# Sphagnum Moss lowering ph?



## aquariumrookie (Jun 26, 2014)

Hey guys I am trying to lower my ph.
I read that you should use Sphagnum Peat Moss or Peat Moss to lower ph.
I also saw that someone do an experiment using SPHAGNUM Moss not Peat Moss or Sphagnum Peat Moss, but just SPHAGNUM Moss to lower the ph from 8.0 to 4.5. Of course not for a real aquarium but just using water from the tap.
Is it ok to just use SPHAGNUM Moss to lower my aquarium ph?
THANKS!


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## Tugg (Jul 28, 2013)

Unless you're trying to breed fish, most people advise against any attempts to modify the pH. Stability is more important. Most fish can adapt to a generous range. They just may not sense a trigger to spawn. Also, depending on the kH of your water, it may be a futile attempt anyways. If your kH is very high, any changes will only be temporary and fluctuate wildly with every water change. This can potentially kill your fish, or at least stress them enough that some other pathogen can take hold and do them in.

In any case, to answer the question. Sphagnum Moss is the dried moss from the top layer of the bog. This portion hasn't decomposed and is still very fiberous. It's usually used as an aeration layer in terrestrial gardening.

Peat moss is the decomposed goodness from the lower layers of the bogs that are filled with the humic acids that lower the pH. Peat is what the Sphagnum becomes after a LONG time rotting under water. It takes so long that it's typically seen as a fossil fuel.


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