So I am moving in 2.5 months and my next house has a water softener because my area has insanely hard water. Are there precautions I need to take for my fish? I'm guessing I just need to make sure it doesn't make my water too soft causing ph fluctuations.
House water softener
- Thread starter nzafi
- Start date
I have one for that same reason. Never had any issues with fish. Haven't tried keeping African Cichlids but south American Cichlids love it.
Depends on the fish.
Most house water softeners use salt (NaCl) to react and/or bind with the calcium making soap for washing clothes more effective.
The soft water they produce is not like the soft water in Amazonian rivers, its just not calcium rich, which is replaced with chlorides
For my water changes (with Central American or rift lake african fish) I'd use the unsoftened tap.
Another problem with softened water (calcium lacking) is that it sometimes doesn't has the buffering capacity to handle as much fish urine, creating a need for more water changes.
You can check this by comparing the alkalinity of the softened water with unsoftened.
If alkalinity is comparable your good to go, if the softened water is low, get out the bucket, or python more often.
Most house water softeners use salt (NaCl) to react and/or bind with the calcium making soap for washing clothes more effective.
The soft water they produce is not like the soft water in Amazonian rivers, its just not calcium rich, which is replaced with chlorides
For my water changes (with Central American or rift lake african fish) I'd use the unsoftened tap.
Another problem with softened water (calcium lacking) is that it sometimes doesn't has the buffering capacity to handle as much fish urine, creating a need for more water changes.
You can check this by comparing the alkalinity of the softened water with unsoftened.
If alkalinity is comparable your good to go, if the softened water is low, get out the bucket, or python more often.
Potassium chloride cannot be used with all water softeners. Almost all or all newer models can use it though.
I have a water softener on my house and because of that, and a high amount of dissolved CO2, I age my water. You could always look into some 55 gallon barrels to age your water in, or a 275-330 gallon tote. I will be getting a tote sometime this summer to use with my 220.
I keep fire eels, catfish, glofish, clown pleco, and goldfish with this water, and all have been doing very well with large 80-90% weekly water changes.
I have a water softener on my house and because of that, and a high amount of dissolved CO2, I age my water. You could always look into some 55 gallon barrels to age your water in, or a 275-330 gallon tote. I will be getting a tote sometime this summer to use with my 220.
I keep fire eels, catfish, glofish, clown pleco, and goldfish with this water, and all have been doing very well with large 80-90% weekly water changes.
Probably the dissolved CO2 is what most affects the water. It lets the ph level out though, and is probably good practice if you're able to. My tap water comes out near 7-7.4 and then after aging it gets up to 8.4+.
I'm sure that some more sensative species like discus, or possibly rays, could be affected by the sodium chloride in the water, but most fish, especially hardy species, are probably just fine with it.
Basically, what a water softener does is it washes beads with a sodium chloride (or potassium chloride) rinse and coats these beads. Then, as the hard water passes through the beads, the hard minerals, such as limestone and calcium, are swapped with the sodium chloride (or potassium chloride) and replace the coating on the beads. Then, when the sodium chloride is exhausted from the beads, the water softener goes through another sodium chloride rinse and starts the process all over again.
There is usually a spout somewhere in the house that is connected before the water softener. If you have one of these then you can use that water, which doesn't pass through the water softener. I have one of these in my garage but it's seized up and needs to be replaced before I can use it. I don't have a need for it though, so I don't worry about it.
Forgot to ask you, is the result of the water softener high amount of dissolved CO2 or that is something in your area? The move is coming closer and I really want to figure out what my path forward with this is. I am worried that I am going to have to stick with the water softener.
The co2 is unrelated to the water softener. I have been doing my cold water goldfish water changes straight from the tap. I have had no issues with the water softener water. However, I have not kept any really sensitive fish.