Softening water?

Hi everyone

what are people’s opinions on softening hard water with peat granules in the filter?

how often would they need to be replaced etc?

is it a reliable options for softening water?

thanks in advance!

 

Why are you trying to soften water?

Alot of times its easier to keep fish that match your water.

What are you trying to keep that you cant?

What is your tap water perameters?

What is your water perameters goal?

For reference I am switching shrimp tanks from my hard tap to distilled with minerals readded after I cut my tap enough. Here is link but this is only for major change.

Switching hard water shrimp tanks to distilled water. W test results | 464838 | Freshwater Invertebrates

 

Why are you trying to soften water?

Alot of times its easier to keep fish that match your water.

What are you trying to keep that you cant?

What is your tap water perameters?

What is your water perameters goal?

For reference I am switching shrimp tanks from my hard tap to distilled with minerals readded after I cut my tap enough. Here is link but this is only for major change.

Switching hard water shrimp tanks to distilled water. W test results | 464838 | Freshwater Invertebrates

Hey,

Thanks for your reply! My water is around 13 dGH (German hardness) and the PH straight from the tap is 7. I would only want to soften it slightly and only if the benefits of doing so outweigh the potential complications of not. I want to keep the following:

Corydoras sterbai
Honey gourami
Rummy nose tetra
L340 Clown pleco
And some shrimp

I know that some (particularly the clown plec) like softer water.. But I’m not sure if they will do okay in my water as long as I acclimatise them properly?

Any advice welcome!

 

Peat won't do much softening. And will color your water. Best way to soften water is rodi water mixed with tap to desired TDS. You will need an revers osmosis system and maybe do resin to filter out contaminants. Also a TDS pen to test total dessolved solids. I'm planning on using revers osmosis water in my 40 g I'm combining my freshwater fish into. Plus side no need for water conditioners. Lol

 

Also fish can survive in hard or soft water. But it will effect fish that are from soft water areas being in hard water. If you are getting fish from a lfs tap is probably close to what they are used too.

 

Hey,

Thanks for your reply! My water is around 13 dGH (German hardness) and the PH straight from the tap is 7. I would only want to soften it slightly and only if the benefits of doing so outweigh the potential complications of not. I want to keep the following:

Corydoras sterbai
Honey gourami
Rummy nose tetra
L340 Clown pleco
And some shrimp

I know that some (particularly the clown plec) like softer water.. But I’m not sure if they will do okay in my water as long as I acclimatise them properly?

Any advice welcome!

If you want to go that route, I suggest you find the most economical source for RO water in your area and a way to transport it to your place to mix.

Or get your own RO system that fills up barrels of water and use these to change your water after mixing with your tap water.

It's easy to add hardness. Taking it out is difficult, and diluting it with RO or DI is the only practical option for reducing GH.

Your water is not soft or hard. Sort of medium. The fish will probably be fine. Some specimens will adapt and thrive. Others might be fussy.

It will come down to how practical your local source of RO water is.

 

Hey,

Thanks for your reply! My water is around 13 dGH (German hardness) and the PH straight from the tap is 7. I would only want to soften it slightly and only if the benefits of doing so outweigh the potential complications of not. I want to keep the following:

Corydoras sterbai
Honey gourami
Rummy nose tetra
L340 Clown pleco
And some shrimp

I know that some (particularly the clown plec) like softer water.. But I’m not sure if they will do okay in my water as long as I acclimatise them properly?

Any advice welcome!

A 7 is neutral PH. You are lucky but if you really want to lower it I would use baking soda. Look up doseage on Google. Good luck

 

A 7 is neutral PH. You are lucky but if you really want to lower it I would use baking soda. Look up doseage on Google. Good luck

Ooop, baking soda will raise the pH, makes it more basic.

 

Ooop, baking soda will raise the pH, makes it more basic.

Omg i got that one backwards!@