hard vs soft water......

[sthai75]

I live in a hard water area outside of austin texas, flat limestone rich land out here. So most homes have water softenors for in home use to help protect the pipes. The water softens the water by using ion exchange with salt from a brine tank. My question: is this water fine to use for FW puffers? If not I have been useing the liquid rock that comes out of the garden hose for use outside but we're looking at hard alkaline water PH over 8. and 22degrees GH. declorinated of course. My modestus seem fine but I consider the long term affects. Should a RO filter just be a piece of equipment I have to keep being where I am residing. I envy those people who have useable tap water.

[robert_hollis]

Welcome to Texas!

I can't answer your questions, but I sure can empathize.

-Rob

[sthai75]

Thanks,

It's the same water conditions in Houston? How dow you make it work or do you have hard water fish like african cichlids.

[LilGreenPuffer]

The water around here is too hard for my test kit to read, and the pH is about 8.2. My puffers have had no problems with this. I did have to start using RO water for my halfmoon betta, but that particular fin type is oddly prone to problems in hard water (fins dissolving off, etc.), and I consider this an exceptional situation. My other fish have done just fine in hard water.

I don't think it'll cause any problems for you unless you choose an extremely hardness/pH-sensitive fish. Puffers, as a general rule, won't care about this. Don't try to alter your hardness chemically; you'll get massive pH swings that are far more harmful than a consistantly "wrong" pH.

[sthai75]

That was the response I hoped for. Thank you.

[Iliveinazoo]

Peat, driftwood and live plants will all reduce the hardness of your tank water.

[LilGreenPuffer]

Driftwood and live plants don't work in my water - it's too hard! It's so calcified that it's practically a fossil. I got it to budge a tad with Indian almond leaves, but not a lot... I hear that peat is very strong, but I haven't ever tried it. Don't forget that if you lower the pH in the tank, you'll have to lower it in the water that you add with every water change *before* it goes in, so that you don't have a huge pH swing.

[robert_hollis]

It's not too bad in Houston, but in Waco (where I grew up) it's really bad. Always leaves that nice white calcium stain on the shower and sink there.

-Rob

[LilGreenPuffer]

I had that on one of my old tanks. Yuck. And, yeah, all over the plumbing.

[sthai75]

"Limeaway" is often used to clean the shower. The water hardness is off the charts. I peat and drift wood don't even dent it. I'll stick with not messing with the water chemistry. Thanks for your advice though.

[robert_hollis]

Unless you have a whole lot of fish tanks, you might try setting up some rain barrels so you can get that nice soft rain water for your fish. Even a 50/50 mix would be better than the super hard stuff coming out of the tap. I keep one barrel at my house so I can keep my tropical tank a little softer, and whenever we have a good rain coming, I use that water to top off my pond. BTW, does anybody in the Houston area want some godfish? I saw some more fry in my pond today when I went out to feed them, and I'm wondering how long til my pond becomes overpopulated!

-Rob

[SammyDee]

I wonder if you got a sink faucet filter if that would help. Or buy filtered water from somewhere to dillute your tap water. my water is hard too like 300 most the time but I never tried to mess with it. Been using thet in my freshwater tank unconditioned for years and havent lost any fish yet. Although I condition it all now. Also Im pretty sure they have under the sink filters too pretty cheap.

[SammyDee]

Rain water too will work but your gonna need to be a successful rain dancer all week to fill half a 10g tank where I live. LOL Takes to long, the more filtered water you buy the cheaper. Try a water delivering service.

[LilGreenPuffer]

I wouldn't use rainwater before checking with the local authorities and making sure that it's not full of pollutants.

[beano_baby]

Or you may live in a state like mine where it is illegal to collect rain water. Colorado just changed their law to allow it but in Utah it is still against the law. However Its not like we get enough rain to make it worth it.