Peat Filtration

[Charlie_Tuna]

If I use peat moss or bogwood to soften my water could I use charcoal at the same time to eliminate the tea effect? Or would RO water with blackwater extract be better? Im contemplating getting discus but ONLY if I can give them the enviroment they prefer.

 

[Alien Anna]

I'm trying that currently, after some Mopani wood I added stained my tank despite a label to suggest that it wouldn't. So far the charcoal doesn't seem to be making a dramatic improvement and I'm wondering what my next step should be. It doesn't bother the fish, of course, but I can't actually see them that well!

If you want discus, you need RO water. It's not just the pH and water hardness - they cannot tolerate any one of a thousand chemicals that can get into tap water.

 

[Cian McLiam]

The activated carbon (different than charcoal) should remove the staining in the water as well as the beneficial humic acids and tannins, but it depends on the quality of the carbon. It differs from charcoal because it has been high temperature treated to open to open up billions of tiny 'pores' that help it absorb chemicals from the water (or air).
Personally if I need to remove the peat staining from water I use a product called Bio Chem Zorb which clears it up very quickly...
Regarding the black water extract, one of thebest Discus dealers in Dublin always recommends adding blackwater extract rather than peat, then again which is more expensive to buy......

Ken