Yes there is, basically they don't serve any useful purpose.I'm basically asking if there is a good reason to stay away from this type of this method of softening water.
Mike & Darrel -- I was under the impression that obligate softwater/blackwater fish (and their eggs) have more trouble with the divalent ions (Ca++ and Mg++) than they do with sodium (Na+). Not true?
We have had a thread about this suggesting that higher conductivity (from monovalent salts) has less effect that we had thought, it is this one: <http://www.apistogramma.com/forum/index.php?threads/ok.12048/>.Gerald you are right. I have used the API water softener pillow before (as an experiment...yes I get bored breeding fish) and to my surprise I was able to get the A. iniridae to spawn after treating the water with it. Obviously, I don't use it anymore but the fact that it worked on a blackwater species it showed that your statement is correct.