# hardness



## gourami-master (Apr 1, 2004)

how would you lower hardness is there some kind of chemacal a link would be helpful


----------



## RhomZilla (Feb 12, 2003)

_*Moved to Water Chemistry*_.


----------



## acehigh (Mar 5, 2004)

Sorry mate no good at techi stuff, dont know how to put on links!

What u want is a water softner pillow, they are made by A.P.I. You will also need some salt to make up a charge solution for the pillow. You basicly add the pillow to your tanks filter. It normaly lasts for 48hrs, you then take it out and add to the charge solution. I think it takes about 8hrs to charge, then you can add it again. Once you have got the water right you store the pillow in the charge solution and use when needed. The instruction are good and cover making the charge solution.

Hope this helps!


----------



## serrasalmus_collector (Mar 9, 2003)

Careful about those water softening pillows. They may be creating an illusion. Calcium and magnesium may be precipitated and removed, but you now have another new element. Sodium. Your tester may not recognize the increase in sodium. Theoretically hardness based on Magnesium and Calcium has been reduced. This is what the Hardness testers test for. But your dissolved solids will probably remain the same or even increase with the addition to sodium.

I am uncertain of what you are trying to do with soft water. But I soften my water with R.O unit. That is the best method. Mix *RO, or Distilled water with dechlorinated tap*. Start with 50% of each and test. Increase or decrease the amount of tap water until you reach the desired hardness. With good buffering compounds you will also be able to control you PH with incredible accuracy.


----------



## jackburton (Nov 25, 2003)

peat media can lower your ph


----------



## keyhamking (Apr 20, 2004)

peat media will soften water, which, as i understand it will enable u to get a lower ph if so desired - due to reduced levels of buffering. yesterday i put about 2 tincan fulls of organic irish peat in a stocking, knotted it and wedged it under my already present peice of bogwood. this reduced hardness from my normal 6 to 3, but the ph now swings from 6.4 in morning to 8(!!) in evening - wheras b4 it went from 6.6 to 7 - i have a moderately planted tank. well that s my experience of it - hope it helps!


----------



## DonH (Jan 25, 2003)

Peat will lower hardness and pH, but for consistency and accurate measurements, I would go with reconstituted R.O.


----------



## Piranha+Feeders=Carnage (Mar 14, 2003)

Oops, posted to the wrong message


----------

