Buying a house w/ well water and moving CAs

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Toiletcar

Toiletcar

Goliath Tigerfish
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Jun 5, 2008
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We settle in a month on a home w/ well water. This house has a water softener system and guessing the water is hard. Getting the water tested so will know more then, but debating to keep my fish or start all over. My city water now is perfect for CA cichlids which are my favorite. If my water is soft, I worry I will have to switch to SAs. Don’t get me wrong, I like them, just not as much. Plus I get attached to my fish and tend to keep most over 10 years like this c. Rostratus. It took so long to grow this fish to 10”.
I don’t know much about water softener systems. Will there be options for my hard water fish?

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Water softener systems don't reduce the total dissolved solids (TDS) that soft water fish like. It's a simple ion replacement of calcium and magnesium with either sodium or potassium. So it's best to just get the water for the fish tank before it enters the water softener.

Now if you have a tankless water heater at the new home, the water will probably go through a membrane that will reduce the TDS so that the hard water build up doesn't shorten the life of the tankless water heater. That's what plumbers are recommending for my area where the TDS ranges from 350-550ppm.
 
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Rocksor said:
Water softener systems don't reduce the total dissolved solids (TDS) that soft water fish like. It's a simple ion replacement of calcium and magnesium with either sodium or potassium. So it's best to just get the water for the fish tank before it enters the water softener.

Now if you have a tankless water heater at the new home, the water will probably go through a membrane that will reduce the TDS so that the hard water build up doesn't shorten the life of the tankless water heater. That's what plumbers are recommending for my area where the TDS ranges from 350-550ppm.
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Thanks! So what you are saying, it depends on the system? If I remember correctly, I saw something on the water heater. If it’s that system, then sodium or potassium aren’t added? Calcium and magnesium are better for CA cichlids.
 
Toiletcar said:
Thanks! So what you are saying, it depends on the system? If I remember correctly, I saw something on the water heater. If it’s that system, then sodium or potassium aren’t added? Calcium and magnesium are better for CA cichlids.
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Yes it would depend on what type of system is involved. You would still have to trace the lines and see what happens to the cold water line from the water softener and what it takes to maintain that as well as the possible RO system hooked up to the tankless water heater.

It's probably simpler just to see what the water test reports for the well water.
 
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Rocksor said:
Water softener systems don't reduce the total dissolved solids (TDS) that soft water fish like. It's a simple ion replacement of calcium and magnesium with either sodium or potassium. So it's best to just get the water for the fish tank before it enters the water softener.

Now if you have a tankless water heater at the new home, the water will probably go through a membrane that will reduce the TDS so that the hard water build up doesn't shorten the life of the tankless water heater. That's what plumbers are recommending for my area where the TDS ranges from 350-550ppm.
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Agree, most water systems have an unsoftened tap outlet.
If it were me, I'd use that unsoftened tap for the fish you have (depending on a water analysis assay) .
If its too cold, you could probably blend hot softened water with the unsoftened.
 
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Test water and dose as needed. Get a RO unit if you have to and perform subsequent dosing to get the mineral balance right. If $ is tight, there's cheap but reliable RO units out there and hardness adjusters tailor-made for specific cichlid groups.
 
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Toiletcar said:
We settle in a month on a home w/ well water. This house has a water softener system and guessing the water is hard. Getting the water tested so will know more then, but debating to keep my fish or start all over. My city water now is perfect for CA cichlids which are my favorite. If my water is soft, I worry I will have to switch to SAs. Don’t get me wrong, I like them, just not as much. Plus I get attached to my fish and tend to keep most over 10 years like this c. Rostratus. It took so long to grow this fish to 10”.
I don’t know much about water softener systems. Will there be options for my hard water fish?

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I have soft water and I'm on a well have a 600 gallon mixed cichlid tank all Fish are thriving
 
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If there isn't an unfiltered cold tap it wouldn't be that hard to add one either. Depending on where your fish room is located. We had a water softener when I was a kid. Vaguely remember my dad adding salt or something.
 
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fishguy1978 said:
If there isn't an unfiltered cold tap it wouldn't be that hard to add one either. Depending on where your fish room is located. We had a water softener when I was a kid. Vaguely remember my dad adding salt or something.
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I add water softener salt to my tank. It s $6 for 40LB or $6 for like 3 LB at the pet store. I have one of the few well systems that does not have hard water. But honestly it's not about the parameters as long as your nitrates are low and you don't have ammonia it's more about keeping them stable fish will adapt. As far as adding a tap on that is very ez to do will cost maybe $20 with the valve and all. But most systems I have seen including mine has a hose spicket right off the pressure tank. If you have any questions you can PM me and I will give you my cell. It is very ez to do.
 
Tj203 said:
I add water softener salt to my tank. It s $6 for 40LB or $6 for like 3 LB at the pet store. I have one of the few well systems that does not have hard water. But honestly it's not about the parameters as long as your nitrates are low and you don't have ammonia it's more about keeping them stable fish will adapt. As far as adding a tap on that is very ez to do will cost maybe $20 with the valve and all. But most systems I have seen including mine has a hose spicket right off the pressure tank. If you have any questions you can PM me and I will give you my cell. It is very ez to do.
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Oh, I don't need any plumbing changes at the moment. I have a shower in one corner that I use for larger water changes and a cold tap that I use for a continuous drip system. Primarily ensures my sumps don't run dry.

My fish room

This is my most recent video of my fish room. I am in the process of improving my fish room. https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCzFMg49B6DUS1whHwG7lkuw
www.monsterfishkeepers.com www.monsterfishkeepers.com
 
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