waring: well water can have ammonia

[Ann in Houston]

I have had a hard time getting to my newsreader, so I weathered this
calamity with the help of the pond forum on GardenWeb. I was feeding
my fish in the gf pond, and noticed that they had no appetite. I had
to net out the entire feeding every time. I had a spring algae bloom,
so I had to get rid of that to be able to see them and judge what was
wrong. So Rolf Nelson sold me some Algae Fix and some bactieria and I
went to work on the water. Sure enough, all the fish were just moping
around the bottom and not swimming any more than absolutely necessary.
There were no signs of oxygen depletion, so I got a test kit. I did
the test wrong and didn't get the needed warning of the ammonia, but
the next morning, my whitest fish had red streaks in their fins. So, I
tested again and started the water changes immediately. Since I am on
a well, and have done massive changes many times before, that's what I
did this time too. The thing is, the reading didn't improve. Finally,
I figured out to test my tap water, and sure enough, that was my
problem. Nothing twenty bucks worth of Amquell wouldn't fix. Of
course, the twenty bucks worth of algae fix went out with the water
change and I have had to use twice as much Clarity Max because I had to
replace that, too. Oh, well, at least my fishies are happy again.
I just wanted to post this as a heads-up for those out there that are
on a well. It doesn't automatically mean you have safe water. This
does mean that we now have to address this issue for our own health
even though we drink bottled water.
Does this mean we have to get a filtration system?

[~ jan JJsPond.us]

On 24 Mar 2005 07:46:45 -0800, "Ann in Houston" >
wrote:

>I have had a hard time getting to my newsreader, so I weathered this
>calamity with the help of the pond forum on GardenWeb. I was feeding
>my fish in the gf pond, and noticed that they had no appetite. I had
>to net out the entire feeding every time. I had a spring algae bloom,
>so I had to get rid of that to be able to see them and judge what was
>wrong. So Rolf Nelson sold me some Algae Fix and some bactieria and I
>went to work on the water. Sure enough, all the fish were just moping
>around the bottom and not swimming any more than absolutely necessary.
>There were no signs of oxygen depletion, so I got a test kit. I did
>the test wrong and didn't get the needed warning of the ammonia, but
>the next morning, my whitest fish had red streaks in their fins. So, I
>tested again and started the water changes immediately. Since I am on
>a well, and have done massive changes many times before, that's what I
>did this time too. The thing is, the reading didn't improve. Finally,
>I figured out to test my tap water, and sure enough, that was my
>problem. Nothing twenty bucks worth of Amquell wouldn't fix. Of
>course, the twenty bucks worth of algae fix went out with the water
>change and I have had to use twice as much Clarity Max because I had to
>replace that, too. Oh, well, at least my fishies are happy again.
>I just wanted to post this as a heads-up for those out there that are
>on a well. It doesn't automatically mean you have safe water. This
>does mean that we now have to address this issue for our own health
>even though we drink bottled water.

>Does this mean we have to get a filtration system?

For the pond or your home water use?

As far as the pond, well it means keeping even fewer fish and having more
problems (as you've already seen) with algae. I wouldn't be using algae fix
without a filter or some way to remove the dead stuff. That algae is what
is/was keeping the ammonia from killing the fish thus far.

I'm all for filters though, even on low stocked ponds, out-of-the-pond
filters are so much easier to deal with than gunk in the pond. ~ jan

~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~

[Reel McKoi]

"Ann in Houston" > wrote in message
oups.com...

This
> does mean that we now have to address this issue for our own health
> even though we drink bottled water.
> Does this mean we have to get a filtration system?
==================
How does ammonia get in well water?
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
~~~ }<((((o> ~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~ }<(((((o>

[Snooze]

"Reel McKoi" > wrote in message
eenews.net...
>
> "Ann in Houston" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>
> This
>> does mean that we now have to address this issue for our own health
>> even though we drink bottled water.
>> Does this mean we have to get a filtration system?

> How does ammonia get in well water?

All kinds of things get into the ground water, that you wish hadn't. My bet
is that decades of excessive commercial fertilzation finally got into the
ground water. A lot of water tables have a layer of oil in the first few
feet of porus rock, either naturally there, or leakage from gas station
tanks.

[George]

"Snooze" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Reel McKoi" > wrote in message
> eenews.net...
>>
>> "Ann in Houston" > wrote in message
>> oups.com...
>>
>> This
>>> does mean that we now have to address this issue for our own health
>>> even though we drink bottled water.
>>> Does this mean we have to get a filtration system?
>
>> How does ammonia get in well water?
>
> All kinds of things get into the ground water, that you wish hadn't. My bet is
> that decades of excessive commercial fertilzation finally got into the ground
> water. A lot of water tables have a layer of oil in the first few feet of
> porus rock, either naturally there, or leakage from gas station tanks.

Ammonia most commonly gets into ground water from the surface in the vicinity of
feed lots, and other animal waste activities, such as chicken coups. Ammonia
does not get into the ground water from natural petroleum or refined petroleum
products.

[Reel McKoi]

"Snooze" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Reel McKoi" > wrote in message
> eenews.net...
> >
> > "Ann in Houston" > wrote in message
> > oups.com...
> >
> > This
> >> does mean that we now have to address this issue for our own health
> >> even though we drink bottled water.
> >> Does this mean we have to get a filtration system?
>
> > How does ammonia get in well water?
>
> All kinds of things get into the ground water, that you wish hadn't. My
bet
> is that decades of excessive commercial fertilzation finally got into the
> ground water. A lot of water tables have a layer of oil in the first few
> feet of porus rock, either naturally there, or leakage from gas station
> tanks.
===============
Thank you Snooze, I would never have thought of such things in someone's
well water. I'd be afraid to bathe in such water no less drink it or use it
for cooking.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
~~~ }<((((o> ~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~ }<(((((o>

