Api Water Softener Pillow

[jarmado]

anynone uses this?
any feedbacks?
how do i recharge it?
thanks

 

[jarmado]

no one?

 

[xJake]

I've seen it in the store, never really touched it though. I've never really bothered with artificial pH altering methods.

 

[jarmado]

I've seen it in the store, never really touched it though. I've never really bothered with artificial pH altering methods.

i was hoping to soften the water without any adverse/major change on the ph.

 

[xJake]

After intial use do not allow pillow to dry out
Recharging solution is 2 tablespoons of aquarium salt in 120ml of water
Allow pillow to recharge for at least 2 hours
Discard recharging solution after 4 recharges
If not being used, store pillow in recharging solution

I'd imagine you just soak the pillow in the solution of salt for 2 hours and it's ready to go again.

 

[jarmado]

After intial use do not allow pillow to dry out
Recharging solution is 2 tablespoons of aquarium salt in 120ml of water
Allow pillow to recharge for at least 2 hours
Discard recharging solution after 4 recharges
If not being used, store pillow in recharging solution

I'd imagine you just soak the pillow in the solution of salt for 2 hours and it's ready to go again.

great!
many thanks

 

[jarmado]

this thing actually works!

 

[Callum]

can you use multiple units for larger tanks?

 

[jarmado]

can you use multiple units for larger tanks?

i guess you can do that.
the extra large pillow is rated for 20gallons up but no limit is mentioned.

 

[ImperfectFaerie]

iJay- I'm not really familier with the whole concept of the water softner pillow- I thought softened water was bad for fish? Will you explain it a bit for me? Thanks!

 

[Bignose]

The way these ion exchange softeners work is they take the calcium and magnesium ions out of the water, and replace them with sodium ions. The issue is that high sodium concentration results, and some fish are not going to tolerate that, sort of similar to fishs' intolerance to salt. Some species will be fine, others will not tolerate it at all.

For example, the sodium concentration of the average river in the Amazon basin is about 100 ppb (that's parts per billion). By comparison, every degree hardness you remove using this pillow is 17.9 ppm. And since 2 sodium ions have to replace one calcium or magnesium, this is really 35.8 ppm of sodium ions.

35.8ppm/0.1 ppm = 358 times more sodium ions concentration than Amazonian waters.

Some fish will be fine with this, some will not.

 

[jarmado]

concept explained . thanks
saves me a lot of money on RO system and waste water

iJay- I'm not really familier with the whole concept of the water softner pillow- I thought softened water was bad for fish? Will you explain it a bit for me? Thanks!

The way these ion exchange softeners work is they take the calcium and magnesium ions out of the water, and replace them with sodium ions. The issue is that high sodium concentration results, and some fish are not going to tolerate that, sort of similar to fishs' intolerance to salt. Some species will be fine, others will not tolerate it at all.

For example, the sodium concentration of the average river in the Amazon basin is about 100 ppb (that's parts per billion). By comparison, every degree hardness you remove using this pillow is 17.9 ppm. And since 2 sodium ions have to replace one calcium or magnesium, this is really 35.8 ppm of sodium ions.

35.8ppm/0.1 ppm = 358 times more sodium ions concentration than Amazonian waters.

Some fish will be fine with this, some will not.