Re: mixing water -Reply

["ALEX PASTOR" <alexp@idirect.com>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Graham Beek <graham@beermat.demon.co.uk>
To: apisto@majordomo.pobox.com <apisto@majordomo.pobox.com>
Date: Thursday, January 14, 1999 4:38 PM
Subject: Re: mixing water -Reply


>In article <s69dc740.015@gwise.ama-assn.org>, William Vannerson
><William_Vannerson@ama-assn.org> writes
>
>As I mentioned, the views were only what I read - not those from
>personal experience. I had doubts about the water softeners myself as
>the original piece stated that the resins were harmful because they were
>recharged with a salt solution, and worked by replacing the calcium ion
>with sodium ions - hence softening water (when measured by a test kit).
>And sodium ions made the water more alkaline(?). But surely rechargeable
>nitrate removing resins must work the same way. Then again, nitrate ions
>are negatively charged and so maybe are exchanged with chloride ions
>(also negatively charged). No, can't be....
>
>Graham

I know that I read about this in one of fish magazines during 1998 and the
advice given was that because domestic water softeners replace every Ca ion
with two Na ions, it is not appropriate for use as water in an aquarium
occupied by tropical fish, especially sensitive fish.

I think sir, IMHO you are mixing up various different water treatment
modalities.  I don't think the initial question was directed towards nitrate
removing resins.  Na ions in and of themselves have no bearing on
alkalinity.  HCO3- and CO3-- are the primary ions used when alkalinity is
measured.  There is information on this subject at www.thekrib.com .

Alex


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