Softening Water

[afroturf]

I'm planning a 200+ L tank with Angels, Checkerboard or apistos and tetras but my Kh is around 12 and Gh around 14. The tetras may be able to cope with this but I am unsure whether the Angels could cope and I’m sure the checkerboard cichlids would be able to.

So what is the best method of softening the water? Peat in the filter? Chemicals? Does R.O. water help?

Any advice or tips would be most helpfully.

 

[bullhead]

I like to use peat in my filter,only thing is it does darken the water.

 

[Themuleous]

The only proper way to reduce the hardness of water is to remove the minerals that make it hard in the first place, this is done either with an RO filter or DI resin (such as the API water softening pillow). I am always hesitant of chemicals as your fighting against what the water naturally wants to be, which can only end in tears.

As far as I know peat only reduces the pH of the water, it doesn't reduce the hardness. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Sam

 

[afroturf]

I agree Sam i don't want to use chemicals, even if they may work and don't harm fish i've seen lots written that they may not be sutiable long term for planted tank. I don't know whether or not peat reduces water hardness just that it is helpful for creating good conditioons for tetras, angels etc.

Looks like i'll have to go down the line of RO but how much will it change the hardness and how much will it effect the other parameters eg ph? and how do you use the do they have to be run submerged in a tank of water or connected to a flow of water eg hose?

 

[Dave Spencer]

RO water should have a pH of 7 and KH and GH of zero, therefore mixing 50:50 with your tapwater will half the hardness.

I don`t know much about RO units, apart from the £2 miilion one we have at work, so I can`t help you with their operation.

 

[blue acara]

I don`t know much about RO units, apart from the £2 miilion one we have at work, so I can`t help you with their operation.

Wow thats a big RO unit!



Hobby ro units connect to a water flow using RO tubing, ive got mine under the kitchen sink. You might need a pump to get the ro unit running efficiently, as mains pressure can be too low for the unit. You will also want a TDS meter. All together is quite pricey.
A KH of 12 and GH of 14 is OK for these fish- the nitrates and phosphates are the more important factors, espicially in planted aquaria.

 

[Themuleous]

A basic RO system you can get for around 40-50quid, and need £10 every 6 months to replace the carbon and filter cartridges. Get them from osmotics.co.uk (think you can get a discount as they are a TFF sponsor )

As Dave says the product water is 99% pure H2O to you need to add the minerals etc back in. The cheapest way of doing that is to 'cut' the RO with tap. My tap water is GH20 and KH18, so I mix 1 part tap with 3 parts RO to give me GH 5 and KH 4.5. Its that simple There are products like Kent RO right but they are hugely expensive in comparison.

Sam

 

[BigIan]

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=187893


just wrote that if its any good to ya

 

[afroturf]

Thanks for all the responces, and BigIan thats a great thread you've written. I've decided against the Angels and just stick with the more demanding checkerboards.

If ro water will result in a kh and gh reading of 0, to what level will i need to raise the kh to give sufficient ph buffering? Why is a TDS meter needed if ro water is nearly pure h2o?

I still don't know quite how they are set up from what i can get at there is a clamp that cuts in to your water pipe, do you just turn the main tap to start the filtering? and there is the waste water and ro water do they come out of the coloured pipes? to be collected in some sort of container?

Regards.

 

[Themuleous]

A KH of over 1 should be fine, but perhaps 3-4 would give you a bit more security. People run tanks with undetectable levels of KH, you just have to keep on top of the water changes.

A TDS meter is only really necessary if you have a DI polishing pod on the RO filter. Basically the tap water goes through a 5 micron filter first to remove debris, then through a carbon block to remove organic waste and chlorine, then finally it gets forced though the semipermeable RO membrane. The membrane only really allows water though so once though its also most pure H2O. Inevitable some 'stuff' does get though, but only a could of %. A more advanced RO unit sends the product water once its been forced through the membrane to a DI pod, which contains DI resin. This removes anything that gets through the membrane to give 100% pure water (well near enough).

The TDS of water once its passed though the RO membrane is around 10, once its gone through the DI pod is 0. A TDS metre allows you to monitor when the DI resin has become exhausted and needs replacing. Its not essential just handy

As for running it, I just attach mine to the outside hose (with a hoselock connector from B&Q) that way if it explodes it'll not flood the house. I'm also not very keen on putting holes on water pipes!

Sam

 

[afroturf]

Cheers Themuleous, What % of the water used will be waste?

 

[BigIan]

As themelous said the TDS meter is only used to check the quality of the R.O, generaly on ours we get a TDS reading of less than 10, once it starts creeping up you know its time for new filters..../

 

[Themuleous]

Generally speaking 1 liter of RO water produces 4 liters of waste water, which as far I am concerned is the biggest downfall of RO filters, as a professional ecological my conscience takes a battering when I think about all the water I waste. Gonna switch to rainwater when I move house. Use the RO as a back up. You can add a 2nd and even 3rd RO membrane to reduce this but you're talking an additional 40 quid for each one.

Sam