How to keep soft water fish in a hard water area.

[ember04]

Hi there

I was wondering if there are ways of keeping soft water fish in hard water areas.

my waters parameters are:
my pH is 6.2-7.0 depending on tank set-up
my GH is 120
my KH is 220

as you can see my water is quite hard and I've heard that GH doesn't change much in a tank

I wanted to get into wild bettas so was wondering if there's a way i could change my water parameters,
I also plan to use tannins and create a black water tank so that might help

And thoughts would be great.

 

[StripySnailGirl04]

Hi there

I was wondering if there are ways of keeping soft water fish in hard water areas.

my waters parameters are:
my pH is 6.2-7.0 depending on tank set-up
my GH is 120
my KH is 220

as you can see my water is quite hard and I've heard that GH doesn't change much in a tank

I wanted to get into wild bettas so was wondering if there's a way i could change my water parameters,
I also plan to use tannins and create a black water tank so that might help

And thoughts would be great.

You see, it is hard to decrease pH. I recently made a thread related to this matter. The truth is the only safe way of keeping soft water fish is to use an RO filter that would be very expensive. I would stick to hard water fish and SNAILS.

 

[Essjay]

Your GH at 120 ppm is not hard. It's 6.7 dH, which is soft. Your pH is also acidic which suits soft water fish.

You don't need to do anything to keep soft water fish, except perhaps for the very few species which must have exceptionally soft water.


Was it your water company which said you have hard water, probably "slightly hard"? Water companies always make it sound harder than it really is.


Edit - is the quoted hardness from a tester or from your water company's website? Their figure will be more accurate.

 

[ember04]

This is my own test, I have Thames water as my water company and the information is nowhere on their website (well not that I can find at least) so I had to test myself. I know the south-east is a bit notorious for hard water, all the taps in my house is covered in lime scale

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

You see, it is hard to decrease pH. I recently made a thread related to this matter. The truth is the only safe way of keeping soft water fish is to use an RO filter that would be very expensive. I would stick to hard water fish and SNAILS.

RO isn't that expensive, for the record.
Like Essjay said, many soft water fish will be perfectly fine in somewhat harder water, unless you're going for a truly picky fish like discus (as an off-the-top-of-my-head example).

To soften water you can use an RO unit, or get RO water from a local shop (my local Maidenhead Aquatics sells by the gallon iirc, for pretty cheap if you're not looking for something big). Plenty of plants and driftwood can also help decrease water hardness. Tannins in blackwater tanks can be great too, as they create acidity in the water, thus bringing the pH down that little bit further. Rain water can also be used if it's not compromised by pollutants, though this can be impractical since the weather these days is incredibly temperamental. Indian almond leaves are also a good choice, as they release tannins (similar to driftwood), thus creating a more acidic pH for your tank water.
I would stray from any chemical interference, such as pH treatments and similar products. When possible, it's good to stay as organic as possible when you can.

Hope this is helpful!

 

[Essjay]

Enter your postcode here

Check your water quality | Help | Thames Water

Enter your postcode to check the water quality in your area. Learn about the hardness, fluoridation and lead content of your water.

www.thameswater.co.uk

You should get a page which looks like this (I used the postcode of Thames Water's registered office, your numbers will be different). You need the ppm and German hardness (dH) numbers

 

[ember04]

Ok just checked
The level of calcium carbonate in your water zone is 259 ppm
DH 14.5

 

[Essjay]

That is hard water. Test kits are not always accurate, and some strips do not measure above a certain level.

Using RO or some other forum of pure water is the only way to soften water. If you use half and half tap and RO, that will drop the hardness to 7.25 dH which is OK for most soft water fish. You would need to mix the RO and tap to the same proportions at every water change before adding it to the tank.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

That's pretty hard. The trouble with RO is that most systems only produce only a few liters per hour, and most have a holding tank of only about 15-20 liters. That isn't very much. It would be easier to buy distilled water by the gallon from your grocery store.

The soft water issue is one of the main reasons I tore down my wonderful old SE asia 55g. Hauling water out to my house every week for water changes was just too much work, and that took the fun out of it. Now, I always advise people to keep fish that fit your water, rather than changing your water to suit the fish. If you're truly determined it can be done, but most people just can't sustain the effort required long-term.

That said, there are many fascinating and beautiful hard-water species besides the cliche' guppies, mollies, and platies. We'd be delighted to share ideas if you would like to go that route.

 

[ember04]

yeah ok, not likely the sound of going to buy RO water every time in need to top up or do a water change
ill probably look into hard water fish
I was going to keep wild bettas but am not anymore because of the water difference

We'd be delighted to share ideas if you would like to go that route

Yeah ill take you up on that offer
what are some good hard water nano fish

 

[StripySnailGirl04]

yeah ok, not likely the sound of going to buy RO water every time in need to top up or do a water change
ill probably look into hard water fish
I was going to keep wild bettas but am not anymore because of the water difference

Yeah ill take you up on that offer
what are some good hard water nano fish

Any livebearers should do. Guppies and Platies would be a good choice. How big is your tank? SNAILS are also suited to hard water so that is a very good option.

 

[ember04]

my tank is small which is a problem its a 26 litre/7-gallon tank dimensions being 40 long 26 wide and 25 tall
its really hard to find a hard water species that so small most micro fish or things like bettas are soft water

 

[Byron]

The Endlers' Livebearer is one popular nano fish for hard water. Only having males will avoid continual fry, but having said that, this livebearer is not as prolific as the larger species (platies, mollies, swordtails, even guppies) so having a male/female is not so bad.

 

[ember04]

yeah yeah ill look at endlers, I've kept livebearer for so long now i was ready to move on. Never kept Endlers but guppies.

 

[StripySnailGirl04]

And some nerite snails would be good.

Nerite Snails – Detailed Guide: Care, Diet and Breeding - Shrimp and Snail Breeder

Nerite snails are a great addition to any planted aquarium and they will be really good friends the dwarf shrimp. They do not reproduce in freshwater.

aquariumbreeder.com