Hard Water!

[Lumberman306]

Any advice on how to lower hard water levels? Have put in live plants and driftwood and no change after a week.

 

[jackwagon]

Any advice on how to lower hard water levels? Have put in live plants and driftwood and no change after a week.

Unless I'm mistaken all driftwood does is lower the ph. Live plants reduce nitrates. These 2 things have nothing to do with hard water. Do you have a water softener for inside of your house?

 

[jcolon]

As stated above, DW lowers your pH, but to lower hardness you either have to use a water softener which not be the best for freshwater fish ... Or use RO water.

Do you know your KH and GH numbers? Chances are the hardness of your water will be fine for your fish.

 

[jackwagon]

As stated above, DW lowers your pH, but to lower hardness you either have to use a water softener which not be the best for freshwater fish ... Or use RO water.

Do you know your KH and GH numbers? Chances are the hardness of your water will be fine for your fish.

Not to disagree but how is soft water bad (through a water softener)?

 

[aqua_chem]

All a softener does is reduce calcium with sodium. The end result is that the water coming out of a household watersoftener has high salinity.


They are almost no cases where softening water is advantageous to soften the water. Most plants/fish can adapt to soft or hard water.

 

[jcolon]

All a softener does is reduce calcium with sodium. The end result is that the water coming out of a household watersoftener has high salinity.


They are almost no cases where softening water is advantageous to soften the water. Most plants/fish can adapt to soft or hard water.

I figured aqua_chem would help out

 

[Lumberman306]

GH is 180, KH is 180-240, pH is 7.5-8.0

 

[Lumberman306]

Any advice on whether this water quality is ok for tetras, guppies, and swordtails?

 

[aqua_chem]

Your water is hard but not unreasonably so. I wouldn't worry about it. Livebearers actually like harder water.