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API WATER SOFTENER PILLOW Aquarium Canister Filter Filtration Pouch 1-Count Bag, size 5 (49A)

4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 2,945 ratings
List Price: $10.68 Details

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Purchase options and add-ons

Brand API
Item Weight 23 Grams
Item Form Granules
Target Species Fish
Allergen Information Apple Free

About this item

  • Contains one (1) API WATER SOFTENER PILLOW Aquarium Canister Filter Filtration Pouch 1-Count Bag
  • Softens hard water
  • Reduces general hardness by lowering calcium and magnesium
  • Easy-to-use pre-dosed pouch fits most canister filters on the market for freshwater aquariums
  • Use when starting or maintaining an aquarium when testing indicates hardness above the desired level, can be reused after it is recharged

Frequently bought together

API WATER SOFTENER PILLOW Aquarium Canister Filter Filtration Pouch 1-Count Bag, size 5 (49A)
$6.56
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API NITRA-ZORB SIZE 6 Aquarium Canister Filter Filtration Pouch 1-Count Bag, Model:110A
$15.29
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API AQUARIUM SALT Freshwater Aquarium Salt 16-Ounce Box
$6.74
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From the manufacturer

About Us

At API brand, we are passionate about fish keeping. We have enthusiastically supported the aquatics industry for almost 60 years and continue our commitment today.

The research and development scientists at API brand have pioneered scientific studies on aquarium treatments that have led to significant advances in the care of ornamental fish. We continue to look for ways to improve the fish-keeping experience and expand the hobby.

Product Description

API WATER SOFTENER PILLOW Aquarium Canister Filter Filtration Pouch is a chemical filtration media that reduces general hardness found in tap water for aquarium use. WATER SOFTENER PILLOW works to lower calcium and magnesium levels, and also removes heavy metals and reduces white, crusty mineral deposits on aquarium surfaces. WATER SOFTENER PILLOW can be reused after it is recharged in a salt solution. Use when starting or maintaining an aquarium when testing indicates water hardness above the desired level. Use according to directions on product packaging. With API Aquarium products, it’s easy to keep a beautiful saltwater, freshwater or reef aquarium. For over 50 years, API has been creating innovative, research-driven solutions that make it easier to care for your fish and aquarium. API Aquarium Treatment Supplies are designed to work in conjunction with each other to provide best results to control algae, promote healthy bacterial growth and help control and cure fish diseases and conditions such as ich and fin rot. They work to provide a safe, hospitable environment for fish such as tropical community fish, cichlids, goldfish and more. With API, you can spend more time admiring your fish, and less time scrubbing your tank. Make sure to use all products as directed in order to ensure the best results.

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API WATER SOFTENER PILLOW Aquarium Canister Filter Filtration Pouch 1-Count Bag, size 5 (49A)

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Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
2,945 global ratings

Customers say

Customers like the performance and hardness of the water pillow. For example, they say it works great and does what it's supposed to. Customers appreciate the ease of use. That said, some complain about the size and water quality. They say it'll fit in a filter but is too large. They also disagree on quality.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

98 customers mention69 positive29 negative

Customers like the performance of the pet supplies. They mention that it works great, does a great job, and is easy to use. Some say that it's slow, which is best for the health of your aquarium. Overall, most are satisfied with the product's performance and quality.

"Seems to be working great." Read more

"This product works great. It appears that your stores don't carry this water softener or they don't know about it...." Read more

"...The product didn’t work as intended, and I already threw them out, so no refund for me. Waste of time." Read more

"Took the hardness out of my tank in 3 days, dose a great job. Didn't hurt the fish or my snails and the plants are more healthy!..." Read more

70 customers mention50 positive20 negative

Customers like the hardness of the water. They say it softens the water, and works as intended. Some customers say it works immediately and is a great product for reducing aquarium fresh water hardness.

"It works. With continuous use(48hrs), the water hardness dropped from very hard to soft." Read more

"I have well water and needed some help. The pillow definitely helps with hard water. But I'd recommend to use it sparingly...." Read more

"My water was hard and I kept losing fish. It was very disheartening and expensive to keep replacing the fish...." Read more

"...Gonna keep it, because it definitely softened the hard water, wayyyy down...." Read more

21 customers mention15 positive6 negative

Customers find the pet supplies easy to use. They mention the instructions are easy enough, the water softener is easy to recharge, and the water changes are easier with distilled water.

