Peat Bomb Filter
By Tom Fowler
June 2001

I think this filter should be used by people who want to keep discus who cannot afford r/o units. This filter was used by discus breeders before R/O unit were available. I now have two retail outlets using them in my location and the water here is very hard. I think the peat can take out some of the chemicals in the water, however, the water must be allowed to stand to allow the chlorine to evaporate, before the water is used.

The peat bomb is made using 5 gal food barrels with a screw on or clip on lid, this is so it can take the pressure from the water main. You drill two holes in it: one in the top half for the hose connector ( incoming water), one in the bottom half for the tap ( out going water). The bottom third is filled with filter wool to stop the peat in the top two thirds from being flushed out. You then use the tap to control the flow of water to get the desired parameters.

It is done with a single pass, the flow rate is controlled by the tap and is determined by the quality of the water coming out which is affected by the quality of the water going in, so some testing must be done by the user. the peat we are using in the UK is Irish moss peat but I think that any good quality peat without additives would be ok. If there is a significant change in quality of the product water the peat is exhausted. This can never be the complete answer to discus keeping but as I have said I have got two retail outlets to use this method with very good results. Before they started using this filter, I would go into the shops to find discus dying and dead in the tanks. Now they get fish from Holland and the Far East and hardly any losses and their profit is up and they have always got discus in stock.