AW: Peat

["Erik Pfingstner" <erikpfingstner at freenet_de>]

Hi Brian,

If soft muds with low organic content is the natural soil in which most
nothos spawn, has anyone tried such as spawning medium?

My experience is that many fish will have no problems with peat as spawning
medium. Yet I got some bags of peat from abroad which did not yield any fry.
In some I could not see any eggs. In some I could see eyed up embrios but
they would not hatch.

Of course I am wondering what is the reason. Peat could be one of the
reasons, since peat is acidic and will have a tanning effect on skins and
membranes, thus making it more difficult for the fry to hatch.

But I can also imagine that my water smells/tastes differently than that
water in which they were spawned or that they got through some kind of X-ray
on their way through the borders.

Erik



> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> Von: owner-killietalk at aka_org [mailto:owner-killietalk at aka_org]Im
> Auftrag von Brian R. Watters
> Gesendet: Montag, 30. Dezember 2002 19:17
> An: killietalk at aka_org
> Betreff: RE: Peat
>
>
> Erik Pfingstner wrote:
>
> >
> > what kind of soil are most nothos having in nature?
> >
>
> Fine, soft muds with a low organic content.
>
> >
> > what kind of soil are most SAAs having in nature?
> >
>
> I would assume much the same as for Notho habitats but I have no personal
> experience with SAA habitats in the field so I really cannot say.
>
>
> RJ wrote:
>
> >
> > I maintain that its popularity is fading with its usefulness.
> The primary
> > reasons are:
> >
> > .............
> > 14) Many people have used peat for years and will never ever change
> > regardless if there is a better method. To those stubborn diehards.....
> >
>
> These so-called "die-hards" stick with peat for the obvious reason - it
> works, and it does so better than any other medium. In saying
> that there are
> better materials/methods you are perhaps assuming that these "die-hards"
> have not also experimented with those "modern", better, media. I
> can assure
> you that at least one of those "die-hards" has done so and
> rejected them as
> being inferior to peat.
>
> What are these "modern" methods to which you refer ?
>
> Green sand ? This has been around for ages and hardly qualifies as a new
> method. The fact that it has been known for so long and has never really
> caught on should tell you something. And, as I mentioned before, once you
> recover the eggs from the sand what do you then store them in for
> incubation
> ? Peat ?
>
> Silica sand ? This has also been known for ages and has never become as
> popular as peat.
>
> Coconut "peat" ? Yes, this is a relatively new medium but it
> really does not
> differ very much from peat moss in many of its properties but, as I
> mentioned in my previous message, I feel it is inferior to peat in many
> respects. At least that has been my experience. It actually will discolor
> water as badly or worse than will normal peat. It can get
> contaminated with
> uneaten food in the same way that peat can. Admittedly, it does
> not clog up
> filters to the same extent. As I also mentioned in my previous message, I
> think it is too coarse and granular and I definitely get a lower egg yield
> with it compared to finer peat. I also feel that it does not provide the
> best environment for incubation of the eggs. I have not checked the effect
> of coconut "peat" on pH but it is organic so I suspect it would
> also tend to
> lower the pH if the water was soft.
>
> Many people refer to this material as "Coir" or "Coconut fiber". I don't
> think these terms accurately describe this material. The term "coir"
> strictly refers only to coconut fiber component and, while this material
> does have a significant fiber content, the majority of it comprises the
> granular material that, with the fibers, makes up the internal part of the
> coconut husk. I have examined coconut husks on numerous occasions in East
> Africa in order to determine exactly what this material is. It is not, for
> example, a dominantly fibrous material as is the peat fiber that
> comes from
> Europe.
>
> I would suggest that the majority of Notho breeders, throughout the world,
> who have consistently had success with a wide range of Nothos over a long
> period of time are those who use peat in one form or another (I
> know many of
> them personally, so I am familiar with their methods).
>
> Yes, there are some successful breeders who use other media, but
> they are in
> the minority. The bottom line is that hobbyists should use whatever method
> works best for them.
> ___________________________________________
> Brian R. Watters
> University of Regina
> Regina, Sask. S4S 0A2, Canada
> Ph: (306) 584-9161 (home); (306) 585-4663 (work)
> Fax: (306) 585-5433
> E-mail: bwatters at sk_sympatico.ca
>
>
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