Tap water

[parsons483]

My tap water seems to be high in heavy metals but I don’t know how to test for it or how to remove it?

It my only other option for water is spring water from a store or from a actual spring. Or I can get 8 gallons of distilled from my local wine shop.

The tank is a 38 gallon. That will have African cichlids. I have the substrate specifically for African cichlids it’s the caribsea eco-complete African cichlid substrate. That stuff ain’t cheap so I do not want to mess up that and have to buy all new

This is the filter I will be using

 

[King Fisher]

Were you told your water was high in heavy metals by a water company? Can you get info from your water company on the specific heavy metals in your water and their ppm's? Seachem Prime will convert heavy metals to salt but it's limited on how much it makes safe.

I'd run two of those filters if you are going to keep Cichlids.

Re: Prime dosage

We apologize for the delay in response. Upon closer inspection of the Water Quality Report that you provided, one can notice a few things. First, please note the change from ppm to ppb for lead and nickel. The amounts reported as detected averages in a survey of homes supplied water tested by 3 facilities are as follows:

Copper = 0.07 - 0.92 ppm
Lead = 1.2 - 4.0 ppb
Nickel = ND - 1.3 ppb

This would be the average range detected for the Miami area for the year 2008. The area water for 2009 can be assumed similar in composition. These values, unfortunately, do not describe the form that these metals are found in the water.

The Action Levels (AL) are as follows:

Copper = 1.3 ppm
Lead = 15 ppb
Nickel = 100 ppb

If more than 10% of the homes surveyed for copper and lead test with numbers above or at the AL, then water treatment facilities must take action to reduce levels. Every county report lists the AL in one column, then lists the detected levels in a separate column. The detected levels and the AL are not the range for the water report. Limits are the concentrations set by the EPA; so, typical values will be values below the EPA limit.

Also: the drop in pH required would be in the acidic range of pH (below 7.0). The lower pH goes/drops in an aquarium, the more available/soluble heavy metals will become (it will also depend upon many other factors in an aquarium environment).*

To answer your other question about Prime and heavy metals: the standard dose of Prime (1 mL/10 gallons) will remove:

Copper - 2.6 ppm in 10 gallons
or
Lead - 8.5 ppm in 10 gallons
or
Nickel - 2.4 ppm in 10 gallons

We say "or" between each because that is the maximum amount of each that can be removed assuming none of the other components are present. So for example, one could remove 1.3 ppm of copper and 4.4 ppm of lead or any other variety of differing ratios between them. The relative order of preferential removal should be in the order of lead, then copper, then nickel.

This was taken off Seachem's website from what appears to be their technician.

 

[parsons483]

No I was not my tap water comes from out town water supply. And the pipes in my home are extremely old so I don’t know if that has anything to do with it but my tap water is not even fit to drink all you can taste is copper. So I am looking for a way to test this and/or treat it. The specific filter I have is for higher gallons than that one I’m pretty sure.

 

[King Fisher]

Ok. Well spring water or RO water is probably a good idea. If you have the money it would be worth hooking up an RO system to your tap water.

I'd shoot for 10x to 15x tank turnover per hour on your filtration.

 

[parsons483]

I was told I couldn’t use spring water ? And I won’t be able to make any changes to the water system as I am renting

 

[parsons483]

If spring water is completely safe I will use that. The town I live in has a few natural springs. So I would go that route as it’s a free lol

 

[King Fisher]

Bottled spring water is fine. If you pulled water from a natural spring then you won't really know what's in it without looking up a water report. I'd assume if fish are living in the natural spring then there's a good chance it's safe to keep with aquarium fish. I'd probably test it for the standards like pH, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and TDS if possible.

 

[parsons483]

Bottled spring water is fine. If you pulled water from a natural spring then you won't really know what's in it without looking up a water report. I'd assume if fish are living in the natural spring then there's a good chance it's safe to keep with aquarium fish. I'd probably test it for the standards like pH, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and TDS if possible.

The pet store nearby (where I plan to buy fish for the tank) can test the water completely before I put fish in it. They told me they have a better kit I guess for testing. So before I use it I will ask them to test it for me first. Thank you but what TDS?

 

[King Fisher]

Total Dissolved Solids. I'd be surprised if your pet store tests that. If you choose to get your own test kit, API freshwater master test kit is a good option. Amazon sells TDS pens pretty cheap....$10-$13.

 

[parsons483]

Ok yeah they probably don’t have that. But I do have a master kit. I’ll look and see what amazon has for them tds pens. Thanks again

 

[King Fisher]

No problem. Anything at or under 400 ppm TDS is ok for most fish.

 

[V227]

Chances are the nearby fish store is on the same tap your home is. Ask if they adjust the water in the display tanks. If you plan to keep African Cichlids, spring water probably isn't the way to go unless it is hard with an elevated PH. As for copper pipes; still used today on interior plumbing. Might try a few feeder fish in a tank filled with your tap water and see how they do. If they survive, you will have saved yourself a lot of time & trouble. Good luck.

 

[King Fisher]

Chances are the nearby fish store is on the same tap your home is. Ask if they adjust the water in the display tanks. If you plan to keep African Cichlids, spring water probably isn't the way to go unless it is hard with an elevated PH. As for copper pipes; still used today on interior plumbing. Might try a few feeder fish in a tank filled with your tap water and see how they do. If they survive, you will have saved yourself a lot of time & trouble. Good luck.

V,

He is using that Caribsea African Cichlid substrate that raises pH.

My home has copper water lines and it was built in 2008. Ive always used tap water with out any problems.

 

[parsons483]

Chances are the nearby fish store is on the same tap your home is. Ask if they adjust the water in the display tanks. If you plan to keep African Cichlids, spring water probably isn't the way to go unless it is hard with an elevated PH. As for copper pipes; still used today on interior plumbing. Might try a few feeder fish in a tank filled with your tap water and see how they do. If they survive, you will have saved yourself a lot of time & trouble. Good luck.

No it’s not, when I say near by fish store the one I’m talking about is 30 minutes away in a different town. Yeah I’ve done that and any fish I have had only last max two to three months. And other places in town their tap water don’t taste like mine. I do have the eco complete cichlid substrate and stuff to raise ph. I kinda got no other choice than the spring water. Thank you lol