meter said about the water - once upon a time. I was running a batch of water through an RO unit and rebuilding it so that it measured 80 PPM hardness or DH. I also had bought my first Hanna TDS meter (from California's Ron Harlan) and measured a trash can of the new "killie water." 80 PPM (or about 4.7 degrees hardness/ DH) measured with a LaMotte test kit, is pretty "soft" water. I know of people who try and spawn mini-Rasbora, chocolate gouramis, Diapteron, certain neon tetra types and the like in water with even less mineral, but I worry about pH plunges if there isn't something in there.
My then 4-6th grade son was hanging out when I dipped that treasured new meter in the water. The subsequent bugged out eyes and aah-ah-ah-AHAHHHHH! rather startled him and he wondered if I was having a seizure! He'd never heard that noise, though there is a chance of it later today when I finish our income taxes.
I responded with relief and laughter when I realized that the TDS included the molecules which made up DH, those which buffered the water (KH), molecules like sodium chloride which measure neither as DH, KH or even have any influence of pH, all organics (the fruit fly which fell in) and probably a lot of other "stuff."
Technically (I am told) those meters really measure electrical conductivity as MollyGuppy also noted, not TDS. But there is a pretty close correlation (at least close enough for the needs of aquarists and orchid growers) and so they are calibrated to show us the approximate PPM of TDS. (And at a certain point in this discussion I will develop a HEAD ACHE.)
So notice that your 1640 PPM is TDS, NOT hardness or DH - which is what we usually talk about when we talk about hard water. If your TDS (and this is playing fast and loose with numbers) was 1/5 of the TDS it would be 328, which indeed is still very hard.
BUT, much of your TDS is salt or sodium chloride. If you look at the various water conditioners, they will promise to add useful electrolytes to the water. A lot of those are plain old sodium chloride! And that is another reason why I'm cautious about adding more salt to an aquarium.
In fact, if a person has a basement "water softener" and include some hot water in the mix , they are also adding a lot of sodium. In those "softeners" for every molecule of calcium or magnesium taken out, TWO molecules of sodium chloride are exchanged! You noted the increased TDS from the warm water.
You will get "better" fish water drawing from the cold tap. But you will have to let it sit longer to shed CO2 and free nitrogen, warm up and season.
If your tank's water, after a week, is pretty much the same TDS as the changing water, then you are doing a darn good job of keeping up with water changes, carefully feeding and removing debris (plant pieces, etc.) from that aquarium! (I.E. you're a better man than I am, again.)
Please humor a curmudgeon. Measure the TDS of your changing water before you add a water conditioner. Then measure it with the conditioner in there. Lastly please add the salt and measure the TDS one last time. I know that that the TDS will go up. I'm really curious as to how much. :)
Oh, what of that boy who was watching his chemically disinclined Dad kill himself through stress? Today he and his lovely wife are both out east working on their doctorates in chemistry. It has been years since my lady or I have had the slightest idea what they really do. But we are insufferably proud of them and also of his sister who finishes up a degree this spring.
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