"...Great product. Does what it says it will do and easy to use." Read more

"...This is very convenient to use." Read more

"...The online instructions were all inadequate for my purposes. I dropped the bag into my reserve aquarium water to see if that will soften...." Read more

"...Works immediately. Very easy to use. Just follow package instructions. Great value. Will continue to buy from Amazon." Read more

9 customers mention5 positive4 negative

Customers are mixed about the quality of the pet supplies. Some mention that it's wonderful and works great for the tank setup, while others say that it is poor quality, defective, and flimsy.

"This product is wonderful and works great for the tankbset up. Texas water is extremely hard so this made it just right pretty quickly...." Read more

"...I used the pillow once, upon pulling out of the tank, the contents dumped into my aquarium. Not cool. Hoping my inhabitants don’t die as a result." Read more

"They are awesome and I wouldn't look any farther cause this pillow is all you need to soften your water 😉..." Read more

"Not best product.." Read more

36 customers mention8 positive28 negative

Customers are dissatisfied with the value of the pet supplies. They say it's a waste of money, useless, and not very effective. Customers also mention that it'll be expensive to keep replacing the fish.

"...Waste of time." Read more

"...It was very disheartening and expensive to keep replacing the fish...." Read more

"...It says it is re-useable, but I just threw it away. Not worth the money." Read more

"...Highly recommended for harness reduction, and cheaper than in store." Read more

17 customers mention5 positive12 negative

Customers are dissatisfied with the gh level of the product. They mention that it didn't lower GH at all, didn' t lower KH at all and had zero effect with their tank. Some say that the pillow had a negative effect on the water chemistry and caused disruption to the tank.

"This pillow had zero affect with my tank. Perhaps my water is too hard for it." Read more

"Definitely lowers the GH. Gotta be careful stuff works fast on small tanks" Read more

"I slid this in my filter for 12 hours and it softened the water. Lowered the gH. Would use again." Read more

"...(which was 10 hours ago) I tested the two tanks and neither tank showed any change at all...." Read more

11 customers mention0 positive11 negative

Customers are dissatisfied with the size of the aquarium pond water treatment. They say it's too large to fit correctly, and it'll only fit in a small aquarium. Some customers also mention that the bag does not contain a lot of media and is flimsy.

"...It's too big for my extra small filter pump and I couldn't find a smaller one so I did expect that anyways...." Read more

"I used it in a 10 gallon with a back hang filter. It was a little large for my filter but worked in abiut 6-8 hours...." Read more

"...You have half of the bag to fold over and it will not fit in a small internal filter...." Read more

"Product too big to fit behind or in front of filter water flow." Read more

9 customers mention0 positive9 negative

Customers are dissatisfied with the water quality of the product. They mention that it did not improve the water clarity, and that it depleted the water of vital minerals. Some customers also mention that the water became yellowish after using the product for a few days.

"...This did nothing for my tank water quality. It says it is re-useable, but I just threw it away. Not worth the money." Read more

"...don’t know if it’s true or not but I heard these can deplete the water of vital minerals such as Magnesium and Calcium." Read more

"...After 48 hours I did not see any change in the water. Maybe I'm not using enough of them?..." Read more

"...in my tank for a little over an hour and I noticed that the water started turning yellow, so I removed it...." Read more

Defective
2 Stars
Defective
While the product worked as described, I should have inspected the pillow prior to use. If I had, I’d have found that there was a defect in the seam of the pillow. I didn’t notice some content was spilled in the pouch. I used the pillow once, upon pulling out of the tank, the contents dumped into my aquarium. Not cool. Hoping my inhabitants don’t die as a result.
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Top reviews from the United States

