Water Softener

[tropical]

What do you use to soften water?

Plus, what is the best way to measure or test the water hardness dH?

Thank you

[NetMax]

<tropical> wrote in message
...
> What do you use to soften water?

Why? (this influences the 'what' and whether it's even needed or
desirable).

Techniques include dilution (RO, DI, rain, snow etc) to ion exchange
(water pillows or resin beads, sodium chloride for calcium).

> Plus, what is the best way to measure or test the water hardness dH?

I prefer titration with liquid testers. Count/add drops till the colour
changes. For really hard water, half the water (ie: 2.5ml) to save
reagent at the expense of the measurement resolution (ie: when your water
is 36dgH, whether it's really 35 or 37dgH doesn't really make much
difference ;~).
--
www.NetMax.tk

> Thank you

[tropical]

On Fri, 5 Aug 2005 22:21:01 -0400, "NetMax"
> wrote:

I have hard water in my area. I would like to soften it for South
American type fish i.e. angelfish, tetras, etc.

><tropical> wrote in message
...
>> What do you use to soften water?
>
>Why? (this influences the 'what' and whether it's even needed or
>desirable).
>
>Techniques include dilution (RO, DI, rain, snow etc) to ion exchange
>(water pillows or resin beads, sodium chloride for calcium).
>
>> Plus, what is the best way to measure or test the water hardness dH?
>
>I prefer titration with liquid testers. Count/add drops till the colour
>changes. For really hard water, half the water (ie: 2.5ml) to save
>reagent at the expense of the measurement resolution (ie: when your water
>is 36dgH, whether it's really 35 or 37dgH doesn't really make much
>difference ;~).

[NetMax]

I think you'd need to specify the degree of hardness in ppm or dgH to
have opinions on whether it's worthwhile. Generally speaking, it's not.
Angelfish will spawn in hard water, Neons won't. Water altering methods
generally work against any good intentions to maintain quality conditions
through regular water changes. Generally speaking, your fish are better
off with cleaner native water than with less clean doctored water. Also
let the local origin of the fish influence you. While Angelfish are
native to soft water, many are bred locally which might just be hard
water in your case. Unless you're having trouble breeding them, keeping
them in the same water which they were born into is more important than
matching their unseen evolutionary environment.

If your water is very hard, then a routine to dilute it during water
changes might be worthwhile, depending on the tank size and bioload (or
your water change quantity and interval). The larger the tank or the
larger the bioload, the less practical it is to haul jugs of DI or RO
water.

I'm currently on a well (very hard water) and seasonally (hardness may
change according to season) I'll dilute with softened water (adding salt
to the tank), but I keep fish which are tolerant of this. Another
important axiom imo is to match fish to your water and not the other way
around ;~).
--
www.NetMax.tk

<tropical> wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 5 Aug 2005 22:21:01 -0400, "NetMax"
> > wrote:
>
> I have hard water in my area. I would like to soften it for South
> American type fish i.e. angelfish, tetras, etc.
>
>><tropical> wrote in message
...
>>> What do you use to soften water?
>>
>>Why? (this influences the 'what' and whether it's even needed or
>>desirable).
>>
>>Techniques include dilution (RO, DI, rain, snow etc) to ion exchange
>>(water pillows or resin beads, sodium chloride for calcium).
>>
>>> Plus, what is the best way to measure or test the water hardness dH?
>>
>>I prefer titration with liquid testers. Count/add drops till the
>>colour
>>changes. For really hard water, half the water (ie: 2.5ml) to save
>>reagent at the expense of the measurement resolution (ie: when your
>>water
>>is 36dgH, whether it's really 35 or 37dgH doesn't really make much
>>difference ;~).
>

[lgb]

In article >, tropical <>
says...
> On Fri, 5 Aug 2005 22:21:01 -0400, "NetMax"
> > wrote:
>
> I have hard water in my area. I would like to soften it for South
> American type fish i.e. angelfish, tetras, etc.
>

What about peat filtration? It will give the water a brown tinge, but
it lowers both hardness and alkalinity.

--
BNSF = Build Now, Seep Forever

[NetMax]

"lgb" > wrote in message
...
> In article >, tropical <>
> says...
>> On Fri, 5 Aug 2005 22:21:01 -0400, "NetMax"
>> > wrote:
>>
>> I have hard water in my area. I would like to soften it for South
>> American type fish i.e. angelfish, tetras, etc.
>>
>
> What about peat filtration? It will give the water a brown tinge, but
> it lowers both hardness and alkalinity.
>
> --
> BNSF = Build Now, Seep Forever


Peat has limited effectiveness against removing high levels of calcium.
Still gives a nice tannic acid color though.
--
www.NetMax.tk

[bassett]

Some people add "Peat" to there canister filters, to reduce the hardness in
the water.


"NetMax" > wrote in message
.. .
> <tropical> wrote in message
> ...
>> What do you use to soften water?
>
> Why? (this influences the 'what' and whether it's even needed or
> desirable).
>
> Techniques include dilution (RO, DI, rain, snow etc) to ion exchange
> (water pillows or resin beads, sodium chloride for calcium).
>
>> Plus, what is the best way to measure or test the water hardness dH?
>
> I prefer titration with liquid testers. Count/add drops till the colour
> changes. For really hard water, half the water (ie: 2.5ml) to save
> reagent at the expense of the measurement resolution (ie: when your water
> is 36dgH, whether it's really 35 or 37dgH doesn't really make much
> difference ;~).
> --
> www.NetMax.tk
>
>> Thank you
>
>

[Dr Engelbert Buxbaum]

NetMax wrote:


> Angelfish will spawn in hard water, Neons won't

... and may develop kidney stones when kept in hard water (I am not sure
anybody has looked in angels yet, but would expect the same result). So
the "was bred in hard water" sales line should be disregarded. Why not
get guppies instead, they are nice too.


> Another
> important axiom imo is to match fish to your water and not the other way
> around ;~).

A lot cheaper and easier.