Well Water

[ChrisTalbert]

I have well water so cholorine isn't a problem for me.
Had the well checked for heavy metals and high bacteria when I bought the house. The water comes from the natural gravel aquifer so the PH is always high. Besides that is there anything I need to be aware of as far as using well water for my fish?

It has seems to do just fine so far and don't see any affects.

Thanks

[Decz]

I had a problem with high KH levels in well water at my old place. I had to bring water home in jugs for my tanks, from a neighbouring city.

I would test your well water for kh....

:)

[crenwelge]

I used well water for years without i problem. It really depends on where you live. For example where i live now even treated tap water will kill the fish and your plants too so I have to buy water.

[wetmanNY]

Is part of the high pH that the water as it first comes is depleted in CO2? Does pH drop after the well water has sat out in a jug overnight? That would be a sign it's CO2-depleted.

Well water depleted in CO2 may also be depleted in oxygen just as it first comes. Does it precipitate iron and magnesium when it gets oxygen from the air? That would leave stains on your enamel fixtures.

It's a good idea with well water to let it sit a day or so in a big Rubbermaid can. Some models have built-in wheels...

[kvr]

Problems here in Belgium with well water are mostly related to the nitrate levels. It is not uncommon here to find nitrate levels up to 200ppm and more. Other than that it should be safe to use.

[RTR]

Uh, wetman, if freshly drawn tap is higher pH than the same water after standing, it is normally a sign that that it is high in dissolved CO2, not depleted.

[wetmanNY]

Well say you actively pumped CO2 into the water with DIY CO2. Then the pH would drop, RTR. So if tapwater arrives from the well depleted in CO2, it would read as higher in pH, until CO2 had diffused in from the atmosphere, by letting it sit out in a bucket overnight.

Then my thought was, if the aquifer water is depleted in CO2, it would even more likely to have become depleted in oxygen as it percolated. The O2 in soilwater converts any ferrous iron to ferric, and the last of it could be scavenged by facultative bacteria.

One symptom of low oxygen in water is that when it's exposed to air again, as when sitting in the toilet bowl, iron precipitates as rusty ferric oxides, leaving a brown ring.

[ewok]

i would follow kvr's thought..... test the water for nitrates also, they can be significant and washed in if you live near farms. almost anything could be washed in tho, pesticides and other stuff even.

i might be leaning towards having the water professionally tested if it's your house or setting up a filtration system to be safe.

[ChrisTalbert]

If I were to get my water tested by a professional who would that professional be? Where in the Yellow pages could they be located and what would I ask them to look for? Do the Oxygen test kits in the stores work well for detection?

A good point about the Nitrates though I never thought about the farmland around me being a source although farmers in this area don't fertilize nearly as much as they used to, and thank god I moved away from my previous house where they used pig waste several times a year.

[wetmanNY]

Chris, the EPA maintains a website "Surf Your Watershed" that may have information about your local aquifer. It's at www.epa.gov/surf/

USGS has very detailed geological on-line maps that would pinpoint where your well is.

If you're in farmland, you're likely to have some elevated nitrates, though let's hope not like evr's in Belgium. And phosphate, eh. You're also pretty likely to have atrazine in your water, the common herbicide that is developing testes and ovaries in our native frogs. For the scoop, try a www.google.com search:" atrazine frogs "

You probably normally use a Brita-type filter for your own drinking. Ever consider PolyFilter for the fish?

You mention testing for oxygen. Does that mean you do have iron oxide staining and suspect low oxygen levels? Letting freshly-drawn wellwater sit for 24 hours, aerated or not, is always a good idea for fishkeepers.

Doesn't your area Yellow Pages have a "Water Treatment" section?

[Matak]

Chris, It would also be a good idea to get an aquarium water test kit, one that tests for: Ammonia, Nitrites, pH, General Hardness (GH), and Carbonate Hardness (KH). This basic test kit should be in the artillery of every self respecting fishkeeper ;)

As for what brand to get, mine is a cheapo from Aquarium Pharmacuticals, but so far I am pleased with it. Can anyone recommend a good brand of test kit?

[ewok]

as far as water testing...... there must be someone in your phone book, or maybe even a well company. test for the usual things they test for....... for potability? there is a bunch of chemicals that someone who works "in the field" in that area would probably know to look for. anything harmful to you would be harmful to the fish..... or maybe even explain to them that you wanted to know if it was safe for fish. or just get something broad-based for things like nitrates and usual chemicals like pesticides/poisons and such.

i think i sort of like wetmans idea.... see if anything is posted on the gov site..........

i really don't know what you would be looking for, just suggesting possibilities as you seem concerned........ there is a million things that can wash into the water table and every area has different pollutants i would suspect.

[ROLLIN]

I use well water, and some of the fish I have now have been living in it for 11 - 12 years with it untreated. The other day I bought a bottle of tetra aquasafe and Im going to see if I notice a difference using it versus when I didnt.

[Twilight]

I have well water and all fish are good. For 5 yrs now.

[TnCgal]

Hi, Chris Talbert !

Welcome to AquariaCentral, home of the most water-analyzing ***********s in the entire world ! :)

I'm going to move this thread over to the General FW forum since this is not directly a beginner's question ! :)