How Soft should My Water Be?

[WolfFisho1]

If I am going to get and breed White Seam BN's how soft should my water be?

 

[Waldo]

I assume your talking about L183???

Your going to have a harder time and inadvertantly endanger your fish by messing with the pH dh. Most likely if you want to trigger them to breed. I would refridgerate a couple gallons of filtered water (any store bought water) and do a large water change.

 

[davo]

if you have a relatively large bogwood:water ratio, that can help, there are other ways of adding tannings etc. R/o water. Do you know the hardness of your current water? You may have nothing to worry about.

 

[WolfFisho1]

Yes L183!

no i dont kno the exact hardness! i kno that is quite hard! around here with out a water softener faucets can be clogged with so much calcium and limestone build up!

so just use some colder water? ok thanks! Waldo

I do have some woood! not a lot though good amount!

 

[WolfFisho1]

would changing the hardness before adding them to the tank make it safer?

 

[COL]

Bogwood acidifies the water, but does not soften it to a large degree, as it doesn't really take any of the dissolved calcium salts outs...it just adds tannic acid.

 

[davo]

i've always noticed it makes the water softer. Always presumed it was the bogwood, as i'm not sure what else it could be.