Well water

[cktr]

Hi there! I'm new here and I have a question I hope someone can help me with. I'm setting up a new tank and I'm using my well water. We've been drinking this water for a year now, since we built and moved into this house, with no ill effects. Our filtration system has a shot of hydrogen peroxide added as the last step before it leaves the well house and comes to the house. I've been using this water to water my plants and garden outside, also with no ill effects. My question is, will this hurt my fish? I've just filled a new aquarium and will be getting a betta after it has cycled but I'm noticing that the entire inner surface of the aquarium, filter, and substrate is covered in bubbles. It's been almost 48 hours since I filled the tank and turned on the filter, and I'm finally seeing a small reduction in the amount of bubbles in the tank. I haven't tested the water yet as I'm waiting for my test kit to arrive. I suspect my well water will be low on oxygen which I've read is common to wells. Do I have a problem here? I'm wondering how long it will take for the bubbles to dissipate or even if they will ever completely go away. Does anyone else here use well water that is treated with hydrogen peroxide?

 

[Uberhoust]

I do not use H2O2 treated water. I cannot see it lasting long in the water but I am not a chemist. I will note that when I fill my tank I get bubbles forming on most surfaces but they are gone within 30 minutes likely because I have a fair amount of flow in the tank.

Without knowing the size of your tank, I would suggest you air the replacement water in some container before using it for the water change. If that doesn't help you could put an air stone in the water for a day or two before using it. Hydrogen peroxide is a strong oxidizer but it breaks down to water and oxygen.

Well water can be very low in oxygen because the only real path for oxygen to enter the water is from the surface and whatever exists in the water is used in the oxidization of iron and other materials found in the aquifer. Aeration of the water before you use it can be helpful just for the O2 content. Another aspect with well water is that it can be high in more inert type gases like Nitrogen, and or Carbon Dioxide, again aeration helps. At some fish hatcheries that use deep well water, they use gas diffuser towers to allow the excess gasses to escape and the reduced gases to be replaced, a type of aeration.

 

[cktr]

Thank you so much for this great information.

I am actually setting up two tanks, one is a 6-gallon cube and one is a 16-gallon bookshelf aquarium. I planned on making the 6-gallon a planted betta tank and the 16-gallon a cold water tank with white clouds and whatever else I can find that will stand a cooler tank.

I filled both tanks on Saturday and 4 days later there are still bubbles covering the filter sponges and parts of the tank walls. I thought that maybe I would keep some water aging in a 5 gallon bucket for my water changes. I could also set up an air stone in the bucket.

Again, thank you very much for this information!

 

[GaryE]

Water will differ depending on where you are: the geology, the aquifer, etc. So you are in the same boat as an urban dweller - you need a water analysis to know what that water is. What are the mineral levels, what's the pH, etc. It matters very much to fish and plants.

 

[StevenF]

you need a water analysis to know what that water is. What are the mineral levels, what's the pH, etc. It matters very much to fish and plants.

A good test to have done is an ICP-OES test. Amazon nells the kit. You fill the provided container with the water and mail it to a laban it will tell you what is in the water done to about one part per billion. But the one company I used didn't tell me if the water was safe to drink. That's some time a so it may have changed. But for every element it find you can type in google Safe EPA drinking water limit for X (Xis whatever element it finds. It can detect something like 33 elements so after the test you should have a good idea what is in your water. Note ICP-OES tests don't measure oxygen, nitorgen Cargbon. These are pressent in air and will dissolve in water. So it is also good to use an aquarium test kit to measure levels of ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, GH,kH. and PH whiahcyou will need to know to select fish appropriate for your water

 

[cktr]

Thank you very much! I will be getting a test kit soon and will have more information on my water parameters.