# Will Canadian Sphagnum peat do?



## Tyrone Genade (Jan 1, 2005)

Hello,

Would a layer of Sphag peat suffice for a "fertilizer" layer at the bottom (under the silica sand substrate) of my tank? I plan on working some beach sand into the silica sand to buffer the pH. Would the peat serve as an adequate carbon source as well as N, P and micronutrient source?

In the past I have relied on fish poo for plant fertilizer but am now starting from scratch with no fish so I need something for the plants. I don't trust the local potting soils etc... (very few standards over here in sunny South Africa).

Thanks


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

It will provide the carbon source as it decomposes (CO2) , but it will not provide any N,P, or K. Those can typically be provided by stocking well with fish and feeding them generously.


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

Test the beach sand to see if it has the properties you need. If it is coral or limestone based then a little sand in some water will raise the KH, GH and pH of the water. This is helpful if your water has few or no minerals. 
Test a sample ahead of time before you do all the work of adding it to the tank. Perhaps a handful of the sand in half a liter of water, stir it daily and test every few days.


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## Tyrone Genade (Jan 1, 2005)

Hello,

Thanks for the replies.

To my surprise, last night I found a field with lots of oak leaves and the fallen leaves of other deciduous trees (odd thing to find near the end of spring) and think I will ditch the peat and go with Newcomb's method (well, I first got the idea from Walstad's book). There is no shortage of river/silica sand here at the local nurseries. I've used the beach sand before in tank and know it does harden the water---enough to kill Tonina species---so I will only add a little to keep the KH up. Will Cabomba (caroliniana and furcata) still tolerate a higher KH and GH?

I'll mix up some beach sand with distilled water and titrate for CO32-, Ca2+ and Mg2+ as well as take pH readings.

Thanks for the replies and advice.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

What's wrong with plain dirt (unfertilized topsoil)? 

And you could try one of the potting soils. See how it works. There are precious few standards here, either. 

I would use dirt or a potting soil before I would use beach sand and decomposed tree leaves.


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## Emily6 (Feb 14, 2006)

how long would it take for the decomposing leaves to yield nutrients back to the plants? It seems that you would want something to start off with.


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## bradac56 (May 9, 2007)

I use a mixed dusting of sphagnum peat moss (lowers pH), potash (for potassium), and Iron Chelate 10% (Fe) under my substrate that gives a better mix of nutrients and is just as easy to setup.

- Brad


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## Tyrone Genade (Jan 1, 2005)

Once again, thanks for the reply. I have to get some fresh potting soil for my Bonsai so I think I will take a chance with the local stuff and see how it goes.

Thanks!


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## Tyrone Genade (Jan 1, 2005)

Hello,

I got a bag of potting soil from one of the better nurseries (attached to the local botanical garden) to repot one of my bonsai. The "soil" has a lot of sticks in it. Would this still be suitable for soil layer to go under the silica sand?

Thanks


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

I would sift it to remove the sticks. If the organic matter is still large enough to identify, it is too large to use in the tank. You might try floating the stuff out, or dry sifting through a couple of meshes, depending on how coarse the materials are. If the soil blend is really coarse, you might start out with 1/2" (1.5cm) mesh. Then sift it again, through a finer mesh. Pretty much anything that passes through a 1/4" (6-7 mm) screen is probably OK to use. 

If this is a complete soil blend then it probably already has sand or finer soil particles, as well as the organic matter. 

Around here there are not real standards, either. "Potting soil", "Planter Mix" and similar terms mean whatever the manufacturer wants them to mean. However, the packages are supposed to be labeled with the origins of the materials, so might read: "Fir Bark, Organic Chicken Manure, Perlite, Worm Castings, Sand" or similar things. Most soil mixes for containers are very high in organic matter, and not much mineral or soil particles.


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## Tyrone Genade (Jan 1, 2005)

Thanks for the reply. I will try float it out and see how that goes. Will also keep an eye out for building sites where I maybe able to get some top soil.

Thanks


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