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I run 10 tanks with the main focus on keeping and breeding Corydoras, I want to start softening the water as muy tap parameters are like lake malawi ( literally) I have had no problems keeping the cories and even breeding a few of the easier species and all is going well. I now want to get more into the water chemistry with the view to breeding a few of the more challenging and expensive species. I am a chemistry teacher and have a good grasp on the water chemistry but want to do this naturally. Due to the wateful nature of RO i want to keep clear. I am planning a filtering vat system using peat and bogwood about 100 gallow which will run in my shed. I was wondering if anyone has had experience of water chemistry the basic way and what their view of it are.

Any help would be great

For 100l/25G you would need 100g black peat to come from your lake malawi parameters (~15dGH) to cory parameters (~5dGH)

Why you don`t think about rain water (near 0dGH) mixed with your tape water [3:1].

I have considered rain water but this is london rain and not known for its cleanliness. Should I be worried or not?

As chemistry teacher you should know what rain is:
H2O (the stuff you like )
H3SO4 (sulphuric acid)
H3SO3 (what is "schwefelige Säure" in english?)
HNO3 (nitric acid)
HNO2 (? in english too)
pH ~6 /0dGH

your tape water
H2O
Na2CO3
K2CO3
NaOH
KOH
NaCl
Cl-gas
Ca+
Mg+
Me+ (metal)
few others
pH 8,5 /~15dGH

The only thing I cann`t say are is the quantiti of those thing`s. So you have to findout this and then think to what they react to:
H20
Na3/K3-SO4
Ca3/Mg3-(SO4)2
Na3/K3-SO3
Ca3/Mg3-(SO4)2
Na/K-NO3
Ca/Mg-(NO3)2
Na/K-NO2
Ca/Mg-(No3)2
H2CO3=H2O + CO2 (I don`t have to say that it reacts in both way`s at the same time or?)
...
Me(OH)x
pH ~6,2/~5dGH

I've had zero sucess trying to soften water with peat/leaves etc. It just doesn't work. In massive quantities it may slightly bring down your alkalinity, but it won't affect the Ca++ and Mg++ that provide the vast majority of your TDS, so you won't alter your conductivity much. The water won't be truly soft.

Have you thought about a DI unit? These waste no water, but are much more expensive to run. Quite how expensive, I don't know.

Here's a nice looking range. Scroll down a bit......

http://www.atlantisaquatics.co.uk/acata ... niser.html

racoll wrote:but it won't affect the Ca++ and Mg++ that provide the vast majority of your TDS, so you won't alter your conductivity much. The water won't be truly soft.

Have you thought about a DI unit? These waste no water, but are much more expensive to run. Quite how expensive, I don't know.

1. I agree if you use black peat Ca++ and Mg++ are still there
2. The thing`s that alter your conductivity is the quantity of + and - of the ion`s dissolved in Water

3. I dissagree to "DI waste no water", because I work with them at work (I mean such that are ~3m high not such baby`s) so I know that they need water to regenerat and rinse
4. Yes, they are expensive to buy (just had to hear that) and if you don`t regenerat it by yourselve too.

I dissagree to "DI waste no water", because I work with them at work (I mean such that are ~3m high not such baby`s) so I know that they need water to regenerat and rinse

Most of the ones on the UK hobbyist market (and in the link) are disposable "one-use" resins, that you thow away once exhausted.

racoll wrote: Most of the ones on the UK hobbyist market (and in the link) are disposable "one-use" resins, that you thow away once exhausted.

Didn`t know that "one-use" resins existence.
So it will be extrem expensive and far away from natur

Durlänger wrote:

racoll wrote: Most of the ones on the UK hobbyist market (and in the link) are disposable "one-use" resins, that you thow away once exhausted.

Didn`t know that "one-use" resins existence.
So it will be extrem expensive and far away from natur

Yup, a quick search on the web indicates that a DI filter that copes with 400 gallon water production costs about US$30-35.

--
Mats

The life of DI resin is dependant on the hardness of the water it is filtering and how contaminated with chemicals it is.

Hard water with chlorine/chloramine, nitrates, heavy metals etc, will quickly exhaust DI resin.