My city water got harder, so driftwood recommendations?

[biofish]

Hey guys! So since I’m currently using a bunch of things to try and make my water softer, how do I maintain it between water changes? My LFS opens in an hour so I’ll be able to see the effect this stuff has had on my tanks.

Do I need to dose the water before I add it since it’ll be tap and not RO water for now (still trying to find the best place for a solar still bc i would need a ladder to reach my roof and I don’t trust myself carrying heavy buckets up and down but I’ll figure it out) I’ve done 4 half doses on my fish filled tanks with the Acid Buffer and 6 full doses on my fishless tank over 8 days. Do I need to add the same amount of dosage (adjusted of course to the amount of water being added) to the clean water before adding it? Do I need to throw in the softening pillows and let that soak in the clean water for a couple hours before adding it? I typically use a python to fill my tanks rather than a bucket. Could I dose the tank before adding the water like water conditioner or add it afterwards?
Edit:
So say for my 55 gallon which had the 6 full doses. If I take away 20 gallons, should I give the clean 20 gallons 6 full doses? Obviously the 20 gallons would have a much smaller dosage than the 55 gallons so it wouldn’t be the exact same….

 

[biofish]

Annnnd my water params have gotten microscopically softer

 

[outofwater]

There are no quicker or more permanent fixes to this than going RO or the solar still that @Colin_T keeps harping. Going with chemicals is a temporary bandaid, adds time and expense to your maintenance routine and may adversely affect the fish, short or long term.
Adding plants, changing substrate or decorations (maybe, if applicable) and adding things like almond leaves, driftwood, peet and bottled or at-home filtered water (as in with a brita, for example) will all have a longer lasting effect but don't expect drastic changes, between a quarter and up to a point, tops; and that's combining these suggestions and with time, won't happen overnight or over a few short days, you don't want a drastic change either way anyway, as that will undoubtedly stress the fish.

 

[Colin_T]

There are no quicker or more permanent fixes to this than going RO or the solar still that @Colin_T keeps harping.

solar still
solar still
solar still
woooooo

 

[biofish]

None of my Cory catfish are freaking out anymore and are behaving much more in line with what I would expect: lazy snuggle piles on the sand, burying their face in the sand, taking a casual stroll to get an air bubble at the top of the tank.

I’m getting the api master kit in the mail today so I’ll test it then to see if I finally managed to bring the hardness down

 

[Sgooosh]

Reverse osmosis is the best option but the most expensive as well.
Peatmoss is the second best but I would not do it.
You COULD try softening pillows in your filter and see how much it lowers the water hardness.

How hard is your water now?

if you have a normal RO unit at home for drinking water you can temporarily use that to mix in the tank

 

[biofish]

if you have a normal RO unit at home for drinking water you can temporarily use that to mix in the tank

Unfortunately I don’t. My family uses a brita filter for our drinking needs

 

[BrianK]

I have an electric distiller. Takes about 4 hours to do a gallon. Then I mix about 1/3 distilled with 2/3 tap water.

 

[connorlindeman]

I’m getting the api master kit in the mail today so I’ll test it then to see if I finally managed to bring the hardness down

API master test kit does not test for Water Hardness

 

[biofish]

API master test kit does not test for Water Hardness

Of course it doesn’t smh that just my luck

 

[connorlindeman]

Of course it doesn’t smh that just my luck

They do sell a seperate test kit for that

 

[biofish]

Latest readings!
55 gallon:

29 gallon:

20 gallon: