walsh@ihuxi.UUCP (11/22/83)
Does anyone out there use water softened by a household ion-exchange water softener in their aquariums? If so, have you had any problems? I have been using softened water in two of my four tanks for those fish that prefer soft water for almost two years. A guy at a pet store told me that this would introduce salt into the water and kill the fish (freshwater fish). Well, since I've been doing it for two years and no fish have died mysteriously, I have reason to doubt this. I always thought the ion-exchange introduced no salt into the water (Yechh) and I sure can't taste any. Then my brother who's got a degree in chemistry and is working on a doctorate in toxicology told me that water softeners do put salt in the water. I find this hard to beleive. Just because they use salt in the ion-exchange process, I don't think sodium chloride is put in the water. Before this sounds like it belongs in net.general or something, I just would like to know if others use soft water in aquaria. Sorry for rambling, B. Walsh
djb@cbosgd.UUCP (David J. Bryant) (11/23/83)
As I understand the operations of our Culligan self-cycling water softener, the salt is used during the recharge cycle - the softening beads are backflushed with salt water to recharge the resin and return the softener to full operating potency. The salty water is then flushed out and down the drain. Only a very small amount of salt should be left behind. Perhaps this is enough to taste, but I would be surprised to find that it is harmful to fish, even if allowed to accumulate over a long period of time (the original article mentioned four years), particularly if you do periodic partial water changes. Additionally, some fish actually like salty water. Some brackish-water fish (monodactylids for example) and almost all African cichlids like salt added to their water. Several manufacurers make special salt complexes that they recommend be added to the tanks of many fish. In all cases, some salt is necessary since it is an electrolyte and facilitates fish biochemistry is a way I have heard about but can't remember. The bottom line is, I wouldn't worry about it. I have had aquariums for 10 years now and have never had any problem that I could attribute to softened water or excess salt. (Remind me to tell you sometime about a biology experiment I was involved in that concerned measuring the salt tolerances of guppies.) I am much more concerned about hard water, and wouldn't dream of putting any seashells in my fresh water tanks. How many aquarium fanciers are out there? David Bryant Bell Labs Columbus, OH (614) 860-4516 (cbosg!djb)
twt@uicsl.UUCP (11/24/83)
#R:ihuxi:-69500:uicsl:19200005:000:160 uicsl!twt Nov 23 17:25:00 1983 Where I use to live, they had water softeners. Once the guy came to put it in and he told me to run the water for a while or it would taste salty Mary
jackg@tekchips.UUCP (Jack Gjovaag) (11/26/83)
I have a water softener and as far as I understand its use, the salt is used only to cleanse the cannister of resin beads every now and then. This happens about once a week and is completely decoupled from the water supply. All the salt is flushed through the cannister and sent down the drain, leaving the beads cleansed of all the stuff they collected and ready to soften another weeks worth of water. I use this softened water to water plants (some are pretty salt sensitive, such as Janpanese Arelia) and I have seen no sign of salt burn on the edges of the leaves. This is really an interesting discussion and I would like to hear some authoritive statement on just what a water softener ADDS to the water it processes. Pets, plants, people and washing machines have a stake in this.
piety@hplabs.UUCP (11/28/83)
I've been told that a water softener replaces the CALCIUM ions with SODIUM ions. Thus, you get as much salt as you would have gotten calcium. Bob