water quality

[johnhuddleston]

http://www.s****er.co.uk/apps/STW0877.nsf/Result/ResultsForm?Opendocument&b32

is the info for my local water supply, what sort of treatments would it
require for a tropical tank? or could i just leave it in an aerated tub for
a couple of days prior to water changing?

--

[NetMax]

"johnhuddleston" > wrote in message
...
>
http://www.s****er.co.uk/apps/STW0877.nsf/Result/ResultsForm?Opendocument&b32
>
> is the info for my local water supply, what sort of treatments would it
> require for a tropical tank? or could i just leave it in an aerated tub
for
> a couple of days prior to water changing?
>
> --


The numbers that jumped out at me are:

NO3 = 2.3 ppm
This probably means that there is some agricultural run off reaching your
municipal wells. When doing water changes to dilute NO3 levels, you will
not be able go under 2.3ppm. Aquatic plants will help consume this
though, and in itself it's not a high level. It might vary by season
though, with spring run-off being greater than mid-winter levels. Check
this yourself periodically through the year to get a feel for it's cycle.

pH = 8.8
Artificially high, so this is municipally treated water. It's unlikely
your tap water will be this high, unless you live across the street from
the treatment plant. The more iron plumbing between you and them and the
longer the water sits, the lower the pH will arrive at your sink.
Accordingly, you might find Sunday night's water to be much more acidic
than Monday afternoon's water ;~) Periodic checks will determine how
high the pH will be, what it's cycle will be and whether there is a
seasonal variation to it. I find the first year in a new house, I do a
lot of tests throughout the year, and then the testing drops to almost
nothing after that. With what I think is your very low kH, you would be
able to hold your pH quite low with driftwood, natural plants and CO2.
Do you like Discus?

chlorine = 0.16ppm
Treated water. Add de-chlor. Works in 10 minutes. The level posted is
not very high, but they have never established what a safe level is for
fish. Also the de-chlor concentrations used vary according to municipal
works. When the city replaces or adds pipes, they typically boost the
chlorine concentration to kill anything they dislodged or accidentally
got into the system. They usually do not notify residents when they do
this, however if you get a notice about the water being switched off,
expect nasty water for a few days after. Aging in an aerated tub will
probably work fine, but I find this is more trouble than is needed.

also of interest
gH =3dgH
Interesting that your calcium and magnesium only add up to 21ppm so I
wonder what constitutes the remaining 2dgH of hardness.. curious.

Very soft water, which implies your buffer is also low (your kH). There
are a few things to watch for with a low kH. Start with the intro here:
http://www.2cah.com/netmax/basics/water/water.shtml , and check down at
Buffer, City Water, CO2 injection and OTS.

Any resemblance to my knowing what I'm talking about is purely fiction,
but I'd say your water was great :o). Use de-chlor, and watch your kH.
You probably want to avoid hardwater fish, so that narrows your choices
down to about 9,500 species ;~)
cheers
--
www.NetMax.tk

[johnhuddleston]

>
http://www.s****er.co.uk/apps/STW0877.nsf/Result/ResultsForm?Opendocument&b32
> >
> > is the info for my local water supply, what sort of treatments would it
> > require for a tropical tank? or could i just leave it in an aerated tub
> for
> > a couple of days prior to water changing?
<big snip>
> Any resemblance to my knowing what I'm talking about is purely fiction,
> but I'd say your water was great :o). Use de-chlor, and watch your kH.
> You probably want to avoid hardwater fish, so that narrows your choices
> down to about 9,500 species ;~)
> cheers.

Thanks a lot, very informative and everything i needed to know :)

[bottom feeder]

NetMax wrote:

> Any resemblance to my knowing what I'm talking about is purely fiction,
> but I'd say your water was great :o). Use de-chlor, and watch your kH.
> You probably want to avoid hardwater fish, so that narrows your choices
> down to about 9,500 species ;~)
> cheers

I wish my water was like that. My tap water comes from the Missouri and
Mississippi rivers (St. Louis, MO area) with an off the chart pH and
fairly hard. It sucks when all your favorite fish come from the Amazon.
Bah. When I move, the location will be based on what the water out of
the tap tests out to be. :)

--
dan

[Paul]

bottom feeder wrote in message >...
>NetMax wrote:
>
>> Any resemblance to my knowing what I'm talking about is purely fiction,
>> but I'd say your water was great :o). Use de-chlor, and watch your kH.
>> You probably want to avoid hardwater fish, so that narrows your choices
>> down to about 9,500 species ;~)
>> cheers
>
>I wish my water was like that. My tap water comes from the Missouri and
>Mississippi rivers (St. Louis, MO area) with an off the chart pH and
>fairly hard. It sucks when all your favorite fish come from the Amazon.
>Bah. When I move, the location will be based on what the water out of
>the tap tests out to be. :)
>

what about all the beautiful rift lake cichlids? surely the most beautiful
freshwater fish of all?!

[Happy'Cam'per]

"bottom feeder" > wrote in message
...
> Bah. When I move, the location will be based on what the water out of
> the tap tests out to be. :)

LOL, Another true aquatic addict :)
--
**So long, and thanks for all the fish!**