I'm on a well that is salt conditioned to raise ph, is this ok?

[Treefolk]

Hello,

I'm am planning and researching about getting my first Discus and of course am addressing my water first. I purchased a ph, nitrate and ammonia kit today. 0 nitrates and ammonia in my water, but the pH is 7.6. I spoke with my landlord and he said that the water is "softened", if I recall correctly, with salts. Is this safe to use? If not, can I use only reverse osmosis water?

Thank you for your time

[Filip]

If it's drinkable it should be also good enough for discus IMO.
You cannot use plain Ro water,you must re-mineralize it before with part of tap water or with commercial products for re-mineralization.

[Second Hand Pat]

Sounds like the water is being run thru a water softener. You might want to check the TDS of the water with a TDS meter.
Pat

[Treefolk]

Sounds like the water is being run thru a water softener. You might want to check the TDS of the water with a TDS meter.
Pat

What is an acceptable tds? I used to be into hydroponics and am very familiar these concepts. Is there a list somewhere with acceptable phosphate, sulfur, sodium, manganese, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, ect levels?

What is the acceptable gh for discus?

[jmf3460]

sounds like exceptional water for discus, and most other freshwater fish actually.

[Filip]

What is an acceptable tds? I used to be into hydroponics and am very familiar these concepts. Is there a list somewhere with acceptable phosphate, sulfur, sodium, manganese, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, ect levels?

What is the acceptable gh for discus?

They can adjust to great variety of Tds.
Consistency is what's most important.
Just use your water well water TDS,or ask the breeder about his ways of care and adjust to it.

[pastry]

They can adjust to great variety of Tds.
Consistency is what's most important.
Just use your water well water TDS,or ask the breeder about his ways of care and adjust to it.

I agree with this. Just for throwing one out there, mine is usually around 95 from my tap and hasn't been a problem. But I think I've seen people post 200 or much more (not positive on that... Just know mine). Sometimes too soft could cause gill plate development problems in very young discus (please anyone correct me if wrong; member from past passed that on to me when their water source was waaaay too soft)

[afriend]

Hello,

I'm am planning and researching about getting my first Discus and of course am addressing my water first. I purchased a ph, nitrate and ammonia kit today. 0 nitrates and ammonia in my water, but the pH is 7.6. I spoke with my landlord and he said that the water is "softened", if I recall correctly, with salts. Is this safe to use? If not, can I use only reverse osmosis water?

Thank you for your time

Treefolk,

The first issue that needs to be addressed is what your goal is. My suggestion is to begin by getting sub-adult or adult discus (5 to 6 inch). Next I would suggest obtaining your fish from one of the sponsors on this forum (Kenney's or Hans are both excellent).

The issue concerning a water softener and a ph of 7.6 is no problem at all. My source water has a ph of 8.4 with a TDS of 240 ppm and I have a water softener that uses salt. As far as all the other elements (phosphate, sulfur, sodium, manganese, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper) are concerned, if it is safe to drink, then it is probably good for discus. I took a sample of my water to Sears and they tested it for me for free.

If you are considering breeding or raising young fish, then the question of water parameters become much more critical.

Hope this is helpful,

Paul

[Jack L]

Hello,

I'm am planning and researching about getting my first Discus and of course am addressing my water first. I purchased a ph, nitrate and ammonia kit today. 0 nitrates and ammonia in my water, but the pH is 7.6. I spoke with my landlord and he said that the water is "softened", if I recall correctly, with salts. Is this safe to use? If not, can I use only reverse osmosis water?

Thank you for your time

softeners are not in place to raise pH, they are there to remove minerals from water that builds up in pipes and appliances. the salt is used to wash off the resin/recharge it. i have books saying that water run through a home softener is no good for fish, and i have read just the opposite too. i have kept fish in softened water, but never grew out Ds in it.

as others have said, your fish will be fine. buy IME, trying to have plants in such water didn't go well.

[Treefolk]

softeners are not in place to raise pH, they are there to remove minerals from water that builds up in pipes and appliances. the salt is used to wash off the resin/recharge it. i have books saying that water run through a home softener is no good for fish, and i have read just the opposite too. i have kept fish in softened water, but never grew out Ds in it.

as others have said, your fish will be fine. buy IME, trying to have plants in such water didn't go well.

Those minerals do effect pH values and is the purpose of adding this system to our well system. Before implementation the pH was 6.2.

I stopped doing hydroponics as a hobby before this system was installed, so don't know how it would have effected my plants. I can bypass the softener system by taping directly into the well, but I believe that will unstable water.

Thank you for the input.

[Jack L]

Those minerals do effect pH values and is the purpose of adding this system to our well system. Before implementation the pH was 6.2.

I stopped doing hydroponics as a hobby before this system was installed, so don't know how it would have effected my plants. I can bypass the softener system by taping directly into the well, but I believe that will unstable water.

Thank you for the input.

oh, i see your subject line now, you are raising ph, i was thrown off my landlord comment about "softened" and mention of salt

so you aren't using sodium based salt like seasalt in a system to lower ph/minerals, you have a system installed that adds minerials to raise ph, like a neutralizer system that uses calcite or something.

anyway....water should be fine.


i have a "softener" that removes the hard water minerals like calcium etc, and that "softened" water made my aquarium plants do poorly