well water question.

[justin1795]

we just moved to a place with a community well. i set up my two tanks. the one we lost alot of fish in. it had high nitrate levels. my oscar tank has not lost any fish and the nitrate is good. the water is murky tho and the oscar seems to breathe heavy. the ph is 7.8 we have a water softner with morton salt pelts. i still add prime to the tanks. im wondering if the murkyness is mineral deposits or what?

 

[horsedogfish]

Your water softener might be the culprit. They dump a LOT of mineral salts into the water. Can you access the well water BEFORE it goes through the water softener? If obviously has a lot of minerals, but the water (after dechlorination) might be easier on the fish. Humans don't like the taste, but it might work better for the fish than the softened water. Just a thought.

 

[Rivercats]

The problem with water softener water is that is exchanges magnesium and calcium ions for sodium ions. Many fish and plants do not do well at all with sodium ions, especially that amount, in the water. I had a friend who was having no end of fish and plant loss and one day I casually asked "you wouldn't happen to have a water softener on your tap water do you". Well he did and once the problem was fixed by him getting a faucet with a water by-pass to the softener and the use of RO water his fish and plants have thrived.

 

[Thumper828]

we just moved to a place with a community well. i set up my two tanks. the one we lost alot of fish in. it had high nitrate levels. my oscar tank has not lost any fish and the nitrate is good. the water is murky tho and the oscar seems to breathe heavy. the ph is 7.8 we have a water softner with morton salt pelts. i still add prime to the tanks. im wondering if the murkyness is mineral deposits or what?

In a community well situation, most municipalities require a chlorine pump installed.

 

[Grish]

I live out in the sticks and our town's water supply is well water. They do not chlorinate our water at all. That is one of the few perks with keeping nauseous where I live. I do not have to treat the water before I put it in the aquariums.

 

[justin1795]

i got the water tested today and it came back 5gph hardness
iron less tan .5ppm
ph 7.0