# softening water



## Flear (Oct 5, 2012)

are there plants that can soften water ?

emerged sounds easy (not that i know of any, just "sounds" easier)
but submerged is, ... well we deal with aquariums , so submerged if possible


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## Austin (Feb 1, 2010)

Well I think vallisneria uses bicarbonates as part of its carbon source so that would theoretically lower KH.... Although since more carbon dioxide could be dissolved to produce bicarbonate, not sure if it would do anything. It would affect the equilibrium and acidify the water....

In general I feel like plants have to soften water.... They use calcium and magnesium growing and that would lower GH, you'd think

Just speculating for fun.... I do water changes enough to where I do not notice the affects. Well, I don't test enough either and liquid tests probably aren't sensitive enough.


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## Flear (Oct 5, 2012)

yes, i agree, by their nature they will soften water, ... 

but to what degree ?, just general plant metabolism ?, or are there plants that could have a measurable effect on the water ?

i have heard some plants (and plant roots in general) produce chelating compounds that can attach to nutrients and make them more available for uptake, ... but roots are in the substrate and not the water column

or there's duckweed and other floating plants, ... but would they need to produce any chelating compounds as everything is already floating ?

did a search yesterday on water softening, that's almost an impossible search (like the search so many months ago on diseases & infections rotifers can get, ... all search results are human related), ... with water softening all search results are using mechanical devices we buy ...

we are one of ... a billion creatures on this planet, we're not that important. ... and it makes searches so difficult at times.


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## beaslbob (Oct 17, 2012)

In my systems I have found that a plain sand substrate does result in rising kh a d GH over time.

But with peat moss (capped with sand) kh and GH stayed constant for a few years.


And BTW pH was over 8.4 (api high range test kit) with either substrate. So pH did not reflect the hardness.

my .02


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## Flear (Oct 5, 2012)

i'm not interested in a pH higher than 7.5

and a system that could bring the pH down to 6.5 if desired

quite the range, ... but 8.5 is too high in my opinion for a planted tank.


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## beaslbob (Oct 17, 2012)

Flear said:


> i'm not interested in a pH higher than 7.5
> 
> and a system that could bring the pH down to 6.5 if desired
> 
> quite the range, ... but 8.5 is too high in my opinion for a planted tank.


 
IMHO depends on why.

If the pH is high only because it has low carbon dioxide then who cares? :shock:


my .02


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## Flear (Oct 5, 2012)

there's many desired nutrients in the aquarium that can & do adjust the pH that have no relation to CO2

Beaslbob, ... you've gotta do some homework. some research, and learn more about what you are talking about


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## beaslbob (Oct 17, 2012)

Flear said:


> there's many desired nutrients in the aquarium that can & do adjust the pH that have no relation to CO2
> 
> Beaslbob, ... you've gotta do some homework. some research, and learn more about what you are talking about


Now try answering my original question. :lol::lol:

Is it a bad thing to have high pH soley because co2 is Low?


For instance you start with a low pH, add plants and the ph rises.

Has the environment for the fish just gotten better?

my .02


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## Flear (Oct 5, 2012)

high pH drives out verious nutrients from being available to plants, ... so does a very low pH, ... leaving, ... i think about 6.5-7.0 for nutrient availability to be the widest range for nutrients to be available, ... above 7.5 various nutrients are effectivly removed from the system, and, i think (bad memory - but i've got it written down somewhere), ... i think above 7.4, or it might be 7.8, ... there is zero iron available, ... higher drives out phosphates and (despite calcium driving the pH higher) can also work at reducing calcium.

in the substrate, there are other issues, but beaslbob, that's not the concern with your 'method', it's the water


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