Test+13+-+Calcium+and+Water+Hardness

__Calcium and Water Hardness__

Hard water is water that has high mineral content. Hard water has high concentrations of Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions. Hard water is generally not harmful to one's health but can pose serious problems in industrial settings, where water hardness is monitored to avoid costly breakdowns in boilers, cooling towers, and other equipment that handles water. In domestic settings, the hardness of water is often indicated by the non-formation of suds when soap is agitated in the water sampled.

Calcium has an important role in the biological processes of fish. It is necessary for bone formation, blood clotting and other metabolic reactions. Fish can absorb calcium for these needs directly from the water or food. The presence of free (ionic) calcium at relatively high concentrations in culture water helps reduce the loss of other salts (example - sodium and potassium) from fish body fluids (example - blood). Sodium and potassium are the most important salts in fish blood and are critical for normal heart, nerve and muscle function. In low calcium water, fish can lose (leak) substantial quantities of these salts into the water. Fish must then use energy supplied by their feed to re-absorb lost salts. That can reduce the energy available for growth and may extend the time necessary to grow fish to market size. For some species (example - red drum and [|striped bass]), environmental calcium is required for good survival.



**The steps to test water hardness are... ** 1) Look at at a map of the water hardness levels across the country you live in. Websites such as Espressotec carry maps of U.S. water hardness levels so you can see if your region tends to have soft or hard water. There are big regional differences, so you should only see this as a rough guide. 2) Carry out a "lather" test. If soap lathers up easily in water this is a good indication that you are in an area where the water is soft. Conversely, if it take a long time to get a lather from soap the probability is that you are living in a region where the water is hard. 3) Inspect your sinks, baths, showers and appliances that use water such as washing machines and kettles. If these show any tell-tale lime deposits then the chances are that you have hard water. 4) Call your water provider and ask if the company can give you any information about the water hardness levels in your area. The company is likely to have current data on your region's water qualities 5)Purchase a do-it-yourself water hardness test kit. They are inexpensive and easy to use. One type uses a strip that you dip into water while another type relies on special tablets that you immerse in water to diagnose water hardness.