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Re: Peat
> A few days ago there were topics on boiling of peat. Could a
> person just save the peat from a particular species e.g. C. whitei,
> and reuse it again on the same species - C. whitei without any
> treatment to it. Would peat eventually become too acidic if reuse
> too often without treatment to it?
> Can anyone venture a guess,
> Bro. Paul
Why not? But you had better be better at labeling tanks, bags and containers
than I would be in such circumstances.
As far as the peat's acidifying the water, from wiser souls I've heard that
the peat's chemical volatility is lessened with time. That's why some people
boil new peat and pour off the residue a couple of times. That is why some
others, using it as a spawning medium for egg hangers, replace it so
whatever spawn stimulating "hormonal" influence continues.
J.J. Scheel notes in his books that he reused his peat for years! He details
how he would add sugar and water to dirty peat and get a bloom of
microscopic beasties. He then added daphnia to strain that organic soup. The
Daphnia were harvested, the peat remaining was rinsed and reused.
He also described adding bicarbonate of soda (Baking Soda to us history
majors) to soak out a lot of the active ingredients. He wrote that the water
would turn black. That was to be poured off and repeatedly rinsed until it
washed clear. He felt that it was a mixed blessing in that trace elements
which he felt were beneficial to the killies were rinsed out as well. The
remaining peat was more inert than it had been. Baking Soda was also used by
him to clean dirty peat, but he cautioned that the peat must be very
completely rinsed so that the baking soda didn't impact upon the tank's
chemistry.
That all seems like a lot of work. I tend to work a lot of used fishroom
organics and changed out, non-medicated, non-salted water into the garden.
Maybe as we become more concerned with the impact of diminishing peat
supplies (and the effect upon wild areas that harvesting it has) his
approaches are worth remembering.
All the best!
Scott
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