FishProfiles.com Message Forums

I have a list here of water Parameters though the states of Australia. At present, due to drought additives are being added to make the water safer to drink.
Alot of measurements are higher than what is the recommended on this table I have. My question is, what to do.
Will adding a good dechlorinator that neutralises 'heavy metals' be enough?
Should I be adding carbon to my filtration?
Bottled water and add minerals to the water?
Do I have reason for concern?

Here is the list for Melbourne for things I am concerned about. I will also list what the recommended safe levels from this sheet are for fish.

Aluminium (ppm) 0.08 Rec: <0.1
Iron (ppm) 0.24 Rec 0.1
Chlorine 5 Rec 0.003
Flouride (ppm)1.07 Rec 0.5
Copper sulphate (ppm) 0.004 Rec 0.002

I do have listings for the other states if anyone wants them.

---

Before you criticize someone walk a mile in their shoes. That way you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

Hi Lindy,
Any time the water company changes its additives, it can
become of concern to fish keepers. Sometimes, to
us, it just adds and "odd taste" that we have to get
used to.

While your chart shows increases in various additives,
they are still below the levels at which they become toxic.
For instance, fluoride can reach 4.0ppm and copper can
reach 1.3ppm before they become toxic.

True activated carbon adsorbs gasses, liquids, or solutes
on the surfaces of the grains. The size of the pore
determines the size of the molecule that is attracted and
held. Over time, usually a week or two, the carbon becomes
so coated with bacteria that it becomes just another form
of mechanical filtering.
Carbon won't filter salts or metals from the water.

I don't see that any of the values in your listing are
at the point where they would cause problems for your fish.

You can always use distilled water or RO water to dilute
the values, however that can rapidly become expensive and
in the case of RO water, it is extremely wasteful of the
existing water supply as it takes gallons of water to
produce a single gallon of RO water.

Frankly, I'd simply add more water conditioner to remove
the increased chlorine and chloramine and continue with
your regular water changes.

Frank

References:
AQUARIUM FISH INTERNATIONAL, Sept 2007, "Activated Carbon
will not do any harm in a Planted Tank", by Scott Hieber.

http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?sid=77TXCT2S6U349PNMBFK3L19LMBBL67M4&ID=40492

http://ezinearticles.com/?Tap-Water-for-Aquarium-Use;-From-Chlorine-and-Chloramines-to-Nitrates,-Nitrites,-and-Phosphates&id=406721

http://aquarium-answers.blogspot.com/2007/01/what-should-i-know-about-tap-water-for.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed&list_uids=7494908&cmd=Retrieve&indexed=google

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

The chronologically aging thing seems to be doing more for the WQ than the overdosing of dechlor (I'm still using that on some tanks, but timing it so I do no WC for about 3 weeks after we switch dams or after rain as these seem to be very bad times), but that is probably still a good idea.

The people in country NSW (tamworth) have switched to full bottled for water. I think they are using spring waterso it is just a matter of getting it to the right temperature and pouring it in. They were having a horrid time with disease and finrot before, but no major problems were picked up with testing.

At the moment, I'm working on the 'if it ain't broke, don't change it' method, it is that bad. I've heard of a few full wipe outs after our recent rain, and I've lost more inverts this month than my entire life previous, so I'm holding out as long as I can. Thankfully I'm understocked, but even on the borderline tanks it seems to be a safe strategy. A bit dodgy, I know, but better than mass carnage for no detectable reason (which is the lousy part of this whole thing, nothing is showing up in standard testing so you have to suck it and see

I really hope you guys are having a better trot down there than we are up here. If you aren't seeing any problems, I'd just keep up what you are doing. If you are, try aging the water (after dechlorinating) and changing it out just before it rains or before they switch reservoirs. Both of these times they tend to up the chlorine quite substantially (it makes my nose hurt

Might also be worth checking phosphates, mine are problematic straight out of the tap here, but it seems to be suburb-specific.

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

Lindy
You know as well as I do "THEY" the water authorities just add chemicals on a day to day basis. I can remember too many years ago I used to watch them pour bag after bag for at least one week bags of lime to help in settle the base of an earth storage area. This is where my water comes from.
My LFS recently informed me that there are many one off doses of bacteria killers added to our water hence it can and does kill all the bacteria in your tank meaning the good and bad bacterias.

At the moment and for at least the last two years I have doubled up the dechlorinator before I store the water for one week. Other than doing a full water peramiter test on your water before you put it into your tank it is basically a hit or miss game. It was one of these chemicals that upset my 5ft tank some time ago causing massive problems to my large CLs. This is one reason I now add a double dose of Sera Nitrivic at ever water change. I also have a live bacteria I keep in the fridge just in case I require a very quick fix.

If I remember correctly our water reports are given out on a monthly average basis where as other states do publish each days testings.

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info

Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

Hi Lindy

If you have Sydney - can you pls post that? Most of my water comes from Woronora, but some does come from Warragamba - so if you have details on both, that would be great.

Maybe Frank could let me know if there is anything to worry about in Sydney water?

I also worry about this aged water business. How do you match the temp in water that you've been aging for a week?

Cheers
TW

this is n eary forum on water in AU
http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/threads/34537.1.htm?14#

Djrichie
"So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams

I think that my fish are suffering because of it. They are very listless and thin looking. I have no catfish left. The cories I had lost their whiskers before dying. I hate doing water changes because I always lose something a few days later. My tank is just about empty now because I dont want to put anymore fish in.

Calla, we have been getting some rain but the big downpour we had a couple of weeks ago only put our reserves up by 2%. Was thinking I might try and catch some of the rain and use it for the tank. I will try and get my hands on a phosphate testkit.

Robyn, water for Sydney

Aluminium 0.08
Iron 2.32
Chlorine 5
Flouride 1.5
Copper Sulphate 0.221

---

Before you criticize someone walk a mile in their shoes. That way you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

Lindy
That is exactly the same problem I had I started loosing my botom dwellers apprently the NONO sinks to the lower levels of the water or the scaleless fish are far more suseptable to this problem. I solved it by adding extra airation and adding "Amtrite Down" Ammonia/Nitrate Reduction Aerobic Bacteria. It MUST be kept in the fridge. It is distributed by Biotec Restoration PL US MADE.

It was the only thing that saved the rest of the tank.

I think I am getting the same water as you the only thing mine goes through at least one more storage pumping station.

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info

Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW