# Worth getting a type of water softener? if so which one?



## gregalon (6 Apr 2011)

Hello I am looking to find a chemical to soften my water. Which one should  I get? I live in London so my water is quite hard and I don't want to use RO for two reasons, expensive and waste of water (takes 10 litres of normal to make 1 litre of RO).

WHich products to you recommend?
thanks greg.


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## roadmaster (6 Apr 2011)

Considering your climate,, I might be tempted to cut the water with filtered (carbon) rain water.


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## ceg4048 (6 Apr 2011)

Hi,
   Unless you are trying to breed soft water fish I suggest you simply carry on using London water which is excellent for growing plants. There is no advantage in using soft water for plants.

Cheers,


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## dw1305 (6 Apr 2011)

Hi all,
You can't  really soften hard water if it has a lot of dKH buffering. The problem is that if you exchange the sodium ions for calcium ions (with a commercial water softener) or add an acid (H+ ions) (to balance the alkalinity (OH- ions)), or use a "pH down" buffer you are adding to the TDS, and acid water with a high TDS is very different from soft water with low pH, dKH and low TDS.

If you can't use rain water you are best sticking to tap water and keeping away from those fish that need soft water.

cheers Darrel


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