TRANS INSTRUMENT Discus Soft pen

Description

The DiscuSoft tester is specially designed to indicate water softness in the fresh water aquarium. Water softness is an important parameter for certain tropical fishes especially the Cichlid family, Cardinal tetras, etc. Although these fishes can survive well in hard water, they cannot breed in such environments.
Discus, for example, is one such fish that requires soft water to breed and spawn. Concentrations of below 100µS or about 3-15 dH water hardness are most suitable. The success and pride of an aquarist is to see their prized fish breed and multiply in their aquarium!
Apart from breeding concerns, there are other benefits of controlling water softness. When water is hard, it could mean chemical or waste loading in the water is increasing, which is the cause of cloudy water. This results in an unnatural and hostile environment for the fish.

TRANS INSTRUMENT Discus Soft Pen for Soft-Water Species

The Discus Soft pen is designed to indicate water softness in freshwater tanks, which is a parameter many hobbyists overlook until breeding fails. Soft water matters for discus, cardinal tetras and similar tropical species that can survive in harder water but will only spawn successfully in soft conditions. Singapore’s treated tap water tends to start fairly soft, but it is not constant, so a pen lets you confirm where you actually sit before stocking or breeding.

We recommend it for keepers serious about discus or wild-type soft-water fish, where guessing simply is not good enough. Knowing your softness lets you decide whether to use RO, peat or other methods to push it lower for spawning. Calibrate the pen with the correct solution, store the probe properly between uses, and take readings in settled water for the most reliable result in our warm climate.

Browse our wider water testing and care range, and read our GH and KH guide alongside our natural water softening guide for soft-water keeping.