# Where can I find peat moss?



## NeonFlux (May 15, 2008)

I am planning to grow plants that need a acid substrate and I have eco complete substrate, 2 inches. I am also planning to do a rescape so I can have 3in of substrate and plant rearrangements, so that means I'll can add peat moss on the last bottom layer of my substrate? from above will be eco-complete...say would 20lbs of peat moss will suffice? Or is that way too much? 10lbs of peat then? A link to where to buy this peat will be greatly appreciated.


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## Torin (Sep 14, 2008)

correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you can buy at places like home depot. A lot of garden stores probably sell it.


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

KMart, WalMart, ACE Hardware, Home Depot, Lowes, any landscape store ....... just about any store that carries garden supplies.

Just make sure you get 100% peat moss. A few of the "fancier" mixes contain added nitrates, ammonia, phosphates, and other organic goodies you can do without.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

NeonFlux said:


> I am planning to grow plants that need a acid substrate and I have eco complete substrate, 2 inches. I am also planning to do a rescape so I can have 3in of substrate and plant rearrangements, so that means I'll can add peat moss on the last bottom layer of my substrate? from above will be eco-complete...say would 20lbs of peat moss will suffice? Or is that way too much? 10lbs of peat then? A link to where to buy this peat will be greatly appreciated.


WAY too much. You should only need a little. But why don't you just use a substrate that's already acidic? Aquasoil works just fine.

It's perfectly possible to grow plants like _Tonina fluviatilis_ in plain gravel anyway, at least in tanks that aren't brand new. I've seen it done and done it myself. An acidic environment and a low KH are arguably more important.


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## NeonFlux (May 15, 2008)

How much peat should I use? Say would eco complete just suffice well enough to grow acidic plants anyway? My water is 7.2 to 7.6 range...


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Are you adding co2?

You really need a pH of 6.5 or lower for most of that stuff, at least _Eriocaulon_, _Tonina_, etc.


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## HoustonFishFanatic (Feb 26, 2007)

Eco-complete does not lower pH. Adding peat would help but IMO its really messy. I would second Cavan on the aquasoil.

Bhushan


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

I have three varieties of Tonina growing perfectly happily in Eco Complete. The difficult reputation that the Toninas have isn't justified IMO. They simply won't grow in water with a high KH (above 3 or so), but provided you meet that one requirement, they're pretty average stem plants. Don't skimp on the CO2 though.

My Eco is about two years old and stopped buffering the water long ago. New Eco might be problematic, but I suspect frequent waterchanges with soft water would allow you to do fine with it.

OTOH, starting with Amazonia or another acidic substrate would be far easier.


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## NeonFlux (May 15, 2008)

Cavan Allen said:


> Are you adding co2?
> 
> You really need a pH of 6.5 or lower for most of that stuff, at least _Eriocaulon_, _Tonina_, etc.


I am adding pressurized co2. Should I bump it up to 3 bps or a little more?


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## jazzlvr123 (Apr 29, 2007)

NeonFlux said:


> I am adding pressurized co2. Should I bump it up to 3 bps or a little more?


it matters what your ppm of co2 in your tank is if your having health issues its probably too low. what are you using to diffuse co2 in your tank? how evenly distributed in your co2 mist? whats your current ppm? all of these factors determine how many bubbles per second you need your shooting for 30 ppm.


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## NeonFlux (May 15, 2008)

You see the thing is that I have a DIY Co2 reactor right now~, but it cannot be used right now(I need one check valve from Rex Grigg) Eventually later with time, I made my own tank rack system and now I want 4 co2 lines...you see if I finish doing the modification for my cylinder to have 4 co2 lines, then I can use it..and be done with all the tanks, but for now since rex is making me wait incredibly long, (I requested a lot of stuff, asking him a lot of things, he can't reply) I'm talking from _*August until now October*_, I'm currently waiting on that 4 way splitter to come, for the hell of it since he's taking so long. Of course I don't blame him, he's sick.....

For now, it's just co2 diffusion via fluval intake.


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