Hardness, GH,Conductivity,RO, Meters and Archived

[Ardan]

Hardness, GH, Conductivity, Meters, RO and Archived Info

The hardness of the water has to do with how many minerals are in the water. This is an important parameter for raising and breeding discus. Some minerals are needed for proper discus growth and development. Usually a conductivity of about 100microsiemens or less (3 GH) is recommended for breeding and a conductivity of 200 or more for growing discus. This provides enough calcium and magnesium for skeletal growth. Lowering the hardness can be accomplished by mixing in water than has gone through and RO (reverse osmosis) unit to remove the minerals, or water from a DI unit, distilled water, or rain water with tap water. Raising the hardness by the addition of minerals may be necessary if the water does not have enough minerals. (Water is too “soft”).
Use a TDS or Conductivity meter or a test kit for measuring hardness.

Here are some internet links and other links here at Simply Discus where this is discussed.

http://home.earthlink.net/~grenier2/discus.htm
http://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/resources/faq-begin-tapwater.asp
http://global.horiba.com/story_e/conductivity/
http://www.wateranywhere.com/Dir/~.htm
http://www.aquaworldnet.com/dbws/DiscusWater.shtml
http://enchanteddiscus.com/watregen.htm
http://bcn.boulder.co.us/basin/data/COBWQ/info/SC.html
http://www.eutechinst.com/techtips/tech-tips40.htm
http://www.myronl.com/products/solutions.htm

Conductivity/TDS vs. Hardness Test Kit
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=279
GH and Growing out Discus
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=281
Conductivity vs. TDS Meters
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=287
Best Treatment for Soft Water
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=291
Increasing GH/KH
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=1147
RO in Drinking Water vs. RO in Aquarium
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=1157
Reducing PPM (also has formulas for converting between the different hardness scales)
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=1166
Breeding Tank Water Chemistry
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=1169
RO on the Trail
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=1173
Building RO
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=1180
Will Peat Lower My GH
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=1186
GH is below 20 mg/l
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=1196
Soft Water and Low PH
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=1198
Stable and Proper H2O for Discus
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=1199
Softening Water using Blackwater?
http://www.simplydiscus.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=water;action=display;num=1020302664
Softening Water with Peat
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=1209
Using RO Water
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=1224
New RO Unit
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=851
Water Additives
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=1178
R/O unit Problems
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=77
Definitions of Interest About Water Related Items
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=1185
Ardan

[bokgrasul]

Thank you for sharing your experience with us!
For me ,it really helps!
8)

[Coetz]

Hey,
thanx for that, it really helps people who are confused and need direction. ;D

Coetz**

[murali]

Hi steelhead.

Just wanted to add my thanks for your helpful posting.

Cheers,
Murali

[1ton]

I still have a question. I have recently added a Culligan water softener to the household water supply. "Water here in Arkansas is like liquid concrete!" It is the type that uses salt. I need to know if this water is in anyway acceptable to use for fish tanks? Or will I need to start trucking it in?? I was told this system is NOT Reverse Osmosis, only softened. Anyone with some knowledge of this would be appreciated..Thanks. Jerry

[Ardan]

Hi,
Yes, generally to soften water , salt is exchanged for the other minerals.
So the salt in the water is not good for the fish.
An RO unit can remove the salt, but you will need to add some of the minerals back as an RO removes almost everything. Fish need some minerals.

Do you know what the hardness of the unsoftened water is?

hth
Ardan

[Dan_W]

Hi Ardan and all,

I am not sure if I should ask my question here, but here it is.

I understand that a hardness of around 100 microsiemens is good for breeding and that over 200 is good for growing young ones.

If I can ask, at how many days/weeks after free swimming should the hardness of the water be increased and at what rate

Thanks a lot

Dan

[Ardan]

Hi Dan and welcome!

I have not raised any discus babies yet....... ;D

so I have to let that one go for those with experience. But my thoughts are to start raising the hardness with wc's after hatching. I always try to make changes slowly over a period of days to a wk. jmo

I believe the lower conductivity helps in hatch rates, although I have been told that hatch rates can be pretty good even at hardness over 200 ms.

hth

hope someone with more experience in that area puts in a word.

[Dan_W]

Hi again,

Thanks a lot for your answer, I find your message board very informative. You guys are doing a great job.

Dan

[Ardan]

Carbon Dioxide
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=1931
Chloramines and Archived Info
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=1155
Conversions
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=14534
Definitions of Water Related Stuff
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=1185
Drop in Ph, effects on fish
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=1146
Hardness, GH, Conductivity, RO, Meters and Archived
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=1153
Humidity and its side effect, Mold
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=13665
Nitrite, fixing it in tapwater
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=10257
PH and Archived Info
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=1152
PH, You don't need to Change It
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=6312
Pre-Cycling and Archived Info
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=1151
RO/DI Water Filters and Information
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=4196
RO Unit Components: Basic Assembly
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=7614
RO unit parts and their functions
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=7886
RO units, questions and answers
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=10186
Water Changers, Aging Water and Archived Info
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=1150

[aziyaeian]

Hi
There is a question in my mind.
My tap water hardness is about 800 PPM. And it is impossible for me to apply RO or peat. May I use cation resin to make it soft or union resin?
Aren’t they poisonous for fish?
thank you

[Ardan]

Hi,
I am not familiar with their use. I will try to draw Randals attention here, he would know better than I.