orange water?

[mcgreg]

Hi to everyone!
In the last days i put a water softener pillow in my filter because my gh was high but now the water have a little bit orange colour,is this normal from the pillow or not?

[hyperfocus]

It's normal. Sounds like you didn't rinse the "pillow".

[bs6749]

It could be the pillow if it is clay-based but I am doubting that it's the pillow that caused it. Do you have any driftwood or any decorations in the tank that could have caused this? How long has the tank been up and running?

[hyperfocus]

aquarium pharmaceuticals water softener pillow will turn your water orange if it's not rinsed good enough.

[mcgreg]

im sure it is this you say about the orange.THX
Now i have a another question. I dont have at the moment the specially liquid who we put the pillow after we put it out of the filter for regeneration.Can i let it in the filter as far the store have it? or maybe the pillow raise the gh again if i dont put it out after 48 hours?(its the time the pillow act).

[Apistomaster]

All you have to do to regenerate the water softener is soak it in a brine solution made of a couple tablespoons of common rock salt per 8 oz of water overnight. Then rinse the salt water out of the pillow before using.
There is no reason why you should be using this water softener. It only trades ca++ and Mg++ for Na+ ions so there is only an apparent softening of the water but no reduction in the total dissolved solids. To use ion exchange resins as water softeners you must use both Cationic exchange resins like you are along with a different ion exchange resin, an anionic exchange resin. Properly used and this would include carbon filtration you can produce water as pure as that from a RO unit or distilled water. This method is generally costly and the anionic exchange resins must be recharged with a strong hydrochloric acid solution. This can be dangerous and creates a hazardous waste disposal problem. If your water needs treatment, it is best that you buy and use a RO water filter. These waste water but last a long time and no hazardous chemicals are involved. Your current method is only step one. It is sufficient from the standpoint that detergents will work better but it isn't a good thing to use in fish keeping.

[mcgreg]

Thank you very much for your analitic explaining.The problem is now that the pillow takes the calcium and the magnesium from the water,components who the plants need! so the result was that the gh falling down to 2-3 but the plants are awful.If i put the fertilizers for the plants inside then the plants are great but the gh goes up again to 10-11 because the fertilizers adjust calcium and magnesium again.What can we do to have low gh and also great plants?

[Apistomaster]

If you would buy a Reverse Osmosis(RO) filter and use 50% RO water and 50% tap water and fertilize no more than is necessary, your plants will grow fine, assuming you have the correct light spectrum and intensity.

You have to decide between low light plants if you use 1.5 watts per gal or double the lights' wattage, use CO2 and choose more light demanding plants.

Ask your questions in the planted tank category where those really into aquarium gardening will be glad to provide you more comprehensive info and advice.

[mcgreg]

i have an ro filter but i dont use 50% tap water just only 100% ro water because the water in these erea have a lot of amonia,but i use electrorights.
My question was if the watersoftener pillow destroys the plants because the pillow takes the magnesium and calcium from the water. Before i put the piloow in the filter the plants was ok now they are not ok was this coincidence or the pillows fault?

[Apistomaster]

i have an ro filter but i dont use 50% tap water just only 100% ro water because the water in these erea have a lot of amonia,but i use electrorights.
My question was if the watersoftener pillow destroys the plants because the pillow takes the magnesium and calcium from the water. Before i put the piloow in the filter the plants was ok now they are not ok was this coincidence or the pillows fault?

Direct answer to your question:
Yes, the cationic exchange resin is removing the magnesium and calcium ions you add when you use the RO Right and replaces them with sodium ions which deprives your plants of essential traces of magnesium and calcium and subjects them to useless to harmful sodium ions.
Stop using the pillow water softener.

[mcgreg]

thank you very much for your explaining.