Is there a way to bring the KH levels in water down besides R/O units, bottled water, or distilled water??

[Rocky998]

A couple of days, a couple of weeks, no idea until you try it. You would have to check it daily to start with and see how it goes. If you use a lot of peat in a small volume of water, it could drop the KH and pH very quickly, within a day. If you only use a bit of peat in a big container of water, it might take a few weeks, or longer.

You could make a solar still to distill the tap water. Might not work in winter but in warm weather it is free distilled water.

I put a few ML of vinegar in a bucket with my tap water and that lowered the pH to about a 7.4-7.6 (I forget what it was but it had to be around that).
It kept it at that number for about 5 days to a week.
Don't know if peat will do the same in small amounts but worth a try!

 

[itiwhetu]

Peat is the way to go, my old Discus tank had a 1 inch layer of peat under the gravel, that tank was stable for over 10 years and I never had any problems with it.

 

[Rocky998]

Peat is the way to go, my old Discus tank had a 1 inch layer of peat under the gravel, that tank was stable for over 10 years and I never had any problems with it.

Reeeeeally.... That is very interesting.
I wonder how long it would keep the KH and pH down for eith water changes and siphoning...
You probably didn't have a lot of KH so the peat just affected the PH.
So it may or may not work for me but that is a pretty cool idea @itiwhetu!

 

[Byron]

Peat is the way to go, my old Discus tank had a 1 inch layer of peat under the gravel, that tank was stable for over 10 years and I never had any problems with it.

From what you have posted elsewhere over the last months, the reason your tank was stable had nothing to do with peat. It was due to your water parameters. I can assure you that a layer of peat would not be effective for ten years anyway, it might not even be a few months, all depending upon the source water parameters.

My tanks were stable for 30 years, with just fine gravel substrates, changed to sand about ten years ago, and weekly water changes of 50-60%. The GH remained at 6 ppm or lower, the KH was zero, and the pH never fluctuated in any of the tanks by more than 2 or 3 decimal places. Each tank had its own biological system, indicative of the pH being different in each tank but remaining at that level, which establishes according to the source water parameters, and this system will remain stable unless serious detriments are allowed, meaning things like overstocking, adding chemicals/substances that can impact, etc.

 

[Rocky998]

From what you have posted elsewhere over the last months, the reason your tank was stable had nothing to do with peat. It was due to your water parameters. I can assure you that a layer of peat would not be effective for ten years anyway, it might not even be a few months, all depending upon the source water parameters.

My tanks were stable for 30 years, with just fine gravel substrates, changed to sand about ten years ago, and weekly water changes of 50-60%. The GH remained at 6 ppm or lower, the KH was zero, and the pH never fluctuated in any of the tanks by more than 2 or 3 decimal places. Each tank had its own biological system, which establishes according to the source water parameters, and this system will remain stable unless serious detriments are allowed, meaning things like overstocking, adding chemicals/substances that can impact, etc.

Yah that's what I thought... I was like: "Wouldn't the affects wear off over time? Surely it can't last 10yrs"

 

[itiwhetu]

I did my normal 25% water changes weekly on that system. With it being fully planted. It was basically a Black water tank. It took about three years for the tannins to drop to a level that you didn't really notice them.

 

[itiwhetu]

Have you guys ever run a peat based tank.

 

[Byron]

Have you guys ever run a peat based tank.

No, because there would be no value for me in doing so. I have very soft water with no KH out of the tap. The pH lowers in the tanks according to the biological system, and as I said it remains there for years and years provided it is not messed with.

I obtained tannin water with dried leaves, much the same idea, in two of my eight-plus tanks.

 

[itiwhetu]

No, because there would be no value for me in doing so. I have very soft water with no KH out of the tap. The pH lowers in the tanks according to the biological system, and as I said it remains there for years and years provided it is not messed with.

I obtained tannin water with dried leaves, much the same idea, in two of my eight-plus tanks.

Which is the reason where I am now I didn't set up this tank as a peat base, but if I ever go back into town and I find myself on rubbishy inconsistent water and want to keep the likes of Discus, then I would most probably run a peat base system again.

 

[Byron]

Which is the reason where I am now I didn't set up this tank as a peat base, but if I ever go back into town and I find myself on rubbishy inconsistent water and want to keep the likes of Discus, then I would most probably run a peat base system again.

It will not work for more than a few months, again all depending upon the parameters. And if parameters vary substantially, it will not work at all because it will create even larger variances/fluctuations. That's one of the problems with peat, it is very time-limited, again depending upon the initial GH/KH/pH. The higher the GH and/or KH, with a corresponding pH, the more peat is required and the shorter the effective period will be.

BTW, your discus tank is truly beautiful. I meant to post that in another thread but I think I forgot. Very lovely indeed, and beautiful discus!

 

[itiwhetu]

It will not work for more than a few months, again all depending upon the parameters. And if parameters vary substantially, it will not work at all because it will create even larger variances/fluctuations. That's one of the problems with peat, it is very time-limited, again depending upon the initial GH/KH/pH. The higher the GH and/or KH, with a corresponding pH, the more peat is required and the shorter the effective period will be.

BTW, your discus tank is truly beautiful. I meant to post that in another thread but I think I forgot. Very lovely indeed, and beautiful discus!

Thank you, I appreciate that comment about my tank coming from you. It is still very much a work in progress, but is doing well. I love the fact that the fish are spawning and I'm getting some young guys surviving.

 

[Rocky998]

Yah it is a really cool tank.
I love the way its set up!

 

[GaryE]

Peat is the way to go, my old Discus tank had a 1 inch layer of peat under the gravel, that tank was stable for over 10 years and I never had any problems with it.

You should mention you use rainwater. Otherwise, it's potentially misleading.

I have used peat a lot, although no more because it is a depleted resource. In 24 hours, I could lower GH by 60ppm, in a 20 gallon tub half filled with soaked peat. It was good for about 3 months. The water was a rich brown tone. Very rich.
I used it as an additive and spawning trigger. It would have taken enormous space and time to use it otherwise.

I also used to use compressed peat plates under my sand and gravel. But that did nothing to water quality - it just provided for superb low tech plant growth.

 

[itiwhetu]

You should mention you use rainwater. Otherwise, it's potentially misleading.

I have used peat a lot, although no more because it is a depleted resource. In 24 hours, I could lower GH by 60ppm, in a 20 gallon tub half filled with soaked peat. It was good for about 3 months. The water was a rich brown tone. Very rich.
I used it as an additive and spawning trigger. It would have taken enormous space and time to use it otherwise.

I also used to use compressed peat plates under my sand and gravel. But that did nothing to water quality - it just provided for superb low tech plant growth.

Not misleading, I have posted that I wouldn't do it here, but will use peat again if I go back into town and are on town supply again,

 

[Lynnzer]

RAINWATER.
Mix it with tapwater to achieve the required parameters. SIMPLES......