Brand new at this...please be gentle

[Slaphppy7]

We need to know the hardness of that well water, before it is softened, and after it is softened

I've no experience with softened well water, hopefully others will post here on that

 

[Essjay]

What type of softener? If it's the salt type, it's not a good idea to use that as the vast majority of fresh water fish have evolved in water with no sodium and salt type softeners swap hardness minerals with sodium.

 

[Steviesmommy]

What type of softener? If it's the salt type, it's not a good idea to use that as the vast majority of fresh water fish have evolved in water with no sodium and salt type softeners swap hardness minerals with sodium.

It is the salt type

 

[Essjay]

There are a couple of options.

Do you have a bypass tap which uses water which has not been through the softener? That can be used provided the fish you keep are those which come from water with roughly the same hardness as the unsoftened water. This is the easier option as water changes just mean using bypass tap water, and if necessary heating it to get the temperature the same as the tank water.

The other option is the more expensive one of using some type of pure water, either to mix with water from the bypass tap to make it softer, or by using all pure water with a few minerals added back in if you want to keep soft water fish. This is more work as the new water at every water change has to be prepared before it's added to the tank.
By pure water, I mean reverse osmosis (RO) or distilled or deionised water.

 

[Steviesmommy]

I'm back! Did a large water change like requested. Waiting for the testing kit still unfortunately. The water looked ok and the fish were swimming around for the first time in days so we were pretty excited. Woke up this morning to find the tank cloudy again and the fish back to hiding. I don't know what to do!!

 

[Slaphppy7]

I'm back! Did a large water change like requested. Waiting for the testing kit still unfortunately. The water looked ok and the fish were swimming around for the first time in days so we were pretty excited. Woke up this morning to find the tank cloudy again and the fish back to hiding. I don't know what to do!!

When did you do the WC, and what water did you use?

Did you read the post by @Essjay above?

 

[Steviesmommy]

When did you do the WC, and what water did you use?

Did you read the post by @Essjay above?

Yesterday. I used RO water. I can't bypass the water softener.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Yesterday. I used RO water. I can't bypass the water softener.

We need that water testing kit, to check ammonia levels...at any rate, the cloudiness is most likely a bacterial bloom, which is normal

As mentioned earlier, that RO water won't have all of the necessary minerals the fish need, but if it were me, I'd do small daily WCs with what you have, anyway, until the test kit arrives

Take the advise already given, and remineralize that RO water, gradually, for the daily WC's

And be advised, such a small tank makes it harder to control water params...any chance of upgrading to a 10G?

 

[Steviesmommy]

We need that water testing kit, to check ammonia levels...at any rate, the cloudiness is most likely a bacterial bloom, which is normal

As mentioned earlier, that RO water won't have all of the necessary minerals the fish need, but if it were me, I'd do small daily WCs with what you have, anyway, until the test kit arrives

Take the advise already given, and remineralize that RO water, gradually, for the daily WC's

And be advised, such a small tank makes it harder to control water params...any chance of upgrading to a 10G?

Should I do anything about the bacterial bloom? Is that why the fish aren't swimming around? I have minerals coming too. There isn't much out here and the one store didn't have either things when I went. Amazon saves the day!

 

[Steviesmommy]

Should I do anything about the bacterial bloom? Is that why the fish aren't swimming around? I have minerals coming too. There isn't much out here and the one store didn't have either things when I went. Amazon saves the day!

Oh and there is no ammonia