If you own an aquarium or fish tank, you’ve undoubtedly had to learn a thing or two about water chemistry. Knowing the right water quality to use in such environments is essential to the flourishing of aquatic life. The wrong water can lead to poor health and early death, which may explain why some pet owners replace their fish almost as regularly.

Water hardness contributes to fish health

There are various intensities of water hardness, and only a specific quality is conducive for fish to thrive. This is because this quality is directly related to the pH levels that aquatic fish enjoy in their natural environments. This pH level acts as a buffer, reducing the acidity of the water. If these qualities are out of balance, fish can experience stress and even early death. So if you get this right, you can look forward to a healthier happier aquatic community.

What is water hardness?

Water hardness is measured by looking at the presence of minerals, such as calcium. Hard water is seen to have a higher level of dissolved minerals, whereas soft water, such as demineralised water, has little to no minerals present.

As aquatic life is diverse, you’ll find that some species of fish react to the hardness or softness of water differently.  Knowing the species will help you determine the best pH levels to have in your tank. Once you have the right information, you will have to start controlling the pH levels according to your findings.

Knowing the hardness of your water is very essential to controlling the pH levels, which you might have to lower. However, lowering the levels using hard water might be very tricky. This is because you would have to use solutions such as a commercial pH decreaser. This may not be the best idea, as the minerals already present in hard water will buffer the water. As a result the pH levels won’t decrease successfully.

Use demineralised water to control pH levels

To successfully reduce the pH levels in water, you would have to remove the minerals. Instead of following a lengthy process of purifying water, you can just acquire deionised water, which is already low in minerals.  Demin water is a soft H20, as its purity is of the highest quality available. As a result, it can’t be used on its own in aquariums, but can be used to control the pH levels.

Once you’ve filled the aquarium or tank with demineralised water, you have to add the minerals to counter the acidity. This can be done by using calcium based rocks, which will make it harder and more alkaline (higher in pH).