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Re: Ion exchange water softener
Date: Wed, 21 Jan 1998 00:28:17 -0800 (PST)
From: cprokes at awinc_com (cp)
Subject:
>Could some one, please, explain to me why water softened by ion exchange
water softener should not be used in fresh water aquarium. Even at 440ppm
hardness, the process adds only about a tea spoon of salt per five gal of
water, about the same amount recommended by some to add anyway!?
A clear explanation will be much appreciated.
As I understand it, the type of water-softening resin used for domestic
appliances (clothes- and dish-washers), which can be re-juvenated by salt,
simply replace the Calcium ions by Sodium ions. The sodium does not react
with soap like calcium so it feels and behaves "soft". However, to fish it
is still "hard" - the soduim ions present make the water loaded with ions
like the pre-treated water.
To use resins that *remove* the calcium, you need a different type, and
unfortunatley it costs more to buy and cannot be re-juvenated. For that
reason I have changed over to rainwater (which I still treat but by using a
de-ionizer). If you want to try this, e-mail me and I will mention some
precautions to take.
Try my Web Site at http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/~lachlan/timber.html which is
on the History and Construction of Medieval Timber-Framed Houses.