Home Water Softener Usable? Help!

[ksrowe8]

Can I use water from my home water softener? Right now I'm using water from a faucet outside that is not softened but it is extreamly COLD!

 

[rhoymand]

water softener? what exactly does that do? is it supposed to make water better to drink for humans? as far as faucet water from outdoors I can only say to plan ahead. fill up a bucket and let it sit there til it gets room temp. letting it stand also helps get rid of chlorine.

 

[ksrowe8]

A water softener is something that makes you homes water easier to lather in the shower. I think it adds minerals that I don't really want in my tanks water

 

[Lotus]

Do you know what kind of water softener you have? Is it one where you add salts to it?

In general, it would be better for you to use the unsoftened water for your fish, and heat it to the same temperature as your tank before you use it.

 

[rohnds]

Water softer simply lower the hardness of your water so that it taste better by removing the heavy metals in the in. Unlike RO, it doesn't remove all the minerals from the water thus it should be safe for you water.

Rohn

 

[echoofformless]

I would think that the only stuff in your water to avoid would be chlorine, chloramine, copper and heavy metals. Stuff like Aquasafe pretty much takes care of that. The softener shouldn't add anything undesirable to the mix.

But yes, about the water from outside - no worries. You should age your water anyway. Let it sit in the bucket for 3 or 4 days. Then when you add it, be sure to do it slowly so that the temperature in the tank doesn't change drastically and the heater can keep up with getting to temp. (I'm assuming you have a heater in the tank; if not, than the water in the bucket should be the same temp as the tank water anyway.)