Can I use lake/canal water for aquarium?

[Mike Endsley]

hi all!
I live in a large farming area with huge water canals that are
used by farmers. I haven't tested the canal water but the city
water is not only chlorinated, but is very hard/alkaline and
has a ph over 8.4!
Since people have been known to do some fishing from the canals
would it help to use that water?
I have a brand new 29 gal tank that I have already filled with
water and added some chemicals. I was thinking about trying a
fishless nitrogen cycle, so right now it is just sitting totally
empty other than pump/heater.
I just thought the canal water would be closer to what nature
has to offer rather than all the chemicals needed for the
local city water.
TIA,
Mike

btw- I was going to add some platys or swordfish just to get
the aquarium running.

[Toni]

"Mike Endsley" > wrote in message
...
> I just thought the canal water would be closer to what nature
> has to offer rather than all the chemicals needed for the
> local city water.


I believe the bacteria/parasites alone would spell disaster for aquarium
fish.


--
Toni
http://www.cearbhaill.com/aquarium.htm

[Jeff Pratt]

Toni wrote:

>
> "Mike Endsley" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I just thought the canal water would be closer to what nature
>> has to offer rather than all the chemicals needed for the
>> local city water.
>
>
> I believe the bacteria/parasites alone would spell disaster for aquarium
> fish.
>
>
> --
> Toni
> http://www.cearbhaill.com/aquarium.htm

Not necessarily, but you wouldn't want to use it completely untreated
either.

1st, canal water may be contaminated with fertilizers from runoff. Test
for high levels of nitrates and phosphates.

2nd, you can kill most (not all, but the vast majority) pathogens with
boiling.

3rd, activated charcoal can remove many contaminants

4th, by dechlorinating and filtering through peat, you may be able to reach
the water parameters that you'd like from your city water with less hassle.


Peat Filtering: http://www.marksfish.f9.co.uk/diy/peat.htm

Jeff

[Mike Endsley]

On Tue, 02 Sep 2003 15:30:15 +0000, Toni wrote:

>
> "Mike Endsley" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I just thought the canal water would be closer to what nature
>> has to offer rather than all the chemicals needed for the
>> local city water.
>
>
> I believe the bacteria/parasites alone would spell disaster for aquarium
> fish.

Ok, thanks Toni :)
Glad I asked first.
btw- nice aquariums ;)

[Mike Endsley]

On Tue, 02 Sep 2003 15:53:24 +0000, Jeff Pratt wrote:

> Toni wrote:
>
>>
>> "Mike Endsley" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> I just thought the canal water would be closer to what nature
>>> has to offer rather than all the chemicals needed for the
>>> local city water.
>>
>>
>> I believe the bacteria/parasites alone would spell disaster for aquarium
>> fish.
>>
>>
>> --
>> Toni
>> http://www.cearbhaill.com/aquarium.htm
>
> Not necessarily, but you wouldn't want to use it completely untreated
> either.
>
> 1st, canal water may be contaminated with fertilizers from runoff. Test
> for high levels of nitrates and phosphates.
>
> 2nd, you can kill most (not all, but the vast majority) pathogens with
> boiling.
>
> 3rd, activated charcoal can remove many contaminants
>
> 4th, by dechlorinating and filtering through peat, you may be able to reach
> the water parameters that you'd like from your city water with less hassle.
>
>
> Peat Filtering: http://www.marksfish.f9.co.uk/diy/peat.htm
>
> Jeff
Thanks Jeff for all the info.
I also checked the site and found it very interesting.
Mike

[>]

First, take a glass of water from your canal. Use a clear glass or jar.
Look through it and see how clear it is. Multiply by the dimensions of your
tank and is the water really clear?

My experience is that water that looks relatively clear in a body of water
looks really cloudy if you stick your head into it. (scuba)
JOhn :-)


"Mike Endsley" > wrote in message
...
> hi all!
> I live in a large farming area with huge water canals that are
> used by farmers. I haven't tested the canal water but the city
> water is not only chlorinated, but is very hard/alkaline and
> has a ph over 8.4!
> Since people have been known to do some fishing from the canals
> would it help to use that water?
> I have a brand new 29 gal tank that I have already filled with
> water and added some chemicals. I was thinking about trying a
> fishless nitrogen cycle, so right now it is just sitting totally
> empty other than pump/heater.
> I just thought the canal water would be closer to what nature
> has to offer rather than all the chemicals needed for the
> local city water.
> TIA,
> Mike
>
> btw- I was going to add some platys or swordfish just to get
> the aquarium running.
>

[bassett]

Simple test,, Collect your water, Drink some of it,, If your still alive
when you get home,
use it in your tanks.

bassett

><(((\"> John Lange ><(((\"> > wrote
in message . net...
> First, take a glass of water from your canal. Use a clear glass or jar.
> Look through it and see how clear it is. Multiply by the dimensions of
your
> tank and is the water really clear?
>
> My experience is that water that looks relatively clear in a body of water
> looks really cloudy if you stick your head into it. (scuba)
> JOhn :-)
>
>
> "Mike Endsley" > wrote in message
> ...
> > hi all!
> > I live in a large farming area with huge water canals that are
> > used by farmers. I haven't tested the canal water but the city
> > water is not only chlorinated, but is very hard/alkaline and
> > has a ph over 8.4!
> > Since people have been known to do some fishing from the canals
> > would it help to use that water?
> > I have a brand new 29 gal tank that I have already filled with
> > water and added some chemicals. I was thinking about trying a
> > fishless nitrogen cycle, so right now it is just sitting totally
> > empty other than pump/heater.
> > I just thought the canal water would be closer to what nature
> > has to offer rather than all the chemicals needed for the
> > local city water.
> > TIA,
> > Mike
> >
> > btw- I was going to add some platys or swordfish just to get
> > the aquarium running.
> >
>
>

[Mike Noren]

Mike Endsley > wrote in message >...

