Path: utzoo!hoptoad!amdcad!amdahl!ames!hc!ut-sally!husc6!bbn!rochester!udel!princeton!rutgers!ncsuvx!mcnc!bing
From: bing@mcnc.org (Carter E. Bing)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: softening water
Summary: I've found that distilled water works best.
Keywords: calcium, peat, hard, soft, aluminum
Message-ID: <2790@alvin.mcnc.org>
Date: 26 Jan 88 15:16:27 GMT
References: <4961@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu>
Organization: Microelectronics Center of NC; RTP, NC
Lines: 33

In article <4961@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu>, bcd@eryops.cis.ohio-state.edu (Bryan Dunlap) writes:
> I finally started testing my water for things besides pH, and found
> that the general hardness (as opposed to carbonate hardness) is quite
> high.  The books I've looked in recommend either boiling water before
> adding it, or filtering through peat to reduce hardness.  Peat seems
> like it would reduce my pH, which I don't want to do because the pH is
> just ducky.  It seems like if I boil water in my usual aluminum pot,
> I'll contaminate the water.  Does anybody have any nice easy ways to
> soften water, or do I have to nuke it in my microwave a liter at a
> time?  
> 
> Thanks in advance.
> 
>     


 I tried boiling water and it works okay if you like your kitchen looking
like a mad scientist's lab in a b-grade movie. The easiest way that I found
was to use distiled water which is softer than home boiled. You can also
by a water softening pillow which will kept it at the desired level.
 I have a tank of Neons and since they like soft acid water I also put a
"bar of peak " under the gravel which helps keep the ph around the
level which is to thier liking however you will need to check the level
at least once a week due to peak having a tendency of lowering the ph toward
a more acid side. This isn't a big deal because if you stay on top it.
  This should solve your problems. Let me know how things turn out.....