[Bill Stock]

"Reel McKoi" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Snooze" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> "Reel McKoi" > wrote in message
>> eenews.net...
>> >
>> > "Ann in Houston" > wrote in message
>> > oups.com...
>> >
>> > This
>> >> does mean that we now have to address this issue for our own health
>> >> even though we drink bottled water.
>> >> Does this mean we have to get a filtration system?
>>
>> > How does ammonia get in well water?
>>
>> All kinds of things get into the ground water, that you wish hadn't. My
> bet
>> is that decades of excessive commercial fertilzation finally got into the
>> ground water. A lot of water tables have a layer of oil in the first few
>> feet of porus rock, either naturally there, or leakage from gas station
>> tanks.
> ===============
> Thank you Snooze, I would never have thought of such things in someone's
> well water. I'd be afraid to bathe in such water no less drink it or use
> it
> for cooking.

We had our well water tested when I was a youngster and they found it high
in organic ...... something or other. Basically, the well was too close to
the Beaver Pond, so it was full of Beaver ****. :) Hmmm.... perhaps that
explains a few things. LOL.

[Reel McKoi]

"Bill Stock" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Reel McKoi" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > "Snooze" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >>
> >> "Reel McKoi" > wrote in message
> >> eenews.net...
> >> >
> >> > "Ann in Houston" > wrote in message
> >> > oups.com...
> >> >
> >> > This
> >> >> does mean that we now have to address this issue for our own health
> >> >> even though we drink bottled water.
> >> >> Does this mean we have to get a filtration system?
> >>
> >> > How does ammonia get in well water?
> >>
> >> All kinds of things get into the ground water, that you wish hadn't. My
> > bet
> >> is that decades of excessive commercial fertilzation finally got into
the
> >> ground water. A lot of water tables have a layer of oil in the first
few
> >> feet of porus rock, either naturally there, or leakage from gas station
> >> tanks.
> > ===============
> > Thank you Snooze, I would never have thought of such things in someone's
> > well water. I'd be afraid to bathe in such water no less drink it or
use
> > it
> > for cooking.
>
> We had our well water tested when I was a youngster and they found it high
> in organic ...... something or other. Basically, the well was too close to
> the Beaver Pond, so it was full of Beaver ****. :) Hmmm.... perhaps that
> explains a few things. LOL.
===================
We sunk a well where I had a summer home back in NY state. All they found
were a few harmless ecoli. Probably from the frog that had fallen in before
the top was put on. Nothing else, so we didn't bother to filter or treat
it. No one ever got sick.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
~~~ }<((((o> ~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~ }<(((((o>

[Ann in Houston]

`The pond has never been without a filter, and we used to have twice
the fish before we built the other pond. One reason I killed the algae
was so I could see the fish, as they were acting so ill. The other
reason was to show DH that it was not a runaway problem that would
require drastic measures. I did add bacteria at the same time as the
Algae Fix. It's too expensive to make a habit of using that stuff. We
both like to see the fish, but I would be willing to wait for the
plants to take effect, in most cases.
We have an ongoing battle about the significance of a little green
water. To him it's like not mowing the lawn or flushing the toilets.
It looks like laziness to him. He thinks it will make the fish sick,
and I am always having to remind him that the algae on the side is
beneficial. I think I will get him in to a basic pondkeeping seminar,
so it won't just be me, saying all ths stuff. I tell him that I
learned it here, and from reading books, but the pretty picture books
that you get in the stores address how to keep it down without
commenting that it's an optional thing. They also don't describle how
you can have a green pond for two months and suddnenly have it 'pop'
the way so many ponds here have done, when the plants were increased or
matured enough to finally achieve a balance.

[Ann in Houston]

Well, I learned a lot about that question from this thread. I
shouldn't have been surprised. Just look at all the carbon filters
they sell for tap water. Those can't all be for city water. I guess I
expected other stuff, but not ammonia. One time, after a small
tropical storm, we had to shock it with chlorine, becasue it had a bad
e coli contamination. Flooding does that to water wells.

[Stephen Henning]

"Ann in Houston" > wrote:

> I guess I expected other stuff, but not ammonia.

Fertilizer is ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate, ammonium phosphate &
potassium phosphate. So 2 out of 4 fertilizers are ammonia based.
Organic fertilizers (manure) is this and urea. Urea is a chemical
combination of ammonia and carbon dioxide. So now we are 3 out of 5.
--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
18,000 gallon (17'x 47'x 2-4') lily pond garden in Zone 6
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA