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Re: [Killietalk] Peat Moss for Annuals
I have always had my best luck using peat moss pellets without boiling, that
I inserted in a bowl so the peat doesn't get contaminated with leftover
food. - Bob Goldstein
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Pearlscott" <mark at pearlscott_com>
To: "killifish discussion list" <killietalk at aka_org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2005 10:56 AM
Subject: Re: [Killietalk] Peat Moss for Annuals
> Hi Joakim,
>
> As you mentioned, some people like the more coarse peat moss since it
> does allow more air movement among the peat more easily. I actually
> prefer the very fine peat moss, and just fluff it up well for storage...
> which works just as well for me. Because I use fine peat moss, it
> breaks up really easily when I'm wetting the eggs, which is very nice.
> I'm also worried that the more coarse peat will tend to damage the eggs
> too, but that may be unfounded.
>
> I buy the peatmoss in large bale size bags from my local plant nursery.
> Then I put it into a sieve (.5mm hole size) and spray it with a water
> nozzle. Only very fine peat makes it through the sieve, and that I
> recollect using a green aviary net (the kind to catch a bird that got
> out of its cage) which I picked up at Petsmart. The aviary net has a
> hole size that is slightly larger than that of a brine shrimp net. The
> nice thing is that it also is a very large net compared to most brine
> shrimp nets, and it is generally constructed well. The dust particles
> of the peat go through, while the fine peat is kept. I then put a
> handful of the fine peat into a large mug and saturate the peat with
> water. I microwave the mug/peat for 4 minutes. I then allow it to cool
> on its own. When cool, I squeeze out the peat (saving the peat tea in a
> bottle for later use in hatching annuals... add the appropriate amount
> of salt to the peat tea if using for Nothos, and it probably won't hurt
> other fry anyhow) and drop it into whatever killie tank needs peat.
>
> Another reason I sieve my peat before use is that I can always re-sieve
> the peat to extract the eggs from it. This does damage the eggs, so it
> isn't a good idea to do this too often (because the viable egg ratio
> tends to drop a third to a half), but it can be nice to get an idea how
> productive a pair of fish are.
>
> Having said all that, I used to just grab a handful of peat from the big
> bale bag, boil it (as mentioned), and use as is. The sieving process
> also tends to get rid of the bits of peat that float, which I always
> find annoying to skim off the surface of the water when I'm wetting
> eggs. If you don't re-use your peat, after sterilization of course,
> then I would not bother sieving it as I mention. Sieving for 6 small
> tanks worth of peat takes about an hour. Skimming the floating bits of
> peat off of the water when wetting eggs takes 5-15 minutes. Re-using
> the peat makes the sieving process less time intensive over the long
> haul (for me), and as I mentioned... eliminates those floaty bits.
>
> Hope my ramblings have been useful. Good luck.
>
> Mark
> ---------------------------------------------------
> Mark Pearlscott, LMP
> Treatment Massage, The Injury & Pain Relief Clinic
> 4500 9th Avenue NE, Suite 300-34, Seattle, WA 98105
> http://www.TreatmentMassage.com
> (206) 234-9929
>
> "Assisting You to Wellness."
> ---------------------------------------------------
>
>
> coveney wrote:
>> Hello all,
>> I was curious as to how all of you prepare your peat moss for the storage
>> of annual eggs. I am currently boiling it for 20-30 minutes, letting it
>> cool down, squeezing it out well and then repeating the whole process one
>> more time. Do any of you remove any of the fine particles or do you just
>> boil it and use it as is? Would removing any of the fine particles let
>> it "breathe" more during storage? If you do remove any of the peat dust,
>> how exactly are you doing this? What brand names are you using? Thanks
>> for your input!
>>
>> Joakim Coveney
>> Naples, Florida
>> AKA #06590
>> Join the AKA at http://aka.org/modules/tinycontent0/index.php?id=9
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