to grow on this stuff. Chop your moss into 1" pieces and let them free float across it to carpet it up. If you dont like moss carpets, watch your moss in this tank, moss loves this stuff


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## captain_bu (Oct 20, 2007)

I mixed peat with gravel and had bits of it floating all through the water column and clogging the filter. Really messy. I would never try it again. The water was so stained it also reduced light quite a bit.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

You could try something like pelletized peat used for ponds, laguna makes some and it is cheap. 

Peat Moss is so light that even the lowest of currents will blow it all over.


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## mightyoak (Mar 10, 2010)

I put a layer of peat beneath an inch of ecocomplete for a shrimp tank and it is great. When I have to replant it can be a little messy but overall it is good. I don't mind the colored water for this tank but if you don't like that look then don't use peat. What I don't know is how long it will keep the PH down and when I will have to replace it. I will keep an eye on this as it has been in there about 3 months now.


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

Just to clarify Caton, the stuff they're talking about is sphagnum peat, and yes it'll blow all over. Look for chunk peat (the best) or pelletized peat. Tannins causing amazon blackwater effect is cool if you are doing a biotope or just like that look. Its fairly easy to keep ahead of it with Purigen or regular weekly waterchanges if you want clearer water.


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## tetraontheedge (Dec 7, 2010)

Hi. I'm very new and inexperienced. That said, I am using ecocomplete as my substrate and just started running about a tablespoon of Eheim Torf pelleted peat in my HOB. I am going to gradually add more so as to very gently lower the ph.

I prefer this idea to using peat under the ecocomplete because it's easier to "recharge" the peat (or I should say, replace it) when it wears out.

Anyway, good luck, whatever you decide! :icon_smil


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

Just tossing this out there Caton, I mixed peat in with my MTS and am very happy with it. I saw the least amount of crypt melt doing it this way than ive ever seen.


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## Da Plant Man (Apr 7, 2010)

I have always wondered about doing MTS...Always never seemed to get the jest of what it is... I currently have sphagnum peat, I love this stuff for potted house plants. I will see if I can get chunk or pelletized.


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

Caton said:


> I have always wondered about doing MTS...Always never seemed to get the jest of what it is... I currently have sphagnum peat, I love this stuff for potted house plants. I will see if I can get chunk or pelletized.


In a nutshell its dirt for your aquarium plants. Ever try to grow a houseplant in plain gravel? Why would you grow aquarium plants in it then?


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## Da Plant Man (Apr 7, 2010)

Well...I have done it... :flick: I have my lucky bamboo (Dracaena sp.) in gravel 

I will have to research it some more because I haven't really done that much regarding the subject.


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