> I just thought the canal water would be closer to what nature
> has to offer rather than all the chemicals needed for the
> local city water.

It is. Unfortunately some of the things nature has to offer are
parasites - the most likely parasite you'd introduce with untreated
canal water would, IMO, be fish lice: they're common in plankton
samples from most waters.

Bacteria and protozoans would likely not be a problem, but that all
depends on how polluted the water is - your canal water could be
anything from nice, pristine, drinking-quality water straight from the
mountains, or it could be little more than an open sewer brimming with
fecal bacteria.

The parasite/bacteria problem with natural water is often overstated,
but it isn't zero, and while I do take some of my water (and plants)
from local waters, I feel that one do need to know that one's taking
the water from a clean source. If you, after testing, determine that
your canal water is of good quality, and you filter the water, I
wouldn't expect any problems.

[Mike Endsley]

On Sun, 07 Sep 2003 17:46:55 +1000, bassett wrote:

> Simple test,, Collect your water, Drink some of it,, If your still alive
> when you get home,
> use it in your tanks.
>
> bassett
>
The hundreds of kids that have swallowed the water from swimming
"illegally" over the years answers that question rather easily. I just
moved here, but my wife was raised here. She is still alive, her brothers
are all alive, and other than one fatal accident (drowning), there have
been no funerals of the kids that have swam and waterskied.

[Eduardo Alvarez]

In article >, ><(((\">
John Lange ><(((\"> wrote:
> First, take a glass of water from your canal. Use a clear glass or jar.
> Look through it and see how clear it is. Multiply by the dimensions of your
> tank and is the water really clear?
>
> My experience is that water that looks relatively clear in a body of water
> looks really cloudy if you stick your head into it. (scuba)
> JOhn :-)
>
>
> "Mike Endsley" > wrote in message
> ...
>> hi all!
>> I live in a large farming area with huge water canals that are
>> used by farmers. I haven't tested the canal water but the city
>> water is not only chlorinated, but is very hard/alkaline and
>> has a ph over 8.4!
>> Since people have been known to do some fishing from the canals
>> would it help to use that water?
>> I have a brand new 29 gal tank that I have already filled with
>> water and added some chemicals. I was thinking about trying a
>> fishless nitrogen cycle, so right now it is just sitting totally
>> empty other than pump/heater.
>> I just thought the canal water would be closer to what nature
>> has to offer rather than all the chemicals needed for the
>> local city water.
>> TIA,
>> Mike
>>
>> btw- I was going to add some platys or swordfish just to get
>> the aquarium running.
>>
>
>

On the other hand, how useful/not useful would it be to add a small
ammount of said water to a new aquarium in order to "innoculate" it with
microorganisms that are necessary for the aquarium to flourish (eg:
nitrogen-fixing bacteria)?

--
Eduardo Alvarez http://www.great-atuin.net/~punga
(offline, at the moment)
"Stercus, stercus stercus, moriturus sum"
-- Rincewind the Wizzard, "Interesting Times"

[Bob K.]

>I was just thinking about the quality of
>the tap water here. Hardness can be over 300, ph is 8.4 and higher, etc.,

Don't fight your water. Go with the fish that can
take it, and even enjoy it.

The rift lake cichlids would be very much at home in 8.4+ pH.
Many Central American cichlids can handle that also.

But even though you don't get sick drinking the lake water,
doesn't mean you'll not introduce some nasty parasites. It
really isn't worth the effort of lugging water home. You need
to make frequent water changes, and it's easier from your tap
than bucket runs to a lake. And have you tested the water
in they lake? It's lible to have lots of agricultural chemicals
and pesticides that at safe for a mouthful, but not for tropical
fish that aren't used to it.

You asked here because you didn't know, your answers are
all - Don't. You might 'get away' with it, but listen to the
experienced people here telling you to NOT use 'natural' water.

Bob

[SG]

In article >, Eduardo Alvarez wrote:
>
> On the other hand, how useful/not useful would it be to add a small
> ammount of said water to a new aquarium in order to "innoculate" it with
> microorganisms that are necessary for the aquarium to flourish (eg:
> nitrogen-fixing bacteria)?

Not very. You are likely to get just as much bad as good. Besides
there are other safer sources of the benificial bacteria. It is in the
air, on plant roots, and easily harvested from an established
aquarium.

[Tedd]

"Mike Endsley" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 07 Sep 2003 17:46:55 +1000, bassett wrote:
>
> > Simple test,, Collect your water, Drink some of it,, If your still alive
> > when you get home,
> > use it in your tanks.
> >
> > bassett
> >

not sure i'd consider that a pratical test... we all drink our tap water, and
untreated it kills fish.


> The hundreds of kids that have swallowed the water from swimming
> "illegally" over the years answers that question rather easily. I just
> moved here, but my wife was raised here. She is still alive, her brothers
> are all alive, and other than one fatal accident (drowning), there have
> been no funerals of the kids that have swam and waterskied.
>