Re: [Killietalk] tips for working with peat?

["Stan Perkins" <stanperkins at academicplanet_com>]

I use glass rose bowls in various sizes or silicon in a few round river
rocks to the bottom of a plastic container. I recently saw a small square
plastic container cemented to a square tile. I think might make up a few
during these winter days.

Stan Perkins
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Wright Huntley" <whuntley at verizon_net>
To: "killifish discussion list" <killietalk at aka_org>
Sent: Sunday, January 11, 2004 6:12 AM
Subject: Re: [Killietalk] tips for working with peat?


> Kris,
>
> Kris Laats wrote:
>
> > I am just starting to breed nothos, and so far the peat seems to be
> > getting the best of me.  My containers (standard issue plastic food
> > containers) don't want to sink until I put a relatively large amount
> > of peat in them.  Even then, they are easily tossed around the tank
> > during water changes and basic maintenance.
>
> I prefer round margerine tubs to the usual rectangular food containers,
> but often use ceramic items like soup bowls and sugar bowls from the
> thrift shop. Things that once had lids have an inturned rim that keeps
> the peat from scattering too much.  For the plastic containers, I always
> throw in a few smooth pebbles or marbles. They provide weight, and
> something for the male to press the female against during spawning.
>
> >
> > How much peat in what size container is optimum?
>
> I rarely use more than a single Jiffy pellet, nuked to a boil in the
> microwave (in a couple of cups of water) and throughly rinsed under the
> cold tap to remove fines and any residual solubles. That gives enough
> depth in a small (3-4") container, usually. It is also a convenient
> amount to bag and store. Only big fish, like some SA divers, get more.
>
>
> All my breeder
> > tanks are 5.5 gallons.  I want to use less peat so the PH isn't
> > bouncing around so much.
>
> The peat should have little or no effect on your pH. Did you fail to
> boil it and rinse it enough? Is your water unbuffered? [That is, too low
> KH?] If the latter, consider adding some "Equilibrium" o/e to bring
> hardness up a bit, counter the toxic effects of any added salt, and keep
> the pH from being unstable.
>
> >
> > Also, I don't have a heated fish room, but I do have a little
> > hovabator incubator that isn't currently occupied (with reptile
> > eggs).  Any reason I shouldn't use it?
>
> Nope!
>
> >
> > Thanks for the help, guys.
>
> Free advice is worth every penny. :-)
>
> Wright
>
> -- 
> Wright Huntley -- 760 872-3995 -- Rt. 001 Box K36, Bishop CA 93514
>
> "If people are basically evil, the last thing you'd want is a big
> government staffed by those evil folks exercising control over you."
>    -- David Bergland
>
>
>
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>



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