# Well Water



## fishyinpa (Dec 25, 2008)

Hey all. So I am asking for a friend,because I have no idea. She wants to set up a fish tank,but she only has well water. As far as she knows,there is iron in the water. There is a filter on it to make it safe to drink in the house. I am sure she can get a report as to what else is in the water. She wanted to know how to make the water safe for fish? Or can it be made safe at all. Thanks!


----------



## fishyinpa (Dec 25, 2008)

hmm...nobody?? seesh.


----------



## aunt kymmie (Jun 2, 2008)

:question: I wish I knew the answer for you.


----------



## fishyinpa (Dec 25, 2008)

haha its okay. i thought someone on here might know...guess i have to be patient lol.


----------



## Fishin Pole (Feb 17, 2009)

once the water is tested and we see where the Ph is and how hard or soft the water is, then we can comment and give suggestions to types of fish for your friend to keep..........I wouldnt see why if the water is safe to drink why it wouldnt be able to house fish in............Just let us know the test results and we can go from there


----------



## fishyinpa (Dec 25, 2008)

okay.thanks.


----------



## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

FishinPole is right, it all depends upon the water and the tests will tell you that. Some well water is OK, some may not be (and may be impossible to fix except by RO). I would be concerned about the iron you mention; a little is good for plants (and won't hurt the fish obviously) but if it is high in iron that is bad for both. There is also the pH and general hardness; some well water is soft and acidic (good for fish and plants) but some is very hard and alkaline (OK for rift lake cichlids, and maybe liverbearers, but not much else). And treatment can be expensive. I would also want to know (if it were me) what "filtering" is done to make it drinkable; sometimes chemicals are added in "filtering" water and can cause problems for fish.


----------



## Krinedawg (Aug 5, 2009)

Fishyinpa,
I assume you are in Pennsylvaina? If so may I ask what part? 
Since I don't know and I'm assuming you are...Depending where you are in PA here's what we've got. In my area the well water comes out with a PH of 6, and is perfect for most tropical fish. With a high iron in your water I am assuming you would be in the south west region of the state, say near Pittsburgh area. Of course I could be totally off as Iron deposits are found in various regions of PA. We just happen to be lucky here. I would first test your PH, most wells that I've seen here, are as close to perfect as you can get for aquariums. If you don't have a test kit take a moderate sample to your LFS, most will test your water for free, some may charge. This will give you a basic starting point on what you need to do as far balancing/cycling your tank. Once that is done if it turns out okay simply use the water as is, and start the cycling process. If it's gonna take allot to correct, I would seriously consider reverse osmosis. 
Hope this helps some.


----------



## RandallW20 (Jan 30, 2009)

Shouldn't she be concerned about the water softener, as most of them use salt tablets? Wouldn't that be a concern?


----------



## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

RandallW20 said:


> Shouldn't she be concerned about the water softener, as most of them use salt tablets? Wouldn't that be a concern?


Yes; I wasn't sure if the "filtering" meant water softener or just filter (like a Britta setup). But you're correct, it is my understanding that home water softeners usually do the softening by replacing calcium and magnesium ions with sodium ions. But most soft water fish also have a high intolerance of salt, so the end result is not much different (or better) for the fish.


----------



## RandallW20 (Jan 30, 2009)

I figured as much. So in other words, it would be in this persons best interest to invest in an R.O. system regardless just to be on the safe side.
Not to mention that the RO water would be better for the fish anyways even if the well water was ok.


----------



## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

RandallW20 said:


> I figured as much. So in other words, it would be in this persons best interest to invest in an R.O. system regardless just to be on the safe side.
> Not to mention that the RO water would be better for the fish anyways even if the well water was ok.


No to the last sentence. RO water on its own is in fact unsuitable for fish because it is so pure. Such water, like distilled water as well, does not generally exist in nature and cannot support fish or plant life.

All natural water that supports fish or plant life contains substances that benefit (and are essential to)that life. Water that passes over rock generally contains minerals, primarily calcium and magnesium, but also iron, zinc and maybe others. The amount of mineral in the water determines the hardness. Water that passes through heavy forest or contains considerable organic matter (leaves, wood, peat) will be rich in nutrients and usually soft with respect to mineralization unless it also passes over rocks.

Most of the fish we maintain prefer one or the other, and except in extreme cases some adaptation is possible so many of them can live healthily somewhere in between. Very soft water (with little or no mineral content) can have as detrimental an effect on aquarium fish as very hard water. And, all fish need some mineral to be healthy; some is contained in fish foods we feed them, but some they obtain from osmosis when they absorb water into their cells. This latter point is why the water parameters are so important; the fish must absorb this water, and its bodily functions have to react accordingly. For instance, the fish must regulate the pH of its blood to equal the pH of the water it lives in and absorbs, and fluctuating or adverse pH means the fish is working harder to adjust, and this causes additional stress which leads to health problems.

The first thing is to determine the hardness and pH of the well water, and what it contains. It is very possible that it may be perfect for an aquarium, although the iron issue would concern me; too much and I agree a RO unit would help. But the RO water needs to be mixed with some untreated water to restore a bit of the necessary mineral content.

Byron.


----------



## RandallW20 (Jan 30, 2009)

Oh, I didn't think of that. That makes since...


----------

