Water Softener and RO Cycling questions

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
E

excaliber

Exodon
MFK Member
Jan 11, 2019
61
42
26
SW Idaho
I could use some help with Water Softener and RO systems. We currently have a water softener and we have been using this water to fill our smaller tanks. it has not bothered our fish so far but I was reading today that we should not be using this softened water due to the salt being introduced into the tanks.

If I were to get an RO system could I then run the softened water through the RO system and have it remove the salt?
I read that the softened water would help the membranes of the RO system and make them last longer.

the #1 option would be to bypass the Water Softener but the bypass hasn't been closed off in 13 years and after initial testing feels like it will break off before it actually bypasses. If not I would have to use an outside hose bib to get hard water to work with until I plumb a bypass.

Now I have two tanks going through the fishless cycle with softened water. Will this affect the cycling? Maybe the additional salt will kill or inhibit the bacteria growth we need?

Should we start over once we get the RO system?
 
What fish are you raising?
Some like hard water, such as African rift lake, and Central American cichlids), many new world live bearers are also hard water loving fish.
Many of those from the Amazon region are soft water species, as are some Asian fish, but may not like the TDS that comes with salt used in water softeners to replace the calcium in hard water.
 
I was able to free the bypass on the water softener so we will get an RO system and run hard water through it if needed for the tanks and switch back to soft water for regular house hold uses.
There sure is allot to learn and I'm glad this site is here.
 
As long as the angels are normal scalare, and not Altum, or Leopoldi a mix of RO with some hard water should be fine.
Acaras are some of the most adaptable cichlids one could hope for, and the Tapajos river usually averages a pH of 6-7, so whatever you use for the angels should be fine for the Geo.
 
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