HELP!! Water expert needed!!!

What do you mean they add neither Cl or chloramines? They add something and ozone is becoming more widely recognised as not a good alternative. If the way that the fish died looked like chloramine shock, then hammer that avenue until you're absolutely sure that it's completely impossible. Don't rule it out easily because, from what I've read so far, that seems the most likely culprit.

Have you done an ammonia test on your tap water? What kind of dechlorinator do you use?
 
I am 100% sure they do not use Chlorine or Chloramine. Comes straight from the ground and into a resevoir. This is a big farming community, that's where the nitrates are coming from, I think. Like I said, I went and bought a test kit and when I tested I got 0 on both. I thought the kit was bad, that was when I contacted the water dept. and they said they add nothing here.

I'm talking about the 150. The 10 gallon has been broke down and those fish are now in the 150. Kinda funny seeing a 15" pleco with a sowrdtails and cories. They look so small next to him. (I have the pleco listed in the classifieds if anyone is intrested.)

I have tested for Ammonia, 0.

The water parameters here are close to the old readings in St. Louis. Close enough that it is not a concern. The fish were fine with straight tap water for 2 weeks, when the RO water got introduced, I had 2 dead Oscars and 1 dead arowana within 2 hours. So it has nothing to do with the tap water, it is the RO system.

I hate to do it but I'm gonna get some feeder goldfish and do an experiment. I'm leaving for STL now and be back Sunday. I'll try it then. I hate doing that, even if they are feeders, but I don't know what else to do.

I'll be checkin this post to see if anyone comes up with any other ideas before then.
 
Guess tests on feeder fish will at least confirm you have a fault with your RO unit. Othewise there must be somewhere near you where you can send a water sample so they can do hard core water tests; a university or chemistry lab or something.
Good luck.
 
Probably a food sciences lab would be better equipped than the chem labs. With the chem labs you're at the mercy of what's actually being studied, so unless there's actually someone researching water quality, you're out of luck unless someone is kind enough to set up a new method and new batch of standards for you, that's a full day's job at least.
 
travelinman1969 said:
Comes straight from the ground and into a resevoir. This is a big farming community, that's where the nitrates are coming from
Click to expand...

Maybe their is something else in that water, chemicals, peticides.
 
The cats, us, and the rest of the community are drinking it so I don't think that's an issue. The city sends water to be be tested twice a year and all is good.

I think $1.00 in feeders will be cheaper than a lab. If tests are inconclusive, then a lab will have to come in the mix. But I'll change all the RO unit parts before that. I'm sure that's cheaper than a lab test. :thud:
 
I have to say it dose seem like the RO machine to me, if the tap water used and there was no problem and then RO water was used and the fish died, I think it points to the obvious. Is this RO machine old? and did your old water use chlorine or chloramins, b/c if it did your RO machine could be retaining some of them. RO's have to be tested often to see if the filter needs replacing because of this fact. I have to agree with HappycChem that everything points to chloramine shock.
 
Of course the other possibility is that there's some sort of virulent bacteria in the water. If the water is stored in a reservoir without any antiseptic treatment then there's bound to be a ton of bacteria. It's the same thing as old Brita water. The filter removes the chlorine but not the bacteria, so after a few days of storage, the bacteria start to multiply.
 
I've tested the tap and RO, no chloramines from either. The water in STL had Chlorine but no Chloramine. I haver found that my RO will not remove chloramine so the old water couldn't have had chloramine. And the bacteria theory is unlikely too. I can use the tap water with no problems, but the RO water gives me problems. I started thinking ammonia also, but tested both and their okay. The question is, is it the RO Unit, the tank, or the tubing and fittings. My test will figure it out for me. I'm also gonna buy some new fittings while I'm here in STL that I couldn't get in Iowa. The new ones are plastic instead of the brass fittings I'm using now.
 
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