Weird aquarium contaminants

[larochem595]

I wish I could reply to my original post but it was too old, so I will summarize-- I had multiple fish deaths in my 10 g. Symptoms were darting, listlessness at surface or bottom of tank and heavy gill pumping. Water parameters were perfect- amm 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5, pH 7, GH 4, KH 3. I use prime and carefully adjust for GH and KH.

Thinking there was a gill infection going through the tank, I broke down the tank, disinfected and flushed everything thoroughly--I started from scratch. Bought myself a female Betta fish. Again, same exact symptoms. I was beyond frustrated.

I ran out and got 6 gallons of bottled water. I replaced a chunk of my tank water. Low and behold, my Betta is doing much, much better!!! I am so relieved. I am still figuring out how I want to adjust the water (bottled water is very soft and acidic, with no KH or GH) but I know how to do that part. I'm just happy that things are well and I don't mind buying 79 cent water.

My question is this -- how can I find out what wonky contaminant is in my water? What are the possibilities? I thought of lead but our pipes have all been replaced. Does anyone know of a place I can send my water for a very comprehensive test? Or get a test kit?

Thanks!!!

 

[Aiken Drum]

Most water companies will have a comprehensive water report online. Ours is updated every 3 or 4 months. If its not online then they should be able to provide you with something if you call them. It will only give you results for wherever they took the sample, but it should cover at least a geographical area, maybe down to street level if your water company is conscientious. Any contaminant that gets picked up for instance between the main supply in the street and the branch into your house wont be picked up in the results.

There will be companies that will do a comprehensive water analysis, for example a company that does geotechnical site investigations for the construction or civil engineering industry.

Interpretating the results is another matter though. I have some experience managing land contamination with regards to human health, and would know where to look up the relevant threshold levels, but how that would relate to fish i couldnt really say. I would expect a geotechnical investigation company would say the same. Maybe a government fisheries department or a University would have data on threshold levels for fish? I wouldnt worry about lead. Lead is inert and doesnt dissolve, so unless you are considering decades of accumulation, or the lead is being injested its not going to be a problem. I had a lead contaminated site at a school, that prompted a closure of the playing field as a precaution. But in reality, i think it was determined that a child would have needed to injest 10lb of contaminated soil, per day, for 30 years, before it would become a genuine health problem.

 

[larochem595]

Most water companies will have a comprehensive water report online. Ours is updated every 3 or 4 months. If its not online then they should be able to provide you with something if you call them. It will only give you results for wherever they took the sample, but it should cover at least a geographical area, maybe down to street level if your water company is conscientious. Any contaminant that gets picked up for instance between the main supply in the street and the branch into your house wont be picked up in the results.

There will be companies that will do a comprehensive water analysis, for example a company that does geotechnical site investigations for the construction or civil engineering industry.

Interpretating the results is another manner though. I have some experience managing land contamination with regards to human health, and would know where to look up the relevant threshold levels, but how that would relate to fish i couldnt really say. I would expect a geotechnical investigation company would say the same. Maybe a government fisheries department or a University would have data on threshold levels for fish? I wouldnt worry about lead. Lead is inert and doesnt dissolve, so unless you are considering decades of accumulation, or the lead is being injested its not going to be a problem. I had a lead contaminated site at a school, that prompted a closure of the playing field as a precaution. But in reality, i think it was determined that a child would have needed to injest 10lb of contaminated soil, per day, for 30 years, before it would become a genuine health problem.

Hi Aiken!

Our water quality report can be viewed here:

https://www.woonsocketri.org/water-division/pages/water-quality-information

It's sent out annually and not specific to my street/neighborhood. I do know this-- we have high chlorine in my water. At times, my shower smells like a swimming pool when they're running it through. But, I assume that Prime adjusts for that.

I know we questioned whether PFAS/PFOS was as issue but filtering with carbon didn't help.

I will continue to use bottled water, as it seems to be helping, regardless of the cause.

I wish there was a place that could do a super thorough investigation of my water. I don't mind shelling out the money for that.


Thanks much,
Michelle

 

[Caliban07]

I don’t think tap water is all that great for fish personally. I lose fish over the course of a few weeks/months when changing water. I don’t lose any when I just top up. It goes against the grain but I can’t deny what I observe. I’ve been keeping water and fish for what feels like an age now and the patterns a very repeatable.

There could be many factors at play which caused the issues with the fish, pH exacerbating ammonia toxicity, chlorine, TDS shock, heavy metals.

 

[Andy Sager]

Hi Aiken!

Our water quality report can be viewed here:

https://www.woonsocketri.org/water-division/pages/water-quality-information

It's sent out annually and not specific to my street/neighborhood. I do know this-- we have high chlorine in my water. At times, my shower smells like a swimming pool when they're running it through. But, I assume that Prime adjusts for that.

I know we questioned whether PFAS/PFOS was as issue but filtering with carbon didn't help.

I will continue to use bottled water, as it seems to be helping, regardless of the cause.

I wish there was a place that could do a super thorough investigation of my water. I don't mind shelling out the money for that.


Thanks much,
Michelle

Many years ago at a Pet store I worked in, we had an almost total wipeout of our marine section. The "normal" test results came back all okay so we were stumped. We contacted the marine science dept of University of Miami ( which was local to us) and they did a gas chromatograph on some water and found out that the culprit was a spray that the city sprayed in a field behind the store. Our compressor for the marine section was located on the back wall with the intake outside so it picked up the spray and delivered it into all the tanks. So in your case, since your water report is not specific to you, you may want to contact any school that does marine science or research facility that does advanced water testing and see if they can do a gas chromatograph on your water to see what's what.

 

[larochem595]

Many years ago at a Pet store I worked in, we had an almost total wipeout of our marine section. The "normal" test results came back all okay so we were stumped. We contacted the marine science dept of University of Miami ( which was local to us) and they did a gas chromatograph on some water and found out that the culprit was a spray that the city sprayed in a field behind the store. Our compressor for the marine section was located on the back wall with the intake outside so it picked up the spray and delivered it into all the tanks. So in your case, since your water report is not specific to you, you may want to contact any school that does marine science or research facility that does advanced water testing and see if they can do a gas chromatograph on your water to see what's what.

Interesting story. I feel like it is going to be something odd like that... I didn't make any obvious errors setting up my tank. It was well cycled, and clearly not overstocked.

we have a great marine biology program in my neck of the woods so I wonder if they could help.... I'm also looking into places for comprehensive water testing.

Either way, I have found something that is working so I am happy for that. Also glad that I stuck with a 10 g tank because I couldn't imagine having to lug more water than that up three flights of stairs. Lol.

Thank you!

 

[Andy Sager]

Interesting story. I feel like it is going to be something odd like that... I didn't make any obvious errors setting up my tank. It was well cycled, and clearly not overstocked.

we have a great marine biology program in my neck of the woods so I wonder if they could help.... I'm also looking into places for comprehensive water testing.

Either way, I have found something that is working so I am happy for that. Also glad that I stuck with a 10 g tank because I couldn't imagine having to lug more water than that up three flights of stairs. Lol.

Thank you!

When you are in the game long enough, you see all kinds of things that make you go and and and
There are going to be times that you need assistance past the average test kits. For your own health, I would get your water professionally tested to make sure you are not having an issue your city water company should be made aware of.

 

[larochem595]

When you are in the game long enough, you see all kinds of things that make you go and and and
There are going to be times that you need assistance past the average test kits. For your own health, I would get your water professionally tested to make sure you are not having an issue your city water company should be made aware of.

Oh, I'm definitely not drinking my city water for now ?

My first tank as a newbie, I was using my parents well water. I was perplexed why nitrates were STARTING at 40 (before being added to the tank.). Not sure exactly what the culprit was but we came up with two possibilities --their house sits on former farmland and there may be runoff of fertilizer or their cesspool needed maintenance (which has since happened.) ??? I am tending to think it was the former. It made it impossible to keep fish so I had to go to another family members house for water. Needless to say, we didn't drink that water. But that has nothing to do with this.......

Side question -- my Betta is still doing some glass surfing intermittently. It does appear to be less distressed, no darting and the crazy gill pumping has calmed down a bit. While it looks generally better and much happier, I am thinking whatever was in the water may have damaged its gills a bit. How long does that usually take to get better? Anyone know?

 

[Andy Sager]

Oh, I'm definitely not drinking my city water for now ?

My first tank as a newbie, I was using my parents well water. I was perplexed why nitrates were STARTING at 40 (before being added to the tank.). Not sure exactly what the culprit was but we came up with two possibilities --their house sits on former farmland and there may be runoff of fertilizer or their cesspool needed maintenance (which has since happened.) ??? I am tending to think it was the former. It made it impossible to keep fish so I had to go to another family members house for water. Needless to say, we didn't drink that water. But that has nothing to do with this.......

Side question -- my Betta is still doing some glass surfing intermittently. It does appear to be less distressed, no darting and the crazy gill pumping has calmed down a bit. While it looks generally better and much happier, I am thinking whatever was in the water may have damaged its gills a bit. How long does that usually take to get better? Anyone know?

Yeah, you have to watch that farm runoff. I too am next to some grazing lots but I am along side of them so the water flows South not East or West so I don't have any issues with my well water also because it's a deep well.

As for the Betta, it will all depend on what the actual cause was because some gill issues are not curable. The fish could also be "surfing" because it sees something it wants on the outside and can't figure out how to get to it.