On Sat, 6 Sep 2003 10:17:22 +0200, "gizmo" wrote:

I agree that tap water are ok for plants but my problem is trying to
maintain an Amazon biotope.... which most off the plants/fish require soft
water,

NO! Amazon biotope plants do NOT! require soft water. Amazon Biotope
plants are the ones that can survive in soft water, but they do not
require it.

Think about it, what could they possibly require in soft water? Soft
water is water that doesn't have things like Calcium and Magnesium.
All plants need calcium and magnesium.

Amazon plants are considered soft water plants just because they can
grow despite the soft water. They certainly don't require it.

Claus from Tropica showed amazing slides from an expedition to South
America. We saw all the usual South American "soft water" plants
growing in a substrate of pure calcium carbonate. The water was very
hard, with high levels of everything.


Chuck Gadd
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua