Water Hardness

F

FishingAgain

ShowThemLove.org
Jun 6, 2004
44
0
0
Las Vegas
www.showthemlove.org
I live in Las Vegas, NV -

Our water here is very hard, according to a recent newsletter from our water district "Water is considered hard if the hardness is 100 ppm or more. The average hardness of the Las Vegas Valley Water Districts's water is abot 290 ppm, comparable to many Western cities' water supplies.

Ten years ago I (we, when I was married) had many aquariums, mostly occupied by Cichlids. Recently I purchased two 60-gallon aquariums and am slowly getting ready to set them up (waiting upon supplies ordered online).

Before we did nothing to make the water softer and the cichlids seemed to do very well - even to the point of breeding several types.

With these two aquariums I want to set one up with some form of cichlid again (have not decided on what yet) and the other as a community tank (something I never got to do before).

If my memory serves me correctly, the other fresh-water fish (tetras, angels, and so on) like softer water. Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

So assuming I need softer water than something close to 300 ppm how does one go about softening water?

Thanks in advance for the help. I look forward to some great advice.
 
it greatly depends on what type of fish what their hardness prefferance is. But most south american fish or Amazonian fish particularly, preffer softer water. There are many ways to make your water softer. At most good fish store, you can buy a hardness blanket, which you put in your filter and it makes the water softer. But what I'd do is go to a store and buy peat moss, this also goes in your filter and brings the hardness down, but becareful, because it also changes the pH, so you'll have to keep your eye on that as well. make sure it is peat moss that is specifically made for aquarium use. You'll have to also rinse it out before using it. Also be prepared for it to change the color of your water a little!
 
Sorry to go a little off topic :)

If you dont mind me asking what exactly makes water harder or softer (surely it isnt just a metter of texture) and why does this effect fish so much?

Thanks
 
my understanding of why water is "harder" is because of the presence of many minerals....

Here is the whole (small) article from our water district...

Our water's hardness is the result of dissoved calcium and magnesium from the Rocky Mountains, where most of our water begins as snowmelt. Water is considered hard if the harness is 100 ppm (5.84 grains) or more. The average hardness of the Las Vegas Valley Water District's water is about 17 grains per gallon (290 ppm), comparable to many Western cities' water supplies. Addressing aesthetic issues such as hardness during treatment could be prohibitively expensive - especially considering that most water is used outdoors.
Click to expand...


Because of their statement about being cost prohibitive to soften the water is why I was asking how aquarists soften water.
 
what affect it has on fish, I have no clue

Thanks for the replies above.... I'll have to ask my two favorite local stores about the water softening items and how they do it...

I know homes (I live in an apartment) have water softeners but it is my understanding that salt is used to soften the water (I think).
 
I just did a search on the net and here is an excerpt from an artice I found at http://www.cs.duke.edu/~narten/faq/chemistry.html


General hardness (GH) refers to the dissolved concentration of magnesium and calcium ions. When fish are said to prefer "soft" or "hard" water, it is GH (not KH) that is being referred to.
Note: GH, KH and pH form the Bermuda's Triangle of water chemistry. Although the three properties are distinct, they all interact with each other to varying degrees, making it difficult to adjust one without impacting the other. That is one reason why beginning aquarists are advised NOT to tamper with these parameters unless absolutely necessary. As an example, "hard" water frequently often comes from limestone aquifers. Limestone contains calcium carbonate, which when dissolved in water increases both the GH (from calcium) and KH (from carbonate) components. Increasing the KH component also usually increases pH as well. Conceptually, the KH acts as a "sponge" absorbing the acid present in the water, raising the water's pH.

Water hardness follows the following guidelines. The unit dH means "degree hardness", while ppm means "parts per million", which is roughly equivalent to mg/L in water. 1 unit dH equals 17.8 ppm CaCO3. Most test kits give the hardness in units of CaCO3; this means the hardness is equivalent to that much CaCO3 in water but does not mean it actually came from CaCO3.

0 - 4 dH, 0 - 70 ppm : very soft
4 - 8 dH, 70 - 140 ppm : soft
8 - 12 dH, 140 - 210 ppm : medium hard
12 - 18 dH, 210 - 320 ppm : fairly hard
18 - 30 dH, 320 - 530 ppm : hard
higher : liquid rock (Lake Malawi and Los Angeles, CA)
 
here is more of that article (looks like I have found my answers)

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How do I soften water (e.g., lower its GH)?
Some fish (e.g., discus, cardinal tetras, etc.) prefer soft water. Althought they can survive in harder water, they are unlikely to breed. 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 (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 hobbiests. 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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