HELP Hard water and Limescale

[duanes]

That ARKA should do the trick..
I would test for kH and gH over time to deteremine how much is needed to get your desired mixture for water changes.
For Asian Arowanas a general hardness range between 1 and 10 degrees gH would be desired.

 

[RealCrix220]

That ARKA should do the trick..
I would test for kH and gH over time to deteremine how much is needed to get your desired mixture for water changes.
For Asian Arowanas a general hardness range between 1 and 10 degrees gH would be desired.

My gH is 10 as it stands from the tap which is fine for the Aro as you mention

The biggest issue I have and the reason I want to lower my harness is the scale is absolutely ruining all my equipment

2 FX6, 2 aspect gyre 350s and a maxspect gyre 330 are needing descaling every 4 weeks and I’m losing power in the pumps and having to replace my tubing every 3 odd months

 

[RealCrix220]

Good morning duanes

so in regards to using RO water ( RO is all new to me ) what would be your recommendation on introducing it into my tank

If i was going to do a 50% ( 350 liters ) water change a week what would you say should be put back as RO and what benefits would this have my limescale issue and the fish

i generally want to learn and no better way then learning from someone that knows

 

[RealCrix220]

to note i tested my PH AND KH and my PH was 8 and my KH was 10 ( that was in the aquarium )

i fill my tank directly from my mains water tap in my kitchen and i only add Seachem Prime

 

[duanes]

If it were me......and I was so inclined, and was going to do 350 L water changes per week
I´d mix 250 l of tap, water and mix in 100 L of RO, and test pH and hardness to see the result.
If satisfactory, ....fine,
But.... if you´d like a lower pH and less hardness, with next weeks water changes try 150 RO to 200 L of tap
and continue until yiou get the resulting pH and hardness you want.

I say this as I was a chemist, because I worked in a water quality lab, but
in my role as a fish keeper I prefer to keep fish I match my tap water, which is higher pH (8.2) and hard.


Although I´d love to keep Uaru fernandezyepezi from the Orinoco, which prefers very soft, low pH water (pH 4 -5) and tanin stained natural water at that,
with my tap water, that would be an exercise in futility.

I applaud your tenacity, I just would not go thru the hastle.

 

[RealCrix220]

If it were me......and I was so inclined, and was going to do 350 L water changes per week
I´d mix 250 l of tap, water and mix in 100 L of RO, and test pH and hardness to see the result.
If satisfactory, ....fine,
But.... if you´d like a lower pH and less hardness, with next weeks water changes try 150 RO to 200 L of tap
and continue until yiou get the resulting pH and hardness you want.

I say this as I was a chemist, because I worked in a water quality lab, but
in my role as a fish keeper I prefer to keep fish I match my tap water, which is higher pH (8.2) and hard.
View attachment 1568887
View attachment 1568888
Although I´d love to keep Uaru fernandezyepezi from the Orinoco, which prefers very soft, low pH water (pH 4 -5) and tanin stained natural water at that,
with my tap water, that would be an exercise in futility.

I applaud your tenacity, I just would not go thru the hastle.

Thank you for the information and positive words.

My fish are doing fine and my Aro is growing out lovely it’s just the limescale in the pumps and tubes that is really causing me an issue having to replace all the tube every couple of months and do monthly descaling of both FX6 is a massive chore

I have just tested my water and it’s come back as a PH - 7.5 ( I’d say ) GH - 16 and a KH - 15

I’m using NT labs test kit

 

[RealCrix220]

If it were me......and I was so inclined, and was going to do 350 L water changes per week
I´d mix 250 l of tap, water and mix in 100 L of RO, and test pH and hardness to see the result.
If satisfactory, ....fine,
But.... if you´d like a lower pH and less hardness, with next weeks water changes try 150 RO to 200 L of tap
and continue until yiou get the resulting pH and hardness you want.

I say this as I was a chemist, because I worked in a water quality lab, but
in my role as a fish keeper I prefer to keep fish I match my tap water, which is higher pH (8.2) and hard.
View attachment 1568887
View attachment 1568888
Although I´d love to keep Uaru fernandezyepezi from the Orinoco, which prefers very soft, low pH water (pH 4 -5) and tanin stained natural water at that,
with my tap water, that would be an exercise in futility.

I applaud your tenacity, I just would not go thru the hastle.

Also funny you should mention keeping panda Uaru I come across them back in March time and picked one up quite cheap and started growing one out and it did absolutely fine in my water but when I decided to get a bigger tank and move onto arowana I gave it back to the shop