Water Hardness

[GreyB]

OK, I know this is an age old subject and lord knows I've been all over the internet for answers.

My water hardness is mid-range. I'd like to lower it. I use R.O. water and add nothing to it. The fish are very happy and healthy. I would like to bring down the hardness. Does anyone know of way to do this without dumping chemicals into the tank?

Thanks!!

[Cichlid_Man]

OK, I know this is an age old subject and lord knows I've been all over the internet for answers.

My water hardness is mid-range. I'd like to lower it. I use R.O. water and add nothing to it. The fish are very happy and healthy. I would like to bring down the hardness. Does anyone know of way to do this without dumping chemicals into the tank?

Thanks!!

You can try CO2 injection and adding peat moss to your filter.
It works wonders!

Add the peat moss into a filter media bag first...then drop into your filter

[Fishguy2727]

RO water should be very soft and it almost always needs something added to it. You may need to change the media/cartridges on the RO unit.

[jeffs99dime]

i also have r.o. water. reptileguy2727 is right. you have to replenish some minerals back into the r.o. water. i mix 50/50 (tap and r.o.)

[GreyB]

Thanks everyone! The peat moss sounds interesting. I will look into that.

I have no control over the R.O. as I purchase it from a Glacier machine. It got too expensive to buy it from the fish store. It's possible that my tests aren't the most accurate. The only test I could find for Hardness was an all-in-one test strip. If you can suggest an alternative, I'd love to know.

I change out 1/3 to 1/2 every week with a good gravel cleaning. The fish seem very healthy. So, if it works well, don't fix it, right?

I have a 36 gallon bow front with Discus, 1 beta, 3 little cory cats, and a Gold Nugget Pleco.

[jeffs99dime]

Thanks everyone! The peat moss sounds interesting. I will look into that.

I have no control over the R.O. as I purchase it from a Glacier machine. It got too expensive to buy it from the fish store. It's possible that my tests aren't the most accurate. The only test I could find for Hardness was an all-in-one test strip. If you can suggest an alternative, I'd love to know.

I change out 1/3 to 1/2 every week with a good gravel cleaning. The fish seem very healthy. So, if it works well, don't fix it, right?

I have a 36 gallon bow front with Discus, 1 beta, 3 little cory cats, and a Gold Nugget Pleco.

look for aquarium pharmacuticals (api) they have a liquid test kit that does both Kh and Gh (carbonate hardness and general hardness). they also make a calcium test kit.

[Danny M]

But, why do you think you need to lower the Gh? How many deg. shows your test, as innacurate as it is? Maybe you don't even need to.
For what I know, from the fish you have, the discus and the baryancistrus need a softer water, but, even for this fish, the hardness is very acceptable in the range of 3 - 15 deg. Gh.
I believe all you need to use is peat moss, the CO2 only lowers the ph, not Gh; and if your Gh is under 15 deg., don't mess with it.

[jeffs99dime]

But, why do you think you need to lower the Gh? How many deg. shows your test, as innacurate as it is? Maybe you don't even need to.
For what I know, from the fish you have, the discus and the baryancistrus need a softer water, but, even for this fish, the hardness is very acceptable in the range of 3 - 15 deg. Gh.
I believe all you need to use is peat moss, the CO2 only lowers the ph, not Gh; and if your Gh is under 15 deg., don't mess with it.

i'm not looking to lower my gh??!! i was giving greyb advice.

[jman]

what is the actual point of lowering anything if the fish were fine?
Or your looking to lower for other purposes?

[Danny M]

i'm not looking to lower my gh??!! i was giving greyb advice.
Sorry. My post was also ment for greyb. My fault, didn't mention whom I'm talking to... Seems HE wants to lower the Gh ("I would like to bring down the hardness", he said), and I do not understand why. Maybe I didn't understood what the problem is. Just tell me and I'll shut off.