Using well water instead of tap water
- Thread starter punky
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Tostada
Aquarium Advice Freak
By "well" do you just mean your house has a well instead of city water? I mean, that's still tap water, it's just not public city water with chlorine.
If the water has been tested and is safe to drink, it shouldn't make a difference (except that you don't need to use a dechlorinator since you don't have chlorine in your water).
You still need to cycle the tank.
If the water has been tested and is safe to drink, it shouldn't make a difference (except that you don't need to use a dechlorinator since you don't have chlorine in your water).
You still need to cycle the tank.
No, I have both city water and well water. Tap water is used for drinking and washing etc. while well water is rain water collected into the well which we use for plants and gardening. Can I use it for the aquarium? No it is not chlorinated but I think some drops of tetra aquasafe won't harm it.
joannde
Aquarium Advice Addict
If the well water is exposed to the outdoors I'd hestitate to use it - there could be insect larve in there, plus it sounds like you wouldn't be able to regulate the temperature to match it during a water change. Go with the tap water.
coldmachineUK
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I would add water treatment (like tetra aquasafe: I use this brand myself and its great) in any case: it doesnt just remove chlorine, but metalic compounds also.
You'd still need to cycle the tank whatever water you used: cycling refers to the process of beneficial bacteria build up which will help you keep ammonia and nitrite levels down. Those things are going to exist no matter the kind of water.
You'd still need to cycle the tank whatever water you used: cycling refers to the process of beneficial bacteria build up which will help you keep ammonia and nitrite levels down. Those things are going to exist no matter the kind of water.
Devilishturtles
Aquarium Advice Addict
Interesting. Never heard of anyone having two water supplies. You're lucky.
I have a well that we use at our house...for everything. I think, if you don't feel safe drinking it I wouldn't put your fish in it. My opinion anyways.
I have a well that we use at our house...for everything. I think, if you don't feel safe drinking it I wouldn't put your fish in it. My opinion anyways.
PutAwayWet
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
I think you're actually talking about water from a cistern. It's an underground holding tank used to collect rainwater. My grandparents had one in their very old farm house and used it for washing clothes, dish, etc., not for human consumption.
If you had it tested, I guess you could use it in an aquarium, but my choice would be treated tap water. I would think you would want to cycle the tank regardless of which water you used.
If you had it tested, I guess you could use it in an aquarium, but my choice would be treated tap water. I would think you would want to cycle the tank regardless of which water you used.
Tostada
Aquarium Advice Freak
punky said:
The reasons you choose not to drink the well water are probably also good reasons not to give the water to your fish.
Reefmonkey
Aquarium Advice Activist
I need a little clarification. You say well water, but then you say it comes from rain water, which would make it cistern water.
These are two different sources that are going to yield chemically very different types of water.
Well water is groundwater, coming from a aquifer under your land. Biologically it should be very pure, low chance of infecting your fish with bacteria or parasites. Depending on where you live, however, well water can be very hard, very alkaline, contain high metal concentrations such as iron, copper that might be tough on fish and plants. Also, it could be contaminated depending on what kind of industry you have near you (and by near I mean miles and miles upgradient that a plume can travel from). An old gas station with a leaking UST might mean BTEX. An old drycleaner might mean TCE. A pig farm might mean high nitrates. If you are getting your well water tested for drinking regularly, it should be okay on these parameters, but doesn't mean it is not high in iron or other metals that could affect fish.
Rainwater, as long as collected in a clean cistern, is going to be chemically clean -actually, chemically too clean. It is going to be slightly acidic, practically no minerals to speak of. You would have to augment it with minerals and adjust the pH.
Of course a lot of this depends on the fish you are keeping. Keep african annual killies like aphyosemion species, and the rainwater may be just their speed. Keep Rift Lake cichlids and the hard well water could be paradise.
These are two different sources that are going to yield chemically very different types of water.
Well water is groundwater, coming from a aquifer under your land. Biologically it should be very pure, low chance of infecting your fish with bacteria or parasites. Depending on where you live, however, well water can be very hard, very alkaline, contain high metal concentrations such as iron, copper that might be tough on fish and plants. Also, it could be contaminated depending on what kind of industry you have near you (and by near I mean miles and miles upgradient that a plume can travel from). An old gas station with a leaking UST might mean BTEX. An old drycleaner might mean TCE. A pig farm might mean high nitrates. If you are getting your well water tested for drinking regularly, it should be okay on these parameters, but doesn't mean it is not high in iron or other metals that could affect fish.
Rainwater, as long as collected in a clean cistern, is going to be chemically clean -actually, chemically too clean. It is going to be slightly acidic, practically no minerals to speak of. You would have to augment it with minerals and adjust the pH.
Of course a lot of this depends on the fish you are keeping. Keep african annual killies like aphyosemion species, and the rainwater may be just their speed. Keep Rift Lake cichlids and the hard well water could be paradise.
I know what you all mean because in your place well water I think is different. In our island Malta we don't have lakes or rivers/streams but we collect rain water mostly in winter and store it in an underground well. So it is rain water after all. I think it is better to stick to tap water and apply aquasafe.
