Too Hard Of Water?

[Tkeck]

Hey guys so ever since I have had my fish tank up (2.5 months) now, I have always had really hard water and I was wondering how I could lower it, I have heard that taking the carbon out of my filter pads would help but idk. I figured I would ask people that I trust. Please get back to me! Thanks!

 

[Tkeck]

please anyone?? i know it may be a dumb question to some, but i really have no clue and i dont want to hurt my fish

 

[Fish_Man43]

Hey guys so ever since I have had my fish tank up (2.5 months) now, I have always had really hard water and I was wondering how I could lower it, I have heard that taking the carbon out of my filter pads would help but idk. I figured I would ask people that I trust. Please get back to me! Thanks!

Some Reading for you about your water
WATER CHEMISTRY

 

[drobbyb]

There is some good information there in the post above. The question you should be asking yourself is why do you want to soften your water? Oft times your fish will acclimate to hard water and live long lives despite being kept outside their optimum range. Most likely if you sourced your fish locally, they are already acclimated to your tap water and no additional steps need to be taken.

Unless you are trying to breed soft water fish, you shouldn't soften your water. Fish need stable conditions, not perfect conditions.

 

[Fish_Man43]

There is some good information there in the post above. The question you should be asking yourself is why do you want to soften your water? Oft times your fish will acclimate to hard water and live long lives despite being kept outside their optimum range. Most likely if you sourced your fish locally, they are already acclimated to your tap water and no additional steps need to be taken.

Unless you are trying to breed soft water fish, you shouldn't soften your water. Fish need stable conditions, not perfect conditions.

 

[Dave Spencer]

Fish man, you mention the disadvantages of using water softening resins because of the sodium, yet you then go on to mention using sodium bicarbonate will help to raise the pH.

Carbonate Hardness: Carbonate hardness (kH) is not used as a measurement of hardness as often. KH includes the presence of minerals and charged ions, other than Ca and Mg, dissolved in water.

The above is just plain confusing. What do you mean carbonate hardness is not used as a measurement of hardness as often? It is used to measure carbonate hardness all the time. Carbonate hardness (KH) is the measurement of Ca and Mg ions that are carbonates and bicarbonates.

Adding phosphates does not encourage algae growth, if the growth is not there in the first place.

The pH scale is the measurement of acidity or basicity of a solution., not the alkalinity.

I have tap water with a negligible dKH, add pressurised CO2 and acidic plant fertilisers, yet I have never seen any evidence of a low pH affecting the bacteria in my filter.