My Water is Killing My Fish :(

[jmpgop]

My water is killing my fish. I'm done, I've had it. My ph is way to high - I can't even read the shade of purple it is. My village water also has .50 ammonia from the tap.

It just isn't fair to my fishes. I am finally going to cave and fill only with Ice Mountain drinking water from here on out. It's going to cost me around $50.00 a month to change out just under 1/2 the water in each of my tanks every month from here out with the Ice Mountain. That is 50 gallons. I have to do it slowly to start because it'll be a big change for the fishes I have had for a while - but in the long run, I think less new fish will DIE!

I have thought about a RO system? But with how hard my water is, would it really soften it enough? And they are very expensive too... One that I was looking at for the whole house would cost me $283.00 a month over 12 months. Over a couple more years it would come out cheaper. BUT I think I'm still gambling with quality...??

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? And if the drinking water parameters are spot on (great ph, no ammonia, trites or trates), should I be supplement with fishey minerals? I mean if the delivery water is good enough for us to drink, wouldn't it be good enough for fishes? HA HA! Wait! My village says our water is good enough to drink...

{{SIGH}}

Janelle

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Do you have a high range test kit? Or is that what you are using? .50ppm of ammonia in your tap water is nothing. The BB should be able to take care of that before Prime wears off.
RO water will need minerals added back in if you use it exclusively. One option you have is cutting your tap water with RO. You could use half/half and not have to add minerals.
What makes you think it's killing your fish?

 

[xtra51]

Do you have a high range test kit? Or is that what you are using? .50ppm of ammonia in your tap water is nothing. The BB should be able to take care of that before Prime wears off.
RO water will need minerals added back in if you use it exclusively. One option you have is cutting your tap water with RO. You could use half/half and not have to add minerals.
What makes you think it's killing your fish?

I would agree, you can't use just RO strickly. You need to add minerals back into your water or your fish will be worse off. The ammonia in the tank isn't bad and the BB will in fact consume it.

 

[jmpgop]

Thank you for your replies...

I am going to use Ice Mountain Drinking Water strickly for water changes now. And yes - I have a high range in the API master kit. The purple I get matches nothing. It is at least 8.4+++ I can't have any fish that MUST have a softer water than that - that is what is killing any new fish I add - I am sure of it. Even after a 2 hour drip my new fish die - about 1/3 of the time. My other water parameters are good in my big tanks. 0amm 0trites 20trates

I don't use Prime anymore in my big tanks - I have snails... I use Kent dechlorinator and I always have .50 ammonia in my small 10 gallon even though it went through a full cycle at 4ppm pure ammonia. I do use Prime in that tank.

I am sorry if I confused anyone... My question was - do I need to add minerals to Ice Mountain drinking water? If it is actually drinking (not distilled) water.

Thanks! Janelle

 

[ccross]

Cant you let your tap water sit in 5 gallon buckets for a few days so the chlorine will dissipate? Would save money.

 

[skiweeangel]

They make RO systems that you can attach to one sink. My friend no longer used his and gave it to us. We put it on the kitchen sink and that is where I draw my water for changes. The set up cost a little over $100 and was not hard to install. Then you can switch over to using a buffer solution, Kent makes one. It's not that hard and saves money in the long run because the buffer costs next to nothing and the RO system doesn't cost much to run on just the one sink. A great way to get around the whole house system. Look into this option and see what you think. I bet it would cost a lot less than $50/month.

 

[jmpgop]

The biggest problem is the ph... Will RO soften the water enough? I don't have an ammonia problem in 3 of my 4 tanks - just one doesn't eat it fast enough

 

[ccross]

The biggest problem is the ph... Will RO soften the water enough? I don't have an ammonia problem in 3 of my 4 tanks - just one doesn't eat it fast enough

Do you use Prime to treat your water when you do PWC's?

 

[jmpgop]

I do not use Prime in the tanks with snails but in the tank that shows ammonia - yes, I use prime. Otherwise I use Kent.

 

[ccross]

I do not use Prime in the tanks with snails but in the tank that shows ammonia - yes, I use prime. Otherwise I use Kent.

Have you tried letting the water set in buckets to let the chlorine dissipate?

 

[jmpgop]

Why @ CCROSS ---- let it sit in buckets? It is the ammonia and the ph that is the problem. Letting it sit in buckets doesn't make it softer?

 

[ccross]

Why @ CCROSS ---- let it sit in buckets? It is the ammonia and the ph that is the problem. Letting it sit in buckets doesn't make it softer?

If the ammonia is a problem, it will dissipate out of the water after it sits for a while. Not sure it will do anything for the PH.

Perhaps I am wrong but this is the advise that was given to me when I was having ammonia issues.

 

[jmpgop]

ph is the real problem. The ammonia vanishes pretty much immediately in 3 of 4 of my tanks... Not that big of a problem esp since I'm using prime in the take that is an issue.

Not a whole lot can live in a ph that is as high as what comes out of my tap. The fish I have currently have adjusted it seems but I'm sure their life span will be shortened due to the really hard water.

So - back to the original question:

WILL I need to add minerals back to Ice Mountain drinking water ???

 

[ccross]

You'll definitely need to add minerals back. The Mountain water will be filtered stripping all the essential stuff out.

 

[blert]

If the ammonia is a problem, it will dissipate out of the water after it sits for a while. Not sure it will do anything for the PH.

Perhaps I am wrong but this is the advise that was given to me when I was having ammonia issues.

Ammonia will not dissipate or gas out of the water by letting sit for any amount of time. That only works for chlorine.

As stated above, you can get inexpensive RO systems (~100$) from any number of places online. Cutting 50/50 with tap water would be the least expensive solution. That would bring your pH down.

I'm not sure about "drinking" water, you might have to add minerals back in still. Take a sample to your LFS and have them test the GH and KH.

Do you have access to a well?

 

[sheilak]

ro filter

there is a ro di unit on ebay for 66 dollars thats the one im getting as soon as i can

 

[jlk]

I am not familiar with the brand but as long as its regular spring or drinking water (not distilled or purified), its fine to use for your fish. You will need to gradually adjust them to the new water and the lowered ph with small, daily changes over the course of a week or two. Make sure you check the bottled water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate & ph as well before using it so you know what you are putting in your tank.

I also agree that you should consider an under-sink RO/DI unit. The cost for one is a couple hundred dollars & over the long run will be much cheaper than buying bottled water. It will result in your tap having a neutral ph of 7 with zero ammonia, etc. You will need to add minerals back into it though but still cheaper than bottled water.

 

[jmpgop]

Okay - Just got off the phone with my fishey consultant I just ordered from Bulk Reef Supply their RO system and I will cut 1/2 and 1/2. If that doesn't work, I will do full on RO and add back minerals. All that I do will be introduced slowly!

Sounds lke a plan! !!!

In 3 months I will have paid for the water I was ordering from Ice Mountain.

Thank you all so much for your help. Much appreciated!!!

Janelle

 

[Fishman4u]

Ok, there are methods that take care of your problem. First off you need to start out with a fully functional filtration unit so you can use healthy bacteria to remove not only the ammonia, but balnce your eco system, we do this with chemicals. First off, you should have in stock, ph down period, and get it to 7.0 or 6.8 technically. .50 ammonia for certian spiecies will kill your fish outright period, some on here are basically hobbiest, I'm a professional. I am a fish whipsperer. I can sense by your text your frustrated in an area of nature you know nothing about, and by all means no offense, I was there too when I was 13. Are you adding water conditioner ? Do you use a nitrate and nitrite tester, water hardness tester ? Your going to need all these products to successfully keep organisms as a hobby.
Need more answers, email me, and buy books on the subject, so your not befooled by wrong answers.
Good luck.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Janelle. Cutting the water sounds like the best plan. As for the ammonia in you tap water your BB really should be able to handle it. If you test right after a water change the ammonia will be there. Give it 12-24 hours before testing. Give the BB time to process it. Make sure you use a product to temporarily convert the ammonia, like prime, so your fish are protected. Whom ever told you you can't use prime with snails was fibbing. prime has not effect on inverts whatsoever.