Corrina Rogers
5.0 out of 5 stars Aquarium water softener
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2024
Verified Purchase
Seems to be working great.
Helpful
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Robert S. Zidle
5.0 out of 5 stars Reduces Water Hardness (Gh)
Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2023
Verified Purchase
The Gh of my 20 gal. aquarium spiked to over 350 when I added a cyanobacteria remover, resulting in a major fish kill. Subsequently I made a 40% water change, preserving the nitrite eating bacteria, and added the API Softener Pillow. Withing 24 hours, the Gh dropped to a safe 25 level, safe enough to begin restocking the tank. I will recharge the pillow and store it away in a sealed container as per the API instructions. Hopefully I won't have to use the pillow again, but I'm sure it will work well again.
4 people found this helpful
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Elizabeth Ramirez
4.0 out of 5 stars Reduces hardness.
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2024
Verified Purchase
Discovered I had very hard water in my 75gal aquarium from a rock that was leaching minerals. Removed the rock, and did a partial water change but it wasn't enough to bring the water into ideal conditions. Used this to successfully bring down the hardness. I recharged it for reuse per the instructions but it didn't appear to have any further effectiveness beyond the initial use. Highly recommended for harness reduction, and cheaper than in store.
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Okiegirl
5.0 out of 5 stars It works
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2024
Verified Purchase
This pillow did seem to soften my water a little bit
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Adrian W Smith
3.0 out of 5 stars No Affect For My Tank
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2023
Verified Purchase
This pillow had zero affect with my tank. Perhaps my water is too hard for it.
2 people found this helpful
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RIchie
5.0 out of 5 stars Fish Supplies 🐟
Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2024
Verified Purchase
This product works great. It appears that your stores don't carry this water softener or they don't know about it. Don't waste your time get from Amazon.
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Alonzo
1.0 out of 5 stars Product doesn’t work
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2024
Verified Purchase
I used these water-softening pillows to lower the GH of my tank that I have accidentally raised from 10dGH to 16dGH, instead of 13dGH, using Seachem Equilibrium to add more magnesium for my plants (intense magnesium deficiency).
I bought two bags for my 55 gallon tank, and the pillows brought down the GH to 13dGH within 13 hours. However, as soon I remove those pillows yesterday and tested the water again today, the GH shot back up to 16dGH. I tested the water several times today, but it read 16 every time.
The product didn’t work as intended, and I already threw them out, so no refund for me. Waste of time.
One person found this helpful
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strgzr1217
5.0 out of 5 stars And the water is perfect!
Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2022
Verified Purchase
My water was hard and I kept losing fish. It was very disheartening and expensive to keep replacing the fish. I found one of these in the pet store, but it was a small pouch for a 25 gallon tank, I have a 125 gallon tank. I ordered 3 more of these and put them in each area of my filter. In two days the hardness was where it should be for a fresh water tank. And they can be used again. Just store them in a solution of water and aquarium salt and they are ready to use the next time.
6 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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chickenmer
5.0 out of 5 stars It works!
Reviewed in Canada on January 3, 2024
Verified Purchase
Reduced my 30 gallon tank’s water hardness to acceptable parameters. Took a few days to arrive and 2 more days to do its magic. Good product.
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chickenmer
5.0 out of 5 stars It works!
Reviewed in Canada on January 3, 2024
Reduced my 30 gallon tank’s water hardness to acceptable parameters. Took a few days to arrive and 2 more days to do its magic. Good product.
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Cliente de Amazon
4.0 out of 5 stars Funciona muy bien
Reviewed in Mexico on July 18, 2023
Verified Purchase
Bajo la dureza de la noche a la mañana literal. Pero únicamente es un saco
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Akash Chauhan
3.0 out of 5 stars Didn't worked for me
Reviewed in India on February 18, 2017
Verified Purchase
It seems like it didn't work for me....... didnt reduce my water hardness.... in spite use as directed
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D. M. Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars Very effective. Delivered quickly.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 29, 2015
Verified Purchase
This pillow has been in the external filter of my 25 litre nano tank for only about 12 hours, and it has lowered the GH from at least 180 mg/l (the highest my test strips can measure) to approximately zero! In a normal size tank it wouldn't have quite such an extreme effect as this. As I expected it has no effect on KH: this pillow performs ion-exchange of the calcium and magnesium ions, replacing them with sodium ions, but has no effect on the carbonate and bicarbonate ions - hence the reduction in GH but no effect on KH. If your aim is to reduce KH (and hence reduce pH) then this isn't the right product for you.

In future I might not keep it in the filter because I don't really want zero GH, and instead drop it into the bucket of water overnight before doing a water change. My tank is newly set up and currently doesn't have any fish in it, so I'm experimenting with my water management.

The instructions say to recharge it using a salt solution (sodium chloride), but I intend to try recharging it with a solution of potassium chloride instead. I think this should work, and will result in the pillow releasing potassium ions into my aquarium instead of sodium ions - which will be good for the plants and better for the fish.
18 people found this helpful
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Diane Ramesa
5.0 out of 5 stars As described
Reviewed in Canada on March 3, 2024
Verified Purchase
Bought it for my daughter and she has not used it yet. Came as described
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