Came home to my entire tank dead

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
3. Forget about the water softener, pretend that it isn't there & stop using it.

Unless your water is uber rock hard it isn't going to make a huge difference on your appliances etc. Our water is sourced from a glacial fed river that originates in the Rocky Mts, and our appliances seem to do just fine without any type of softening system. In a large commercial facility where large commercial appliances are ran all day every day, different story, and we do run a softening system at work for just that reason. If you are overly concerned about your washer, dishwasher, etc, there are descaling products on the market that will address those issues.

Also, API & Prime have the exact same effect on heavy metals, that being they only detoxify those amounts of heavy metals that are typically found in municipal water lines, the same amounts found in most natural bodies of water - in other words, parts per billion. (ppb) It's basically a farce, one which I have discussed in detail in the past with the CEO of Seachem, Dr. Greg Morin. No water conditioner on the market is designed to protect your fish from a large spike in heavy metals.

Ironically, what does help protect fish from heavy metals, is hard water that has a high level of calcium.

Calcium causes a decreased uptake of the metal in gills and muscle tissue indirectly in whole fish as the Ca concentration in the water increases. Pagenkopf (1983) explained that calcium might compete with other metals for binding sites on the gill surface.

http://scialert.net/fulltext/?doi=ajft.2006.139.148&org=10

http://scialert.net/fulltext/?doi=jfas.2011.346.355&org=10

http://www2.bren.ucsb.edu/~dturney/...ion_Monitoring_Protection_Remediation/107.pdf


HTH
 
Thank you very much RD. As I have posted in this thread previous (I forget which page) I have been living in the same city for 6ish years and moved last June 3 blocks away from the other house I rented - I was at the other house for 5 years and it didn't have a water softener and I kept all kinds of cichlids New World and Old and the ONLY issue I had is in the spring time when the city does it's extra flush I learned I had to dose heavy Prime/API.

I'm going to take your advise, run the water softener dry of salt, keep my tank cycled in the process and then only restock once the softener is empty.

Thank you for your help in this matter, it's greatly appreciated.
 
No problem, glad to help. Best of luck with your next set up.
 
RD. said:
3. Forget about the water softener, pretend that it isn't there & stop using it.

Unless your water is uber rock hard it isn't going to make a huge difference on your appliances etc. Our water is sourced from a glacial fed river that originates in the Rocky Mts, and our appliances seem to do just fine without any type of softening system. In a large commercial facility where large commercial appliances are ran all day every day, different story, and we do run a softening system at work for just that reason. If you are overly concerned about your washer, dishwasher, etc, there are descaling products on the market that will address those issues.

Also, API & Prime have the exact same effect on heavy metals, that being they only detoxify those amounts of heavy metals that are typically found in municipal water lines, the same amounts found in most natural bodies of water - in other words, parts per billion. (ppb) It's basically a farce, one which I have discussed in detail in the past with the CEO of Seachem, Dr. Greg Morin. No water conditioner on the market is designed to protect your fish from a large spike in heavy metals.

Ironically, what does help protect fish from heavy metals, is hard water that has a high level of calcium.

Calcium causes a decreased uptake of the metal in gills and muscle tissue indirectly in whole fish as the Ca concentration in the water increases. Pagenkopf (1983) explained that calcium might compete with other metals for binding sites on the gill surface.

http://scialert.net/fulltext/?doi=ajft.2006.139.148&org=10

http://scialert.net/fulltext/?doi=jfas.2011.346.355&org=10

http://www2.bren.ucsb.edu/~dturney/...ion_Monitoring_Protection_Remediation/107.pdf


HTH
Click to expand...

I would second the idea of bypassing the soft water unit...or leaving it w/o salt .... I can almost guarantee that salt in a hi-dose did in your fish... best of luck... hope your future stock fares better(without softened water it should):)
 
This past weekend I filled/emptied the tank 4 times and there is no salt left in the water softener. Checked my tank pH last night and it's sitting pretty between 8.0-8.2. Ordered the fish below to arrive next Tuesday and tonight I'm going to grab some tetras (Lemon or Bleeding Heart depending on how many is left of each).

It's been depressing seeing my one and only tank empty in the house. It's in my den/PC room where I spend the majority of my relax time at home and without fish it just seems rather lack luster.

Oh and there was a bypass thing on the water softener itself, but the thing is an older unit and I really don't want to mess anything up seeing as I rent. As RD mentioned this is a residential house (not commercial) so my appliances will be just fine. That and I live alone so I run the dish washer maybe twice a week and the washer maybe twice a week. So it's not like these things are getting a TON of use.
 
Aqualoon said:
This past weekend I filled/emptied the tank 4 times and there is no salt left in the water softener. Checked my tank pH last night and it's sitting pretty between 8.0-8.2. Ordered the fish below to arrive next Tuesday and tonight I'm going to grab some tetras (Lemon or Bleeding Heart depending on how many is left of each).

It's been depressing seeing my one and only tank empty in the house. It's in my den/PC room where I spend the majority of my relax time at home and without fish it just seems rather lack luster.

Oh and there was a bypass thing on the water softener itself, but the thing is an older unit and I really don't want to mess anything up seeing as I rent. As RD mentioned this is a residential house (not commercial) so my appliances will be just fine. That and I live alone so I run the dish washer maybe twice a week and the washer maybe twice a week. So it's not like these things are getting a TON of use.
Click to expand...

good luck . I think its going to work for you this time, just keep that salt out of the equation and I am SURE you will have BETTER luck....:)
 
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