Re: Water softeners and tank water

[NetMax]

The harder your well is, the more salt will be added, used in the process
to remove the calcium. Your gH will be (should be) zero after the
softener. Your pH will probably be unchanged, as will your kH. As a
combination of water parameters, the output of a softener is unlike any
water in nature (soft salty & alkaline).

You might find that your fish adjust to it, completely without problems.
Their acclimation will partially depend on how the water that they are in
now, compares. If you had hard-water fish, then you could use the
well-water raw, or cut with a bit of softener water. You can also cut
your softener water with a bit of well-water, if your motivation & the
parameters justify it. The fish you listed are neutral to soft-water
fishes, so it wouldn't be overly critical.

NetMax



"Mike Davis" > wrote in message
news:Ml13c.33607$UU.7701@lakeread01...
> [doh!]
>
> Of course as soon as I sent the preceeding post, I realized that I
forgot to
> mention that I'm dealing with freshwater tanks. Fishes include pleco,
barbs,
> tetras, corys, and loaches.
>
> MD
>
>
> "Mike Davis" > wrote in message
> news:Oj13c.33606$UU.20299@lakeread01...
> > I'm moving soon to a house with a water softener that treats the well
> water.
> > It uses a resin bed that is periodically purged with brine from rock
salt.
> >
> > I plan to monitor pH carefully and do my best to adjust, but I'm
concerned
> > about salt or sodium ions in the water.
> >
> > Any experience with how this may affect my fishes?
> >
> > Mike D.
> >
> >
>
>

[Chris Palma]

I've asked this question a few times, too, and NetMax said very similar
things in his responses to my questions.

One thing that also helped me make my decision of what to do with my water
was to talk to my LFS. I asked him what kind of water mix he uses in his
tanks in the store, and he says that he uses raw tap just treated to
remove chlorine. Since I live so close to his store, my guess is that we
are pretty much using the same water parameters out of the tap, so the
fish in his tanks in his store are already acclimated to our local, medium
hard water. So I have been using mostly raw tap (I use the bypass valve
on my softener to get normal hard water instead of the softened water) cut
with a small percentage of RO water.

You should ask the store that you are planning to get fish from what their
water parameters are, and if you can get close to those with a mix of raw
well + softened water, that might ease the transition for your fish.

Just my $0.02.

--chris


On Mon, 8 Mar 2004, NetMax wrote:

> The harder your well is, the more salt will be added, used in the process
> to remove the calcium. Your gH will be (should be) zero after the
> softener. Your pH will probably be unchanged, as will your kH. As a
> combination of water parameters, the output of a softener is unlike any
> water in nature (soft salty & alkaline).
>
> You might find that your fish adjust to it, completely without problems.
> Their acclimation will partially depend on how the water that they are in
> now, compares. If you had hard-water fish, then you could use the
> well-water raw, or cut with a bit of softener water. You can also cut
> your softener water with a bit of well-water, if your motivation & the
> parameters justify it. The fish you listed are neutral to soft-water
> fishes, so it wouldn't be overly critical.
>
> NetMax
>
>
>
> "Mike Davis" > wrote in message
> news:Ml13c.33607$UU.7701@lakeread01...
> > [doh!]
> >
> > Of course as soon as I sent the preceeding post, I realized that I
> forgot to
> > mention that I'm dealing with freshwater tanks. Fishes include pleco,
> barbs,
> > tetras, corys, and loaches.
> >
> > MD
> >
> >
> > "Mike Davis" > wrote in message
> > news:Oj13c.33606$UU.20299@lakeread01...
> > > I'm moving soon to a house with a water softener that treats the well
> > water.
> > > It uses a resin bed that is periodically purged with brine from rock
> salt.
> > >
> > > I plan to monitor pH carefully and do my best to adjust, but I'm
> concerned
> > > about salt or sodium ions in the water.
> > >
> > > Any experience with how this may affect my fishes?
> > >
> > > Mike D.
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>
>

| Chris Palma, | The preceding was a work of fiction, |
| University of Virginia Astronomy | any similarities to persons living or |
| | dead, places, or events is purely |
| www.astro.virginia.edu/~cp4v | coincidental... |