water change question?

[frosty27]

So years ago (probably over twenty) when my grandad use to do his water changes. He would put the tap water in a container and let it sit for a few days before using it.
Now I have just started up a ten galleon (has been running just over a month) and water parameters are almost perfect (had a very slight nitrite spike but think thats from adding some new fish).
Tank is planted so amonia levels are 0, ph is between 7 and 6.5 (which does worry me a tiny bit as have platies in my tank and all the websites I have looked at say they like around 7-7.5 ph, correct me if wrong)
Am using a tap safe water conditioner, would the water still need to stand for a couple of days before adding to the tank.
Tank also gets plant fert every 14 days for the plants.

 

[mbsqw1d]

So years ago (probably over twenty) when my grandad use to do his water changes. He would put the tap water in a container and let it sit for a few days before using it.
Now I have just started up a ten galleon (has been running just over a month) and water parameters are almost perfect (had a very slight nitrite spike but think thats from adding some new fish).
Tank is planted so amonia levels are 0, ph is between 7 and 6.5 (which does worry me a tiny bit as have platies in my tank and all the websites I have looked at say they like around 7-7.5 ph, correct me if wrong)
Am using a tap safe water conditioner, would the water still need to stand for a couple of days before adding to the tank.
Tank also gets plant fert every 14 days for the plants.

He would stand it to allow the chlorine to gas off. These days, water companies increasingly use chloramine which doesn't gas off, and so the water conditioner takes care of this.

 

[frosty27]

He would stand it to allow the chlorine to gas off. These days, water companies increasingly use chloramine which doesn't gas off, and so the water conditioner takes care of this.

Aarr that explains it.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

He would stand it to allow the chlorine to gas off. These days, water companies increasingly use chloramine which doesn't gas off, and so the water conditioner takes care of this.

Concur, I would get a water conditioner. Seachem Prime is what I use and it works very well.

 

[mbsqw1d]

So years ago (probably over twenty) when my grandad use to do his water changes. He would put the tap water in a container and let it sit for a few days before using it.
Now I have just started up a ten galleon (has been running just over a month) and water parameters are almost perfect (had a very slight nitrite spike but think thats from adding some new fish).
Tank is planted so amonia levels are 0, ph is between 7 and 6.5 (which does worry me a tiny bit as have platies in my tank and all the websites I have looked at say they like around 7-7.5 ph, correct me if wrong)
Am using a tap safe water conditioner, would the water still need to stand for a couple of days before adding to the tank.
Tank also gets plant fert every 14 days for the plants.

See if you can find out the gh (hardness) of your water. Its this which is more important than ph for the platies

 

[Essjay]

Am using a tap safe water conditioner, would the water still need to stand for a couple of days before adding to the tank.

When using a water conditioner, the water does not need to stand. If using buckets to refill, most of us put the water conditioner in the bucket at the dose rate for the volume of the bucket, then run the tap water in and pour it straight into the tank. There are some members who say that it takes several minutes for every single chlorine/chloramine to meet a dechlorinator so they let the bucket stand for half an hour.

 

[Essjay]

See if you can find out the gh (hardness) of your water

The first thing to try is looking at your water company's website for hardness. There's probably a page where you enter your postcode for water quality, hardness and even mains works. If you find it, look for a number and the unit of measurement (there are several they could use) rather than some vague words.

 

[frosty27]

If you find it, look for a number and the unit of measurement (there are several they could use) rather than some vague words.

Essex and Suffolk water - Tilbury
Water quality information
Water quality
Very hard
Calcium Carbonate
327.5000
Degrees Clarke
22.5844

 

[Essjay]

That is hard water. mg/l calcium carbonate is the same as ppm, and although degrees Clarke isn't used in fishkeeping, it converts to 18 dH. This is perfect for platies.

But that hardness doesn't usually go with pH 6.5 to 7. Do you have water softener installed?

 

[frosty27]

That is hard water. mg/l calcium carbonate is the same as ppm, and although degrees Clarke isn't used in fishkeeping, it converts to 18 dH. This is perfect for platies.

But that hardness doesn't usually go with pH 6.5 to 7. Do you have water softener installed?

We live in high rise flats so i believe the water is filtered before coming to the flats (water is gravity fed from the roof tank, our water pressure is cr@p)

 

[Essjay]

That could be a problem. The fact that your pH is lower than we would expect with the GH of your source water does suggest something is done to it before it reaches your taps. Filtering could mean anything from catching bits to removing the hardness minerals. And if it's removing hardness minerals, the equipment could be swapping them for sodium, which is not good for fish.

In this case, we cannot use the water company's figures. Can I ask you to take a sample of your tap water (not tank water) to a fish shop and ask them to test it for GH and KH, please. It will probably be cheaper than buying your own tester. Make sure they give you a number and the unit of measurement - and if they do the test in front of you, whether they use a strip tester or a liquid tester (some strips only measure up to 180 ppm)

 

[GaryE]

In the same water report you should be able to confirm whether chloramines or chlorine are used. I am lucky to only deal with old fashioned chlorine, which does simplify fishkeeping life.

 

[Essjay]

UK water quality reports don't mention which disinfectant they use unfortunately so we have to contact them to ask. The main concern here is what the building uses to 'filter' the water they supply to all their flats (apartments). Is it just a mechanical filter or one to reduce hardness - and if it's the latter, what do they use to swap with the hardness minerals.

 

[Essjay]

A thought has just occurred to me. Since we are not supposed to drink water from storage tanks, is there a tap anywhere that is not fed by the tank?

 

[frosty27]

A thought has just occurred to me. Since we are not supposed to drink water from storage tanks, is there a tap anywhere that is not fed by the tank?

As far as I know the water supplied to the flats is fine to drink.

The main concern here is what the building uses to 'filter' the water they supply to all their flats (apartments). Is it just a mechanical filter or one to reduce hardness - and if it's the latter, what do they use to swap with the hardness minerals.

I may be able to find this out from the caretakers.