water conditioning

[bundopeace]

hi guys,

just have a question abt conditioning water from the tap for apistos...

when i was back in singapore and still keeping apistos, the water that came straight from the tap was fantastic for the fish.. not much have to be done.. just had to add some peat to lower the ph and thats it....

but i realised here, the water from the tap is slightly harder and has a higher ph...
so wat do u guys do to make it suitable for apistos...

like standing the water overnight, peat moss?

or use comercial items to alter the parameter...

thanks people

nic

[DiscusEden]

Hi Nic, welcome to the forum!

Where is "here" - where are you from? It might help people to give you better advice.

[Th0mas]

Hi Nic,

Not sure what's the water like in Brisbane.

Sydney water is quite soft, pH at 7.8 but easily brought down with a bag of peat (that's what I normally uses).

Sometime my tank pH will drift to 4.8.

Thomas.

[bundopeace]

thanks thomas.....do u guys use ketapang(almond leaves) leaves here as well? ordering them in from overseas?...is there a alternative here...? tea leaves??

i am amazed that someone is actually selling these leaves thru ebay... cos i used to just pick them up along the road cos most places in singapore are planted with these trees...

dicuseden....

i live in brisbane now....

[Rod]

Hi Nic,

I'd recommend you catch some rain water! I know that may not be easy in some States
You could get an RO unit....but they waste a lot of water...so certainly not "kosher "in Brisbane at the moment.

Use 50/50 rainwater/tapwater for water changes....

Using peat or Tropical almond leaves (ketapang) helps but I believe the water should be low TDS (total dissolved solids) first...I think this is far more important than the ph of the water and generally it is easier to turn Low TDS water acid....soft water is the key.
Softening resins don't work in my opinion....they just swap Ca ions with Na ions so they don't lower the TDS.

Regards....Rod

[bundopeace]

hi rod,
there's this product called seachem discus buffer..is it any good it creating conditions right for apistos... discus and apistos like acidic soft water..
it buffers to 6.8

wat abt using ADA aquasoil?

[Rod]

Hi Nic,

I have no experience with that product.....I wish there was something you could..ADD to water to make it softer but in my research I don't believe there is anything you can add to water to make it soft.....other than more water that is very soft....rainwater or Ro water....this just dilutes the hardness of the water you're adding it to....to make water softer you have to take out chemicals....and that is a lot harder than the reverse....better to add water from nature that is already soft

Buffers work for Hard water fish because adding various soluable salts increases hardness/alkalinity....buffers for Discus??? probably get the same results filtering water through peat!

I look at it this way....soft water fish mostly come from streams where the water is rainwater filtered through...at most....dead leaves and fallen trees....so that's what you need to replicate.....Most tapwater....even if it is soft has chemicals added to make it alkaline so it doesn't eat out pipework and this also increases hardness....or TDS

You can't use 100% pure water...it won't sustain life so a 50/50 mix with tap water is a Good compromise??

[k0b0i]

what Rod said :thumb

[gingerbeer01]

And if you are in Brisbane and don;t collect rainwater keep africans.

I haven;t collected lately and my display is now algae and my Rams ha e had 1 infertile spawn and bred again tonight.

:banghead

Steve