# Using Scale Guard with aquarium



## Kayne (20 Dec 2018)

Hi 

Wonder if anyone has been using a scale guard (https://www.scaleguard.co.uk/) with owning an aquarium. From what I can tell the chemistry doesn't change and as it doesn't actually remove the calcium then hardness shouldn't change either but don't want to get it if it will have a negative effect on the tank.

Just fed up with limescale as I live in the south east and kettle gets scale after about a day lol

Thanks in advance


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## ian_m (20 Dec 2018)

These are absolutely brilliant and removing money from your wallet whilst having b*gger all effect on scale. So absolutely fantastic for the sellers and fitters as easy money for b*gger all work.

There is absolutely no scientific evidence that magnetic/electric scale reducer have any effect to scale. There are loads of pseudo scientific so called "research" that claims they work, but nobody has proved they work in properly conducted scientific tests. There is no known way that any magnetic/electric field can have any effect on water chemistry, the energy levels present by these devices are many orders of magnitude to have any measurable chemical effect.

Here BigClive takes one apart and it contains.....absolutely nothing of interest other than flashing lights.


If you want to reduce water hardness, the only solutions that work, for fish tanks, are resin ion exchange (using potassium based recharging) or reverse osmosis units. These work fine and are used by many members.

Personally I have super hard water and I just live with it in my tank. Fish and plants don't care about water hardness.

If you want soft water at home, washing & baths etc then ion exchange is the way to do it. I have a TwinTec fitted 12 years ago, about £1000, works fine. Costs a couple £ a month in salt. No scale on bath, soap goes further water lovely and soft.
https://www.twintec.com/
The water produced, however, cannot be used in a fish tank (or kettle) as the soft water contains sodium (ion exchanged from "hard" calcium/magnesium) and sodium salts have no place in freshwater tanks. Some people have used ion exchange water softeners with their tanks BUT they recharge with much much more expensive potassium chloride rather than very very much cheaper sodium chloride (salt). My salt blocks cost £2 per 4Kg, cheapest I could find potassium chloride was £15 for 2Kg, so no soft water for my tank.


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## roadmaster (20 Dec 2018)

I too have hard water source for aquariums,12 to 15 dgh ,and try to keep fishes /inverts that enjoy same.
Managed to keep domestic Discus with little issue,but they could not successfully spawn in my tanks, and I really had no interest in that anyway.
I need to clean glass just above the surface of the water each week at water change time, or buildup of scale is more of an eyesore after only a few weeks.
If I stay after it each week with stove/oven safe scotch brite pad, then everything is peachy.
For removing scale build up before using a tank ,or after,I like 6% cleaning grade vinegar and hot water mixed in spray bottle and razor blade .


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## Oldguy (20 Dec 2018)

ian_m said:


> resin ion exchange


There are acid rechargeable resins. Produce water with about 50ppm hardness. Interpet thought about marketing these many years ago. I went down that line but had difficulty in making a reliable container for bulk softening. Found it much easier to dilute with rain water. In the end found that Discus spawned in ordinary tap water, that marked the of that water softening project. Still have the resin some where.


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## Edvet (20 Dec 2018)

You could install a Reverse Osmosis system and use the water from that ( cut with tapwater to give the hardness yoy like) for a tank AND for making tea and cooking.


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## dw1305 (20 Dec 2018)

Hi all, 





ian_m said:


> If you want soft water at home, washing & baths etc then ion exchange is the way to do it. I have a TwinTec fitted 12 years ago, about £1000, works fine. Costs a couple £ a month in salt. No scale on bath, soap goes further water lovely and soft.
> https://www.twintec.com/
> The water produced, however, cannot be used in a fish tank (or kettle) as the soft water contains sodium (ion exchanged from "hard" calcium/magnesium) and sodium salts have no place in freshwater tanks.


What @ian_m says. 

We have hard tap water (about 18dKH) with tap for drinking water and another for watering the garden (from the rising main) and an ion exchange water softener on the supply to the rest of the house.  It gets through a lot of salt. Ours runs on tablet salt which is about £10 for 25kg. 





Oldguy said:


> Found it much easier to dilute with rain water.


I'm a <"rain-water user as well">. 

cheers Darrel


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## Kayne (20 Dec 2018)

Thanks for responses all. Darrel read a lot of your posts and explanations, learnt a lot so thank you for sharing so much knowledge

Hard water for the tank doesn't bother me. Its more the effect on appliances etc at home. Don't want to spend a fortune or add too much complexity and saw a cheap offer on the scale guard which prompted the question.


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## ian_m (20 Dec 2018)

Kayne said:


> Its more the effect on appliances etc at home


Then a ion exchange softener is the way to go, unfortunately. I bought cheap for my first softener, only £500, and it only lasted 5 years. Looked nice on paper, LED display showing litres remaining before recharge, dual cylinder, supposedly "quality valves" but after 4-5 years the seals wore on the "quality valves" causing valves to jam. Failed due to poor design, having rubber seals with full mains pressure one side and nothing on other side, means rubber seals are always pushed hard sealing against moving components. No replacement parts available either. Eventually the electronics burnt out when both valves jammed. Modern, especially electric free softeners, have mains pressure water on one side of any seals and soft water pressure on other side, meaning seals are not pressurised against moving parts, thus don't wear out.

Mine is fitted into a cupboard in the kitchen.

Anyway the Twintec, even though over twice the price (+more for fitting), has no electronics, runs solely on water flow. All valves are in soft water so no scaling and jamming. Uses the very very very much easier to handle 4Kg salt blocks, so much easier to load than trying to decant salt tablets from 25Kg bags. Also uses much less salt than the previous tablet based softener, so despite 8Kg costing me £4 for block salt it is probably cheaper than my previous 25Kg for £10 salt, I estimate it uses only 1/3 or less block salt than previous softeners tablets.

Highly recommended, clean scum free baths, crystal clear glass on shower enclosures, no scale on sinks, no scale in toilets, 100% clean scale free shower heads, soap and shampoo last ages.

I did actually have a problem with my TwinTec after 9 1/2 years, low flow/water pressure through the unit, on one of the cylinders. As it has 10 year warranty contacted local supplier/installer/repairer who said there were issues with 10 year old softeners with the sieves in the cylinders coming loose and the resin granules escaping and blocking the valves. Any way replaced both cylinders and all the valves (virtually whole lot, but paid £100 for labour) under warranty and warranty extended until 2027. Bargain.


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