A couple of questions for Cliff

[JamesW]

I don't know that softened water is calcium free. Water softeners use an ion-exchange system, but the exchange is not close to 100%. Maybe your appliance manual can offer guidance, but I couldn't speculate.

Sorry, Willie

No problem, I'm just thinking out loud. I'll confirm tonight but if I remember correctly the water softened water in my house has a gH of 1 drop vs ~20 for non-softened by the API test kit. Most resins used in water softeners have 2-3x affinity for calcium over sodium so the exchange can be quite efficient.

[CliffsDiscus]

This is strange. From what you say I should be able to get hatches in straight tap. I have had a few angels that produced in tap water and around that time I had a Discus pair produce wigglers. But mostly I need RO. But every time I have tested my water the numbers comes out the same. I think I'll just keep doing what has worked best in the past.

So is it mostly the gH or the kH that makes it hard for the eggs to be fertilized and have wigglers hatch or is it a combination of both. I believe that the calcium carbonate (kH) is the culprit.

Liz,
Can you remember when you had wrigglers from the angels and Discus were there any changes in you routine? Any feeding, temperature, change in
time you do water changes, different water conditioner brand. Somehow there is a change or maybe the water company added a higher disinfection.
We can only check our water with what is available to us but the water companies have more specifically testing tools.

Second question the high gH makes it more difficult to hatch but the eggs can still be fertilized.


Cliff

[LizStreithorst]

It was a long time ago, Cliff but I always do the same things the same way. It must have been a change in the water that I couldn't detect. I was certainly surprised by it.

It's strange to me that the gH is the culprit as my gH is, and has always tested 0.

[CliffsDiscus]

It was a long time ago, Cliff but I always do the same things the same way. It must have been a change in the water that I couldn't detect. I was certainly surprised by it.

It's strange to me that the gH is the culprit as my gH is, and has always tested 0.

If you are not spawning any Discus weekly then there is no way to tell if the incoming water is slightly change, everything still seems the same.

So what is the solution? Check with the water company of any changes
Buy a bottle of distilled water for hatching or
Buy a bottle of RO water for hatching(don't use your own RO may need replacement parts)
Last have your water tested by a water company, see what they recommend

Cliff

[LizStreithorst]

Thanks Cliff.