Hard Water for Goldfish?

[Abemas]

We just moved to a new house this past fall and we are now on well water. Our water is fairly hard (330 ppm) and it is mostly sodium (216ppm). Does anybody know if this will be an issue for goldfish or koi?

 

[jlk]

Hi! What is 330ppm your KH or GH? What are you using to test salinity? All most all water has a very low degree of salinity. Depending on where you live, this may be higher (such as coastal regions). The EPA sets standards for chloride levels to be no higher than 250mg/l & recommendations for sodium levels to be 20mg/l or less.

 

[Abemas]

The 330ppm is coming from a digital TDS meter I have and the 216ppm for sodium is from the well test that was done when we moved in.

 

[revchristinejday]

Dear Abemas,

I can't speak to the sodium as I am on "city" water. However, Johnson City, NY has very hard--off the API test chart. I've given up testing it. My goldfish have been fine in it. Likewise my neighbor's pond goldies and koi have adjusted to the hardness. All are thriving!
Chris

 

[jlk]

I agree on the hardness- my city water is off the charts for gh & kh & my goldies are fine with it. Most goldie breeders prefer hard water for the optimum health of their fish as well. Freshwater is defined as water that has less than 500ppm of total dissolved salts, so your levels are fine. If you have any questions about your exact salinity, you can bring a sample of your water to a lfs that has sw fish & have them test your water with a hydrometer or a refractometer.