Best Options for softening water without RO?

[YSS]

Or is there an option? I can only change water straight from tap. Is there any ways to soften water? Anything I can hook up to the tap while I fill the tank that would soften the water?

[DiscusLoverJeff]

A water softening system would work but it would be much cheaper buying an RO system for $150.00 or less vs over $500.00 for a water softner.

You can also try one of those Britta filters that attach to the faucet but I don't think it softens but just takes out impurities.

Maybe the almond leaves added to the tank? But you would have to buy them in bulk as they don't last very long from what I have read.

[Disgirl]

Are you breeding discus? If not then you can acclimate your discus to whatever hardness is in your tap water. Our tap water is over 8.6ph and so hard I don't even bother measuring anymore. A hard white crust forms anywhere water splashes or is left outside the tank. But all 18 of my discus have been raised in it to adulthood, and they started out as 1 1/2-2" juvies. They don't mind it a bit and are all large and beautiful and healthy. But breeding them is a whole different story I know. No plans to do it with mine though.
Barb

[YSS]

Are you breeding discus? If not then you can acclimate your discus to whatever hardness is in your tap water. Our tap water is over 8.6ph and so hard I don't even bother measuring anymore. A hard white crust forms anywhere water splashes or is left outside the tank. But all 18 of my discus have been raised in it to adulthood, and they started out as 1 1/2-2" juvies. They don't mind it a bit and are all large and beautiful and healthy. But breeding them is a whole different story I know. No plans to do it with mine though.
Barb

No, I do not breed discus. However, I keep mostly wild discus and now a few wild angels. I understand that discus can be kept unproblematically in high pH and hardwater, but it's still not an ideal condition for the fish. If I can, I would like to provide softer water for my fish.

[spiffyfish]

what are your parameters now? i plan on getting some wilds in the near future but have only seen a few people keep them in straight tap, which i would plan on doing. i dont really want to get involved in an ro system i would like to keep everything on tap water. how have your fish done on just tap?

[b0red04]

Peat.

My understanding of water chemistry and how it effects fish and after talking to a fish vet is. Yes a fish can live in one extreme or the other from what their wild counter parts live in but, Evolution doesn't happen overnight. What living in that extreme opposite than what they have evolved to, is that it slowly breaks down their immune systems. It works to hard keeping the fish healthy and eventually get overwhelmed by a disease. I've seen this first hand in rams. Now could discus be an exception to that? Possible. I do think discus are on the higher end of the totem pole of tolerance but they have also been through very high quality breeding practices. Where as a fish like rams, i think are very un tolerant of the opposite extreme but they have been very poorly breeded over the years.

Just my 2¢

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[YSS]

Peat.

My understanding of water chemistry and how it effects fish and after talking to a fish vet is. Yes a fish can live in one extreme or the other from what their wild counter parts live in but, Evolution doesn't happen overnight. What living in that extreme opposite than what they have evolved to, is that it slowly breaks down their immune systems. It works to hard keeping the fish healthy and eventually get overwhelmed by a disease. I've seen this first hand in rams. Now could discus be an exception to that? Possible. I do think discus are on the higher end of the totem pole of tolerance but they have also been through very high quality breeding practices. Where as a fish like rams, i think are very un tolerant of the opposite extreme but they have been very poorly breeded over the years.

Just my 2¢

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That might explain why my rams don't make more than a few months at a time in my discus tank.

[Northwoods Discus]

R/O systems are not that complicated. They are just about plug and go. Cost compared to the other things and the fish themselves are not bad. I would just go R/O.

[Disgirl]

No, I do not breed discus. However, I keep mostly wild discus and now a few wild angels. I understand that discus can be kept unproblematically in high pH and hardwater, but it's still not an ideal condition for the fish. If I can, I would like to provide softer water for my fish.

Yes, I can understand that keeping the wilds is probably different than the highly domesticated ones I keep. Didn't realize you have wilds. Good luck with your water up there.
Barb

[spiffyfish]

i wouldnt have anything to use all the waste water from an r/o unit on, my domestics do just fine it tap but i know wilds are a whole other story.