Softening Water For Fish Aquarium Usage
If you collect fish to house in aquariums as a hobby, and you are going to be moving to a new home in the near future, you are most likely concerned about the water supply you will be using to keep your tanks filled as necessary. Hard water is not recommended for usage inside of aquariums as it usually has mineral and calcium present within its composition. Here are some steps you can take to ensure your fish have softened water if you find out your home's supply is too hard to use safely.
Test The Home's Water Supply Before Usage
Since the water quality varies from home to home, it will be important to do some testing of what comes out of your faucets before you use it for your swimming friends' homes. A water testing kit can be purchased from a pet shop or a home goods store. Ask a pet store professional what range of soft/hard water is safe for the particular fish you own. When you get your results, make changes as necessary to soften water if it is too hard.
Try Softening Pillows For Smaller Aquariums
If your aquariums are not large in size, water softening pillows may do the trick in getting your hard tap water within a safe softness range for your fish. These pillows can be purchased from an aquarium supply store or a pet store and are placed next to the filtration systems in your aquariums. As the water runs through a filtration system, it it will pass through the softening pillow, removing denser particulates from the water in the process.
Use A Reverse Osmosis System To Soften Tap Water
A reverse osmosis system can easily remove contaminates from your water, which will soften the composition as a result. Once you run water through the system, place it in a clean trash can for collection purposes and measure the amount present with a clean yard stick. Test the water in the trash can with your test kit before using it in your aquariums. If the water is now too soft, add a measured amount of plain tap water to the container and test the supply again. It may take a while before your water is within the usable range. Keep track of the amounts of tap water you add to the can so you can duplicate the proper ratio of treated water and tap water again in the future.