Hi all,
Have a look at this thread <Looking to lower pH. Seachem Discus Buffer? | Apistogramma.com>, there are plenty of other peat threads as well.
cheers Darrel
Peat works because it comes from naturally nutrient poor conditions, the cation exchange sites are full of H+ ions, because the sphagnum moss is incredibly efficient at extracting any ions from the water, but grows in rain fed bogs where the only cation present is H+. Your problem is that you need a huge volume of peat to remove all the Ca++ ions from your tap water. The peat will add tannins and humic acids, but realistically will have little effect on the pH.The Ph is something I'm not to I worried about as I'm looking at investing in some peat balls which will naturally bring the ph down and buffer it.
Have a look at this thread <Looking to lower pH. Seachem Discus Buffer? | Apistogramma.com>, there are plenty of other peat threads as well.
It is fine on its own, I just like a spare sponge and "belt and braces". I never worry about hiding filters etc. because all my tanks are full of wood and plants, and don't really have any open areas.I don't really want to use an internal as I want maximum room inside the tank. So that's why I was wondering If the Eheim Liberty 200 model alone would be perfect.
cheers Darrel