Filter Media & Cleaning

API Water Softener Pillow

RechargeableFreshwater

The API Water Softener Pillow lowers general hardness. Its resins exchange the calcium and magnesium ions that make water hard, along with soluble heavy metals such as copper and iron, which makes it the practical way to keep discus, wild-caught tetras or Caridina shrimp in the moderately hard water most South African taps supply. Each pillow works for 48 hours, after which it is recharged in a solution of API Aquarium Salt — up to about four times before it is replaced. One pouch treats up to 75 litres, and it must never be allowed to dry out.

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Live pricing and stock on jungleaquatics.com — purchase through Jungle Aquatics, with delivery across South Africa.

Dosage calculator

Enter your aquarium volume and the calculator works out how much API Water Softener Pillow to use for each rate on the pack.

Aquarium volume

Measured in

Use the water the tank actually holds, less substrate and decor.

Pillows needed1 pouches per 75 litres
Enter a volumeRecharge after every 48 hours of use

Recharge in 3 tablespoons of API Aquarium Salt dissolved in about 200 ml of water, soaking for 2 hours. Never let a pillow dry out.

A guide only — always follow the dosing instructions printed on the pack, and measure with the bottle's cap or a syringe rather than by eye.

Technical details

Product type	Ion-exchange water softening pouch
Treats	Up to 75 litres per pouch
Removes	Calcium, magnesium, soluble copper and iron
Works for	48 hours per charge
Rechargeable	Yes — 3 tablespoons API Aquarium Salt in about 200 ml water, soak 2 hours
Recharges	Up to about 4 times before replacement
Suitable for	Soft-water freshwater aquariums
Storage	Keep in recharging solution — do not let it dry out
Made by	Mars Fishcare, USA

How do I soften my water with the pillow?

Rinse the pouch, put it where the filter’s flow passes through it, and leave it for 48 hours — that is one working charge, treating up to 75 litres. Then recharge: dissolve 3 tablespoons of API Aquarium Salt in about 200 ml of tap water, rinse the pillow, soak it for 2 hours and put it straight back. Test GH with the GH & KH Test Kit before and after so you can see the hardness coming down and stop where your fish want it — lowering it slowly is far safer than a sudden change. A pillow takes about four recharges before it stops working properly. Never let it dry out.

Softer water without an RO unit

Reverse osmosis is the thorough answer to hard water and an expensive one. The pillow is the simple alternative for a single soft-water tank: drop it into the filter, let it exchange calcium and magnesium out of the water for 48 hours, and check GH with the GH & KH Test Kit as it comes down.

Heavy metals too

The same resins remove soluble copper and iron. That matters in older homes with copper plumbing, and in any tank with shrimp or snails, which are harmed by copper at levels far below what fish notice.

Recharge in salt, never let it dry

Dissolve three tablespoons of API Aquarium Salt in about 200 ml of tap water, rinse the pouch, then soak it for two hours and return it to the filter — no final rinse needed. Store an unused pillow in that solution: a dried-out pillow is a dead one. Expect around four recharges before performance drops for good.

Frequently asked questions

How many times can the pillow be recharged?

API says up to about four times. Replace it when it no longer softens the water after a recharge.

Can I use it in a saltwater tank?

No. It is for soft-water freshwater aquariums; marine tanks need their hardness and should never be softened.

Does it lower KH as well as GH?

It targets calcium and magnesium, which is general hardness. Watch KH separately with a test kit, because a tank with very low carbonate hardness has an unstable pH.

What happens if the pillow dries out?

The resins are damaged. Store it submerged in recharging solution whenever it is out of the filter.

Is the API Water Softener Pillow available in South Africa?

Yes — Jungle Aquatics in Fourways, Johannesburg stocks it and the Aquarium Salt used to recharge it, and delivers nationwide; live pricing and stock are on jungleaquatics.com.

Stocked & supported by Jungle Aquatics

South Africa's leading pet and aquarium store since 2007 — with the API range on the floor in Fourways, advice from people who test water every day, and easy ordering from anywhere in the country.

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