View Full Version : Well Water...is mine safe?
journey0820
06-22-2008, 6:38 PM
Hi there,
I'm looking into RO/DIs and thought, "hey, might be a good idea to see if my water is suitable without the filtration before dropping so much cash". Bright, huh?
So, I tested my tap water (well water) and here is what I got and what the tester said beside the scores:
Nitrate: 10 (safe)
Nitrite: 0 (safe)
Hardness (GH): soft
Chlorine: 0 (safe)
Alkalinity (KH): 80 (moderate - as opposed to Idea at 120)
PH: 6.8 (Neutral)
What do you think? Are there some other things I should test? Is this okay to use without filtration? If I need filtration do I need both RO and DI?
Thanks!
Only thing I see missing is phosphate. Pretty good well water btw though.
Amphiprion
06-22-2008, 7:42 PM
There are lots of things you can't test for that these animals are sensitive to, especially when they manage to accumulate. The TDS can continue to "creep" up when using water sources such as these, as well, which can cause long term problems.
archer772
06-22-2008, 7:46 PM
Something to think about is your trates are at 10 from the tap so everytime you top off you will be increasing your trates
journey0820
06-22-2008, 9:11 PM
There are lots of things you can't test for that these animals are sensitive to, especially when they manage to accumulate. The TDS can continue to "creep" up when using water sources such as these, as well, which can cause long term problems.
Aww, that stinks. I was getting excited about spending that filter money on more corals!
journey0820
06-22-2008, 9:12 PM
Something to think about is your trates are at 10 from the tap so everytime you top off you will be increasing your trates
I was worried about this one too, especially because I battle nitrates already even with ro/di water. grrr.
Fishieness
06-23-2008, 12:10 AM
yeah, IMO, never something you want to skip on. I was talking to someone else with well water when i firs got in the hobby and they were saying their well water (the same tests you did) were all fine so they were using it insreead of dropping the money on an RO unit. But they never really had luck keeping corals. He then got one just for the hell of it because it was so cheap. And after a short time of using it, the membrane would stick to a magnet...
zI would be more worried about TDS than anything else.
Subliminal
06-23-2008, 7:38 AM
I used my well water for a while:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/damontmorris/RnhCYXiE4oI/AAAAAAAABag/0z4gZrU8nZg/s800/IMG_2956.jpg
Some things grew GREAT! ;)
Catpicklesdog
06-23-2008, 9:23 AM
^^LMAO. I remember that so well^^
Reefscape
06-23-2008, 9:46 AM
ROFLMAO....That tanks a stunner Damon....
Amphiprion
06-23-2008, 10:19 AM
Yikes, forgot about that! Now THAT'S hair algae :eek:. What were/are your well water's parameters?
journey0820
06-24-2008, 7:28 PM
I used my well water for a while:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/damontmorris/RnhCYXiE4oI/AAAAAAAABag/0z4gZrU8nZg/s800/IMG_2956.jpg
Some things grew GREAT! ;)
That may be the most powerful post I've seen yet!
Catpicklesdog
06-25-2008, 7:06 AM
A picture says 1000 words:eek:
Subliminal
06-25-2008, 9:02 AM
I aim to please. :)
Sploke
06-25-2008, 9:07 AM
I've been using well water for 2 years now in my reef with no serious algae issues. Nothing bad enough to make me want to spend the money on RO anyway.
kryptic4l
06-29-2008, 10:20 PM
doesnt well water still run through copper pipes ?
wataugachicken
06-29-2008, 11:21 PM
i think if you really wanted to know what's in the well, get it professionally tested. you may not like the results though. one of my neighbors had a lot of bacterial contamination in hers - enough that she had to stop drinking it for a while - and my boyfriend's water source (in a different area) had high concentrations of lithium. when he moved away he actually went through withdrawal. not kidding at all - it was bad.