Dwarf Cichlids and Soft Water

[strohl71]

South American dwarfs need softer water - I know this. Could anybody out there give me some advice on my water situation and suggest changes, if needed.

The facts:

I keep 7 dwarfs in my 38 gallon tank and do a 5 gallon water change every 7-14 days.

For my 5 gallon water changes, I use packaged water from the store (3 gallons distilled and 2 gallons springwater). I use a capful of Aquasafe Water Conditioner and a capful of Mardel Tank Soft with it.

I am nervous about using my home tap water as I live on a private well and the water is hard and tends to be iron heavy. It goes through a home water softener but I am still nervous about using it.

I have read about calciferous ornaments leaching into tank water and slowly turning it hard. What are these ornaments? Is my piece of rainbow rock included in this group?

Should I be using driftwood in the tank? How about peat bag in the filter? How yellow/amber does the water turn?

Any input would be appreciated. I am not interested in breeding but do want to make my South American dwarfs as comfortable as possible. Thanks in advance.

 

[Randall]

Dear Strohl,

I'll try to answer each of your questions.

South American dwarfs need softer water - I know this. Could anybody out there give me some advice on my water situation and suggest changes, if needed.

The facts:

I keep 7 dwarfs in my 38 gallon tank and do a 5 gallon water change every 7-14 days.

Changing ten gallons each week might be better; if not, every two weeks is okay, given your light stocking level.

For my 5 gallon water changes, I use packaged water from the store (3 gallons distilled and 2 gallons springwater). I use a capful of Aquasafe Water Conditioner and a capful of Mardel Tank Soft with it.

If you're using a combination of store bought distilled and spring water, adding water conditioners/softeners is not necessary. These chemical additives increase the conductivity of the water dramatically and offer no added benefit. Your fish are happier without them.

I am nervous about using my home tap water as I live on a private well and the water is hard and tends to be iron heavy. It goes through a home water softener but I am still nervous about using it.

A well water/R-O or distilled water mix is great for soft water species! My concern is not your well water but the softening system. Water softeners are usually salt-based systems that can do more harm than good to fish. The system essentially replaces heavy metals with salt, thereby increasing water conductivity dramatically.

I have read about calciferous ornaments leaching into tank water and slowly turning it hard. What are these ornaments? Is my piece of rainbow rock included in this group?

Any ornament containing cabonates (i.e., calcium carbonate), like sea shells, coral, marble, limestone, rocks/stones from your backyard, etc., should be avoided. Granite, sand stone, petrified wood, slate, etc., are welcomed.

Should I be using driftwood in the tank? How about peat bag in the filter? How yellow/amber does the water turn?

If you'd like to use driftwood, then please do. It's not mandatory, however. Peat moss can be used to soften and acidify water; it is also beneficial to induce black water species to spawn. It's better to condition your water with peat in a separate container and perform your regular water changes with it than to place it in the filter. If you conduct a search of the forum using the key words "peat" and "peat moss," there's much information to be had here.

Any input would be appreciated. I am not interested in breeding but do want to make my South American dwarfs as comfortable as possible. Thanks in advance.

That's great! Good luck!

All the best,

Randall Kohn

 

[strohl71]

Thank you for the advice Randall. I appreciate you time.