Water softener bad?

[Fishfur]

I live and I learn.
Ah, don't they sell calcium chloride for de icing ? Shouldn't be that hard to get.

 

[PNWaquarist]

Edit.. just saw your reply.. it helps me understand a bit better. But I am no expert on softeners either. In fact the only reason I know anything at all was because when we had one installed in the house I grew up in, I already had fish and turtles and my Dad told me the softener water would not be good for them. So he left our utility sink tap off the softener, so I would have a water source that wasn't softened.

That was cool of your father to do that.

The only thing that I know about water softeners is that I'm glad I live in an area where we don't need them (tap water is 3 dGH). My parents in Illinois have VERY hard well water. They also overload their water softener with NaCl, to the point where the water is almost saturated and it's difficult to wash the soap off your body in the shower.

 

[Millerman]

Once again thank you for helping me understand and fix this, water conditions confuse me and I have so many questions. Lol


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[PNWaquarist]

In your opinion would adding crushed coral raise my ph to high? What is a safe ph level? Is the sodium going to be bad still if I chose to not to use a RO

Crushed coral dissolves pretty slowly, so it's won't result in any sudden changes. Plus, you'll constantly be removing some of it via water changes anyway.

If you're interested in going the calcium chloride route, make sure that it's pure and/or safe to use in the aquarium. I wouldn't put products used for de-icing in my tank.

 

[Fishfur]

I always hated the way soft water made soap feel. I'd rather wash off soap scum myself. Yeah, Dad was ok, though I appreciate what he did now much more than I did then. Fish keeping when I was in high school was nothing like it is now. Our water here is pretty darn hard.. Lake Ontario sourced. Well water just outside the city limits often has so much iron in it you can't do laundry with it unless you filter the iron out.

 

[PNWaquarist]

Once again thank you for helping me understand and fix this, water conditions confuse me and I have so many questions. Lol

No problem. Good luck with everything.

 

[Fishfur]

Water chemistry is not so simple, but you'll get there. Best of luck.

Edit.. I think you can also get it from hydroponic places, if I'm not mistaken, as one of the basic ingredients of DIY fertilizers for hydroponic and aquarium uses.

 

[Millerman]

Since I'll be adding seachem flourish doesn't this have calcium in it anyway? Would this be enough possibly.


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[trennamw]

Unless there's something I'm missing about water softeners ... I don't think crushed coral is a good option here, given how high your KH is, and how low your GH is.

Personally I find coral is unpredictable and messy, too. And that when pH is above 7, at least in my tanks, it quits contributing.

I haven't seen pH rise above 7.5 with coral, even heaping amounts. I've encountered theories it only releases stuff into the water when the water is slightly acidic.

Would those here who better understand water softeners agree his KH is fine, it's the GH that is problematic?

If you want to bring up GH without affecting KH I would suggest either API cichlid salts (not buffer; read the label to ensure it raises only GH) or Seachem Equilibrium.



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[PNWaquarist]

Yes, the active ingredient API Cichlid Salt is calcium chloride. That will work nicely. Good call, trennamw.

 

[Millerman]

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4680+4676+27647&pcatid=27647&s=lh
Do you guys think this would work even though it's for salt water?


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[trennamw]

Yes, the active ingredient API Cichlid Salt is calcium chloride. That will work nicely. Good call, trennamw.

I got it from The Simple a Guide to Freshwater Aquariums by Boruchowitz. Best info I've found anywhere about GH/KH/pH.

Is calcium chloride the ice melt stuff? I see DIY cichlid salts as baking soda, Epsom salt, and ice melter crystals. But API doesn't seem to fully disclose their ingredients so I wasn't sure if the home recipe duplicates their product.

Even before I had plants I felt like I was doing more good with Seachem Equilibrium because it has so many minerals, but it's possible fish don't need these?


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[trennamw]

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4680+4676+27647&pcatid=27647&s=lh
Do you guys think this would work even though it's for salt water?


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I can't get it to load but I suspect no.


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[Millerman]

there are tons of products like this, for helping saltwater corals wasn't sure if it would work for me though?


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[BillD]

Seems to me that it would a lot easier to add a tap, than most of the suggestions. Cheaper, too.

 

[Millerman]

I'm sorry, but what do you mean by a tab, not to sound dumb


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[BillD]

That is tap not tab.

 

[Millerman]

Oh lol


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[Millerman]

How much would it cost you think to install a new tap or possibly bypass the water softener for just one sink?


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[Fishfur]

Probably only take an hour or so, and here, plumbers make, I would guess, close to 100 bucks an hour. Skilled trade and all that. Plus the cost of the hardware and pipe.