Petshrimp.com Discussion Forum

I've done some testing and have concluded that the Jiffy peat pellets are not effective for softening water and reducing pH.

After three cycles of soaking and testing the water for 3 days, I've found that each small pellet contains approximately 50mg nitrate, with some amount of ammonia as well. I called the manufacturer and was told that they do add a small amount of fertilizer and a pH stabilizer to the pellets. I suspect their fertilizer is ammonium nitrate, but the actual amount is difficult to determine due to the natural oxidation of ammonia to nitrate over time. As for the pH stabilizer, it is most likley lime.

Surprisingly, the pH of the water did not drop significanlty, suggesting that the peat has been highly processed to remove the tannins and natural acids that one might want in a soft water acidic tank. This is supported by the fact that the water discolors very little, even when a pellet is soaked in a small volume of water.

So if you are wanting to use peat to soften your water and decrease pH, I suggest looking elsewhere for your peat.

I purchased a box of Fluval Peat Granules and began using them in my filters last night. My newly emptied cherry shrimp tank went from pH 7.2 to pH 6.8 overnight. I'm waiting to see where it will stabilize before adding some crays, but I am very pleased with the results. My water is a very pleasant light amber color and I noticed that several of my dwarf crays have molted since the introduction of the peat in their tank which is now at pH 6.6.

I'll update this thread over time to report my success/failure with the use of peat to simulate the blackwater of the native habitat of my dwarf crays. Considering how it has recently been mentioned that the expensive and hard to find ADA soil is composed at least partly of peat, the Fluval granules may be a great option for those keeping shrimp/crays that prefer soft, acidic conditions.

Thanks for the report. Do these fluval granules sink? Are they pretty solid without falling apart? In other words, could they be used as a partial substrate? What do you think?

Also, please let us know how long the ph lowering effect of the granules lasts and how the ph fluctuates when water changes are done.

Oh yeah...if you have a conductivity meter handy, compare the conductivity of the water before adding the peat and after adding the peat next time you add the peat to a new tank. Although people report that kh and gh go down after peat treatment I have always made the experience that overall conductivity can go up considerably because of the humic acid added to the water.

I placed the granules into a mesh bag inside my filter, but I will go now and toss a spoonful of them into a small container of water to see how they float or sink, disintegrate or stay together.

The granules do start as very solid pieces, although there is a minor amount of dust too. I'll report back after a few days of soaking them.

Although I always read manufacturer's statements very critically, here is some of what the packaging says that suggests that they might be useful as substrate:

Replace monthly when pH begins to rise or the brownish coloration begins to fade. Peat Granules may also be used to nourish plants by burying some granules in the substrate, close to the roots of live plants.

Fluval Peat Granules offer a highly effective, natural method to soften water and achieve proper pH values for many tropical fish. Peat Granules contain valuable substances such as a variety of salts, hormones, humic acid, tanning agents and assorted trace elements essential to proper life processes. Use Peat Granules to maintain or adjust water conditions and to satisfy the breeding requirements for many ornamental tropical fish.

Edit: Laguna also makes a bag of peat granules for ponds. The 2kg bag costs about the same as the 500g box of Fluval, so I will probably buy those next if I determine that I want to use peat all the time.

Edit#2: In my case, I want to recreate the blackwater conditions of a Southern Alabama swampy stream, so the added color and organic acids are desirable. Not everyone wanting soft acidic water for shrimp/crays will want these same conditions.

Great! I'll wait for your report. I've seen those Laguna granules, too, and it would indeed be a cheaper alternative for people wanting to use peat granules instead of hydrochloric acid. It would be great to find out what the differences in consistency and effect of the laguna granules compared to the fluval ones are.

Great topic.

I experienced the same thing with the Jiffy pellets. They don't do a thing for softening water.

The Fluval peat is a good product.

Thanks for the input with your experience, frugalfish!

I suspect that they wash/rinse/bleach/etc the peat until the pellets are nothing more than a nearly inert substrate suitable only for seedlings.

So even though they are made from peat, they are too highly processed to be useful for softening water and adding organic acids to lower the pH.

YuccaPatrol wrote:Thanks for the input with your experience, frugalfish!

I suspect that they wash/rinse/bleach/etc the peat until the pellets are nothing more than a nearly inert substrate suitable only for seedlings.

So even though they are made from peat, they are too highly processed to be useful for softening water and adding organic acids to lower the pH.

i can confirm that also.
i experience the same strange result , but when you think more about it , it is not so strange.

I agree that it is not so strange at all when you think about it. These peat pellets are a product made for the lazy gardener who does not want to touch dirty soil. This type of customer certainly doesn't want to see a puddle of gross brown water oozing out of their peat pellets.