hard water

[lovefishies]

how do you treat hard water in your tank i tested the water and the hardness was like 240 i think

[tropicfishman]

peat fibers soften tank water rewally well ( wait on moreposts though, I'm almost certain its peat though ) you just stick it in your HOB or canister filter and use it for as long as you need, you could buy a water filter, they soften water too but are way more expensive, the only set back to peat is it turns your water a tea color, but I'm pretty certain it goes away after awhile

[Fishyfanatic]

I've used peat but it also lowers you pH level. It is very potent and only a small amount is needed. It did not discolor my water in the slightest but I've heard that it can.

[joannde]

Are we talking about the common peat sold in the flower section of Home Depot and the like ?
How long does a "treatment" last - ie: do you just stick some in the filter and then wait for it to be "used up" like you would crushed coral for soft water that needs to be hardened ?

[DeFeKt]

perhaps we should look at why you have hard water first..That way you can eliminate it, if possible, without taking any action to counteract it.
What is your water hardness out of the tap, is this the reason for high figures? At least then you know you need to combat it. What is your type of substrate, your decor (type of rocks), what filter media are you currently using (hopefully not cc?), do you have any driftwood? Basically anything that is raising the levels.
I'm also assuming your fish do not like hard water?

[lovefishies]

I let the water sit for at least 2 to 3 days before i use it. The only thing i have in the tank is a greek ruin and rock which i got at petco no driftwood. What does filter cc mean?

[Zezmo]

Test your tapwater. That will tell you if your Hardness is being raised by something in the tank, or if it simply starts that way.

Next, are you talking Kh or Gh.... saying your hardness is 240ppm suggests to me you might be using a "dip strip" to determine this. These are not totally reliable.

High Gh, probably is nothing to worry about. High Kh is only a concern for some plants and a few fishes. So if you have no other problems (like dying fish and plants) and all you have is a high "hardness" reading. Then don't worry about it.

If you are not sure what I mean by Kh or Gh, then there are stickies that explain them in detail, here or on the plant forum.