# Water Softner



## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

Hi my husband wants to put in a water softner in the house put not sure how this will affect the fish they are already used to the hard water any advice Pat also I have those new chiclids Pat


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

What cichlids are those?

No. water softners simply substitute a sodium ion into the water. Its not a softener. Its just softer to YOUR human perception. The high sodium will eventually hurt your fish.


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## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

Pablo said:


> What cichlids are those?
> 
> No. water softners simply substitute a sodium ion into the water. Its not a softener. Its just softer to YOUR human perception. The high sodium will eventually hurt your fish.


Ok thanks there is one electric blue about 4 ins one electric yellow and theres a little black one Iam trying to figure out looks like a female peacock. There was another electric blue in there a big one which Ive moved to a rubbermaid contanier as he was harrasing the other fish. Pat


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

I keep African Cichlids - they prefer hard water, which is fine with us in Aurora - our water comes out of the faucet in chunks!

We installed a softener a couple of years back, but made sure we also installed a "bypass" so that we can route "around" the softener as necessary, and use un-softened water for watering the yard, washing the cars or (as it turns out now) conducting water changes on our tanks.


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## Riceburner (Mar 14, 2008)

agreed...always give yourself options. just have the softener water routed to laundry, bathroom and kitchen and leave the rest untreated...outside taps, one source for fish, etc.


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## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

Ok thanks that sounds good Pat.


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

I've been running water that's been treated through a sodium-salt softener for months now... lol crap.


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

The extra $$$ spent on potassium chloride (KCl) salt to recharge the resin instead of sodium chloride (NaCl), the potassium ions that are echanged for calcium and magnesium ions will not only benefit plants but for people as well .

JM2C/HTH


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

wtac said:


> The extra $$$ spent on potassium chloride (KCl) salt to recharge the resin instead of sodium chloride (NaCl), the potassium ions that are echanged for calcium and magnesium ions will not only benefit plants but for people as well .
> 
> JM2C/HTH


Do you know where you can find these KCl salts for water softeners? I usually go to Home Depot and don't see them...or maybe I'm just blind 

Also, is the price significantly more? I don't think my parents would be willing to spend more money for my fish


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## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

dekstr said:


> I've been running water that's been treated through a sodium-salt softener for months now... lol crap.


 Does this give your fish soft water. Pat


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

pat3612 said:


> Does this give your fish soft water. Pat


As Pablo already mentioned, running your water through a sodium chloride based water softener will only replace the magnesium and calcium cations with sodium cations.

The TDS will actually increase, since both calcium and magnesium cations have a +2 charge, whereas sodium only has a +1 charge. In addition, since you are adding so many sodium cations to the water, it may not be very healthy for plants/fish.


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Darkblade48 said:


> Do you know where you can find these KCl salts for water softeners? I usually go to Home Depot and don't see them...or maybe I'm just blind
> 
> Also, is the price significantly more? I don't think my parents would be willing to spend more money for my fish


I don't recall off hand but I'll check when I'm at the various HD/Ronas for ya.


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

Well I was worried at first when I first started fishkeeping in September 07.

I understand pretty well how the resin exchange works, and the only answer I found online was that extra sodium in the water will be bad for your fish and plants. But personally AFAIK, I haven't seen any actualy examples of this having an adverse effect on my fish and plants--where people used sodium chloride softened water and had fish die. Maybe it shortens their life span? I don't know.

Don't quote me on this though, just my personal experience. I haven't done any comparisons with untreated tap water and softened tap water.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

IME, it takes time before the amount of sodium cations builds up to the point where its negative effects begin to show.

I had the water softener for several years before I started getting weird plant growth; everytime I change the water now, I just bypass the water softener, and it's been working for me.


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

GTA tap water is, IMHO, pretty good and is suitable for keeping a wide variety of FW fish. Breeding is another story . Softened water will also help in reducing the amount of detergent used for dish and clothes washing as well shampoo and soap required to get the same "cleanliness".


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## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

Thanks everyone Ill just reroute as my fish are used to the hard water anyway . Thanks Pat


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