Description
This article is from the Beginning
Fishkeeping FAQ, by Thomas Narten with numerous contributions
by others.
40 Softening Your Water (i.e., lowering GH)
Some fish (e.g., discus, cardinal tetras, etc.) prefer soft water.
Although they can survive in harder water, they are unlikely to breed
in it. Thus, you may feel compelled to soften your water despite the
hassle involved in doing so.
Typical home water softeners soften water using a technique known as
``ion exchange''. That is, they remove calcium and magnesium ions by
replacing them with sodium ions. Although this does technically make
water softer, most fish won't notice the difference. That is, fish
that prefer soft water don't like sodium either, and for them such
water softeners don't help at all. Thus, home water softeners are not
an appropriate way to soften water for aquarium use.
Fish stores also market ``water softening pillows''. They use the same
ion-exchange principle. One ``recharges'' the pillow by soaking it in
a salt water solution, then places it in the tank where the sodium
ions are released into the water and replaced by calcium and magnesium
ions. After a few hours or days, the pillow (along with the calcium
and magnesium) are removed, and the pillow recharged. The pillows sold
in stores are too small to work well in practice, and shouldn't be
used for the same reason cited above.
Peat moss softens water and reduces its hardness (GH). The most
effective way to soften water via peat is to aerate water for 1-2
weeks in a bucket containing peat moss. For example, get a (plastic)
bucket of the appropriate size. Then, get a large quantity of peat (a
gallon or more), boil it (so that it sinks), stuff it in a pillow
case, and place it in the water bucket. Use an air pump to aerate it.
In 1-2 weeks, the water will be softer and more acidic. Use this aged
water when making partial water changes on your tank.
Peat can be bought at pet shops, but it is expensive. It is much more
cost-effective to buy it in bulk at a local gardening shop. Read
labels carefully! You don't want to use peat containing fertilizers or
other additives.
Although some folks place peat in the filters of their tanks, the
technique has a number of drawbacks. First, peat clogs easily, so
adding peat isn't always effective. Second, peat can be messy and may
cloud the water in your tank. Third, the exact quantity of peat needed
to effectively soften your water is difficult to estimate. Using the
wrong amount results in the wrong water chemistry. Finally, when doing
water changes, your tank's chemistry changes when new water is added
(it has the wrong properties). Over the next few days, the chemistry
changes as the peat takes effect. Using aged water helps ensure that
the chemistry of your tank doesn't fluctuate while doing water
changes.
Hard water can also be softened by diluting it with distilled water or
R/O water. R/O (reverse-osmosis) water is purified water made by a R/O
unit. Unfortunately, R/O units are too expensive ($100-$500) for most
hobbyists. R/O water can also be purchased at some fish stores, but
for most folks the expense and hassle are not worth it. The same
applies to distilled water purchased at grocery stores.
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aquaria, fish, acquarium, tank, fishkeeping
