Water Board Added Something To My Water?

[tibby25731]

Hiya. I'm in Droylsden, Manchester. I started doing my weekly water changes yesterday. Did my tiny fry tank first, then did my 4ft. Noticed the fresh water looked a bit cloudy, and smelt a bit strange, but I'd already taken out the water - about 30% - so I had to go ahead and add it. I decided not to do my other 3 tanks just in case.... Tested the water today and the big tank seems OK, but the small tank had very high ammonia. There are 23 endler fry and 3 girl endlers in there and the ammo was about 4! This is AFTER the water change yesterday.... well, I removed all fish and washed the tank out totally and replaced all the water, it is such a small tank (14l) that I was never gonna dilute all that ammo. Now it seems to be a bit weird that the ammo would reach that level so quickly, especially since I did a 50% water change yesterday. I am wondering if the water board have added something to the water following the recent snow and stuff, that has killed off a load of bacteria and caused a mini cycle. I'm with United utilities, and can find nothing on their site to help me. I still havent done my other water changes just in case... I don't want 5 tanks having a mini cycle! Anyone got any ideas on how to find out? Or anyone in the area noticed anything?

 

[TigerIssey]

United Utilities

Can get a summary of your water supply here by typing in your postcode. Be a bit wary however, I put my postcode in and it tells me the water supply is moderately hard, its not it is soft 6.1DKH. Not sure if it is altered by peat filtering as we are on peat moors. If this is not what you want, there should be contact numbers available.

 

[tibby25731]

Thanks Tina, that makes interesting reading... arsenic and cyanide in my water? lol. But I really wanted to know if the water board had added extra chloramine or soemthing because of the weather we have been having, i have read of this happening to other members water in the past. I was just a bit freaked out to find the water looked strange, and then to have a tank crash...

 

[pangalaticgargleblaster]

I'm wondering if the run off from gritting the roads has got into the water supply somehow.

when salt from road gritting breaks down it becomes both sodium and chloride ions.
the sodium is (relatively) easily decomposed by nature but the chloride ions can leach into the natural water table and thus get into the local water supply.
this can alter the waters pH and maybe the water board have added something to combat this resulting in abnormal water quality.

if possible test your tap water for ammonia, NO2, NO3, pH & chlorine/chloramine. if you don't have a kit that does all that
take a sample to a decent lfs who can. (remember pH is effected by light, so to get an accurate pH result keep the sample in the dark until testing)
HTH

 

[pippoodle]

I lost over 100 fish during one water change , i phoned the water board and they said that they had flushed the system with a cleaner - that was within the safety limits set for human consumption , when i said about the fish they said it is not their job to make the water safe for ornamental fish and if you want to check it you should phone them before a water change or use rain water to cut down on water consumption .

Sorry to hear you've had problems maybe they flushed yours aswell

 

[Truck]

(remember pH is effected by light, so to get an accurate pH result keep the sample in the dark until testing)
HTH

new one on me, why would it matter? seeing as your tank water receives light anyway...

 

[TigerIssey]

Try ringing one of the contact numbers for United utilities on the web link I posted. Tell them you have looked at that report but want to know if anything has got in, or been put in to the supply recently.