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Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V3 #921



Hello Dennis,


> Now my other question.  I'm presently running a mixture of well
> water dKH 27 dGH 30 through a commercial water softener which
> is giving me water at dKH 3, and dGH 27.  My fish tanks now
> are a blend of this to give me about 14 dKH.  Within a week or
> two I expect have a RO system on line also.

Are you certain, that you have NOT *reversed* the values for softened
water, i.e. dKH 27 and dGH 3?
 
> My questions are what does the commercial softener do to change
> the water chemistry.  Since it is using salt My suspicion is it is
> substituting Sodium and or Chlorine atoms to make the water appear
> softer.  But what chemical are left from these and can they be
> harmful to fish and or plants?

It substitutes sodium ions for Calcium/Magnesium ions, thus softening
the water. During regeneration the chloride ions combine with Ca/Mg ions
(stuck on the resin) and are flushed out of the system.
Theoretically, there should be nothing else left in the system after
regeneration.
 
> Also when I install the RO system would I be better off hooking it up
> to the pre softened water or to the raw well water?  

Hook up to raw well water. BUT make *certain*, that your RO membrane is
suited for well water, softened or not! Some of the (mostly acetate)
membranes will work ONLY on municipal water (i.e. water with added
chlorine/chloramine).

Best,

George