Filtration elements

Hi all
Just wanted to know if the active carrbon would balance the peat because i read that peat has harmfull qualities and active carbon removes chemicals. Could someone please shed some light on the matter!!

:bigsmile:Thankx DS DG

 

Hi DS
If you use AQ quality peat(and you should NEVER use gardening peat) it has no negative influence on your water. It does however makes your water more acidic and yellows thrue tanines and the containig humus asids the water, but this is under certain circumstances rather positive than negativ. If you don't want these effects just leave the peat out.
Hope this very simplified answer did help

 

Carbon:
Once the activated carbon has been used up the re-release of the adsorbed substances (the bad stuff that you want to get out of the water) back into the aquarium.
Carbon in planted aquariums should be limited, because many fertilizers contain minerals in cheleated form. These cheleates will be adsorbed by the carbon as organics.

Peat:
Peat contains tannic acid which acts as an ion exchanger to soften water. Calcium and Magnesium are the principle chemicals present in hard water. Through ion exchange these chemicals are exchanged for Hydrogen and Sodium.
Thus peat filtration systems will soften the water. They will also color the water and will lose their effectiveness over time.
Aquarium peat filtration is used to change the water quality from hard to soft water. This is useful if you want to keep fish that are more accustomed to this type of water, notably South American cichlids.
Once the beneficial effect of the peat has been depleted it will require replacement.

 

ok,thanx it really helps