Using tap water that runs through water softner

[hurricanejohn]

Where I live the water is naturally hard (I'm a newbie at all this) and i have a water softner attached to the house water supply. Can i use this for my aquarium water when i do water changes or should i use my outside water supply that isn't attached to the water softner ? any help would be greatly appreciated. since i'm really getting tired of lugging a bucket from the outside to the inside :D

Thanks in advance

[DarthV]

Probably depends on what fish you are planning on keeping. Some like soft water and some like hard.

[OrionGirl]

It depend on lots of thing, including what is being used to sften the water. I am by no means an expert here, but I think some softener products will leave phosphates in the water, which you don't want. Check out http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/ for more. Pretty sure wetmanNY will be able to help you out.

Just a note--most fish that prefer soft water also prefer low dissolved solids. Since softerners work by replacing ions, not removing them, they can actually cause water to have more dissolved solids, which won't make the fish happy.

[mogurnda]

Water softeners replace Ca and Mg in the water with Na. In general, your fish will be happier with extra calcium than sodium. Even when I have lived in areas with extremely hard tapwater, I have opted for unsoftened water.
If you want to reduce the hardness, you might try cutting the tapwater with reverse osmosis or distilled water.
On the other hand, you could just get some Malawian or Tanganyikan cichlids and revel in it.

[brianfl]

John,
If you continue to use the outside water, look into a python. They are fairly cheap and make water changes a breeze. It depends how far your tank is from the water source.

[hurricanejohn]

Just to Clear one thing up on my water softner i use for my house water, it uses salt to make the water softer that's what my concern was putting this water into my freshwater tank. I'm unsure the concentration of the salt but i do drink this water and notice no taste diffrence. and BrianFl what is a python??

[wetmanNY]

Look into substituting potassium chloride for sodium chloride in your brine. The potassium released into the water in exchange for calcium and magnesium will be used by plants, if your aquaria are planted. Thus you do get genuine softening.

Sodium chloride is cheaper of course.

Potassium chloride will be sold right in the water softening section of your local Home Depot-type outlet. (Lowe's?)

[brianfl]

A python is a device that hooks to water outlet and by water pressure pushes water in and pulls it out from the tank.

A better description (http://www.pythonproducts.com/nospill.htm)

You can usually find them at a lfs or at big als online. The go for about $25 usd for a 25' you can get 50' and 75' and 100' as well.

As an example, it took me roughly 30-45 minutes to do water changes and clean gravel in my tanks this weekend. I changed out roughly 85 gallons out of 335 gallons.