Well Water

[guitartech]

Is there any harm in doing my water changes with well water if I aerate it in a tub with a pump and heater for 12-24 hours?
I have a 100g and am not sure if I want to bring 25-30g of RO from the fish store...
Thanks for the help !

 

[jimvette1]

I have city water and it tests well over 221 TDS.
I would hazard to believe well water isn't much better.
Proper testing with a TDS meter is the only way to verify system operation.
IMO I would use only RO/DI water.
Mine test 000.0 after Filtering.
My diatoms totally disappeared after using RO/DI water.
Air Water and Ice has a very nice unit.

Not only for water changes, don't forget about evaporation too!

 

[mr_x]

well water is usually full of nutrients. i would say no, without testing it to be sure- it's not safe to use.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Amazingly, the water at my store before RO/DI shows only 5 on the TDS meter which is what most RO water units run after awhile of use.
I'm not saying that you should use well water anyways. God knows what is in it... eww.

 

[bang guy]

There's no way of knowing if well water is OK without testing it.

 

[rcoultas]

Originally Posted by Bang Guy
http:///forum/post/2725149
There's no way of knowing if well water is OK without testing it.
+1 on that ! I'll add to it also - the well water is NOT safe unless it is tested before every use - I learned this the hard way years ago when I topped off my koi pond and they all went belly up due to the "off the chart" phospates that had gotten into the well water. I had previously tested that same well and used it to fill the pond - everything was cool until that fateful day

 

[oceansidefish]

If I were you I would invest in a TDS meter and your own RO/DI you can get for relatively cheap. It will pay for itself in non-dead livestock. Or you can pay $200 bucks to get your water tested through National Testing Labs in Ypsilanti Michigan

 

[mr_x]

a tds meter is about 20-30 dollars.

 

[guitartech]

DANG... What is TDS?

 

[reefkprz]

total dissolved solids

 

[spiderwoman]

We are on well water and before RO/DI unit the TDS value is in 180-200 range. In other words... not good to use.

 

[butrfly2536]

Be sure you test you water with a TDS meter before you purchase an R/O system. We purchased an r/o and it blows through filters and even the membrane after a few hours. Our TDS before the r/O is off the charts (890). Now we are stuck with a system that we can not even use.

 

[guitartech]

Originally Posted by butrfly2536
http:///forum/post/2727830
Be sure you test you water with a TDS meter before you purchase an R/O system. We purchased an r/o and it blows through filters and even the membrane after a few hours. Our TDS before the r/O is off the charts (890). Now we are stuck with a system that we can not even use.
Thank you for telling me that, I'll keep it in mind.
Now... where do I find this TDS test kit???

 

[flricordia]

Have a friend that used well water for her 240 reef, untill last year. Used it through a DI and as auto top-off and water changes. Sweet tank for almost 2 years, then overngiht lost everything except fish. Inverts, corals, all of it. Still don't know what went wrong, but now the 240 is a F/W tank and though it is awesome in its own self, can't keep snails alive. Fish look great and healthy.
Same well water being used.
Best to get an RO/DI and booster pump.

 

[flricordia]

Originally Posted by butrfly2536
http:///forum/post/2727830
Be sure you test you water with a TDS meter before you purchase an R/O system. We purchased an r/o and it blows through filters and even the membrane after a few hours. Our TDS before the r/O is off the charts (890). Now we are stuck with a system that we can not even use.
Probabloy why she went through 2 membranes in a couple months time before giving up on it. I'm lucky. Milton FL city water is the purest I have ever known. Though I use RO/DI it is not even needed. I have used the same membrane for almost 2 years now and it still puts out what it did when new.

 

[bang guy]

Originally Posted by butrfly2536
http:///forum/post/2727830
Be sure you test you water with a TDS meter before you purchase an R/O system. We purchased an r/o and it blows through filters and even the membrane after a few hours. Our TDS before the r/O is off the charts (890). Now we are stuck with a system that we can not even use.

Did you use a backflush kit?

 

[aztec reef]

If u live around a high agricultural area, I can assure u that your well water is high in impurities...Things to look for but not limited to Nitrates,phosphates,co2,copper.ammonia ect...