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  L# Is well water bad for fish?
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SubscribeIs well water bad for fish?
DwarfGourami
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female usa
my sister has well water and asked what kind of stuff she will need for her tank.
Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:57Profile MSN Yahoo PM Edit Report 
bettachris
 
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male usa
well water? like the water that u pull up by hand? if anything i would use stress coat to cure the water from the well.
Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:57Profile Homepage Yahoo PM Edit Delete Report 
id10t
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All depends on where the well is. I'm on a well, but its dropped into the Florida aquifer just a few miles from some of the famous springs (like Ginnie, which supplies a water bottling co). So I add nothing.

I'd get some water and run the basic tests on it, let it set for a few days, and run the same set of tests again.

If something is off (really hard water, etc) I wouldn't try to adjust it too much - fish can acclimate fairly well within their tolerable range. If it is really out of whack, you may decide just to keep fish appropriate for that water type (african cichlids like really hard water IIRC). Constant fluctuations due to trying to change the water is worse forthe fish than just acclimating to whatever water they are in.
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DwarfGourami
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she lives on some land with my dad in the country as i do but i put some conditioner and a like preosite stuff in there just in case there might be something in there but the well has a pump and runs through your house like normal house do. lol but no clorin in water
Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:57Profile MSN Yahoo PM Edit Delete Report 
Tetra Fan
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I used to use well water and did not have any problems with it. If I'm not mistaken though, some metals can get into well water, but I'm not sure.
Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:57Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
FRANK
 
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male usa us-colorado
Hi,

The short answer is Yes, if it is ok for humans to
drink, then it is ok for fish.

Well water should be tested annually for potability.
That means to be sure that it is ok to drink, has
no dangerous bacteria in it.

Test it for pH, KH and GH with your test kit for your
aquarium. When you test it, let it sit open for 12 hour
period so that it can degas and settle in. That will
give you more accurate readings. These results will
tell you what kind of fish might be best kept in the
water. For instance you might not want to have tetras
if the water has a pH of 8 and a gh that is very high.

Frank


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Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:57Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
keithgh
 
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DwarfGourami

In short Yes and No

Have it tested send at least three samples A,B,&amp;C reason it is possible to a different result from each sample. I once say six different results from one sample.

It will depend on you location and where the water comes from it could be 100s of miles away. I tasted some bore water impossible to drink very soapy, and others too salty.

Keith

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Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:57Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
So_Very_Sneaky
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A lot of well water is hard- has high ph and hardness.
This is because of minerals in the rock the well is drilled through.
Prime is a water conditioner that removes heavy metals from well water, as well as conditioning it for chlorine, chloramine, and detoxifying ammonia and nitrites. I highly recommend it for well water espescially.
She may have to alter water conditions depending on hardness and ph and what type of fish she plans to keep.

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Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:57Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
Fallout
 
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I agree with frank. Call around to your local water labs, most of them can give you a general idea of what conditions are like in your area. You can always have them test the water, but it will cost you to have a pro do it. They'll not only check the basic parameters, but also check for microbes and other compounds that test kits are not readily available for.

It's always a good idea, especially if you live near a farm.
Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:57Profile Homepage ICQ AIM MSN Yahoo PM Edit Delete Report 
DwarfGourami
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ok ill tell my father and sister to get the water tested.

thanks
Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:57Profile MSN Yahoo PM Edit Delete Report 
jasonpisani
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It's better to be safe than sorry, so it's better to test the water before using it in you tank.


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