We have very hard water in AZ, and I am considering installing water softener in the home... My concern now is my cichlids. Can anyone speak from personal experience on using softened water via a water softener and keeping fish? Sodium vs Potassium chloride pellets?
Installing water softener in home, effect on fish?
- Thread starter aztsm
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Water softener reactions generally exchange calcium with sodium.
This kind of softness is basically to create suds for a washing machine, and not the kind of soft water that soft water cichlids need (or for drinking), and is not the proper chemical makeup that hard water cichlids are used to.
Most houses (at least in my area)leave at least one tap with straight hard water, and this tap is what I would use for my fish, not salt reacted softened water.
This kind of softness is basically to create suds for a washing machine, and not the kind of soft water that soft water cichlids need (or for drinking), and is not the proper chemical makeup that hard water cichlids are used to.
Most houses (at least in my area)leave at least one tap with straight hard water, and this tap is what I would use for my fish, not salt reacted softened water.
I was told by someone I hold as an authority that all a softener does is add sodium ions to the water and basically there is no effect on fish. I have had softened water for many years and never noticed any so it looks like she was correct.
As mentioned though, what you really have is hard water with sodium ions and not truly soft water.
As mentioned though, what you really have is hard water with sodium ions and not truly soft water.
i haven't noticed any ill effects on my freshwater fish either, haven't lost a single one with the softener up and running for almost 2 years now.