[SpongeEva]

Hey, I have a question. I bought some Australian Killarney peat moss from Bunnings that was cheaper than this other stuff called sphagnum peat moss. The former was dark earthy brown and the latter fluffy and green (not quite dead). Are there any differences between these two, and if so, will they do the same job of providing organic carbon for my plants?

Thanks.

 

[Hoppy]

Peat moss and ground peat are two entirely different things. Peat moss is just a bit removed from being alive, is fairly long strings of moss twisted up together. Ground peat is very ancient peat that has decomposed or composted into a nutrient rich material. The former can lower the pH of water, staining it in the process. The latter is a good additive in a thin layer under the substrate. The latter does provide some organic carbon when placed under most of the depth of the substrate, but the former doesn't do that, as far as I know. Of the two you mentioned, the sphagnum peat moss is the nearly alive stuff, and the brown earthy one is the ground peat stuff.

 

[DrinkTheYeastMix]

Hoppy, adding a bit of sphagnum peat moss to my filter is not what I want to lower my pH?

 

[SpongeEva]

Thanks so much Hoppy, that was some really good info. I'm glad I got the right stuff roud:

 

[Hoppy]

Hoppy, adding a bit of sphagnum peat moss to my filter is not what I want to lower my pH?

I haven't tried it, but my understanding is that it will lower the pH, but also stain the water. I have never cared what the pH of my water is so I haven't had a reason to try it.

 

[DrinkTheYeastMix]

k thanks

 

[jmhart]

The brown earthy stuff is what you want. It's hard to say how much to add. Add some, see what it does to your pH and either remove some and do a water change or add more to raise or lower pH. Unfortunately, it hasn't exactly been developed into an exact science. Play around with it.

It's great for black water tanks.