Well Water Help?

Zbbal

Zbbal

AC Members
Jul 9, 2009
677
0
16
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Sevierville, TN
Hello everyone.

I'm getting back into the hobby, but this time I have well water. I've heard of people having problems with well water, so I'm here to ask for help concerning the well water where I live. I know nothing about well water, so the more help and advice the better. I've done the basic testing on the water and here's what I got:
pH: 7.2
High pH: 7.4
Nitrite: 0ppm
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrate: 0ppm
I've been out of the hobby so long, I don't remember if those numbers are good or not. :headshake2: I know I need to get the water checked further, but I'm not sure where to go...any suggestions are welcome. Also, I've got a styrofoam cup of water sitting out, and tomorrow night I'm going to check it again and post my findings. I just want to see if the numbers change.

Thanks for your help!
 
Well water is fine, after all with the exception of lakes and reservoirs, a lot of city water comes from wells, often pumped up to towers. Your well water appears to be fine.
 
Hi z, welcome aboard...(waves in easterly direction). I'm on the other side of the state from you, halfway between Memphis and Nashville. I have well water too and have been running freshwater tanks with it, untreated, for several years now without issue. Ammonia and nitrite of course are the important readings; as long as your is zero you are basically all set, could start up a tank tomorrow with it. Naturally you would want to cycle to build up the good bacteria in your filter, either fishless or adding fish slowly to give it time to adjust.

The only thing to consider with well water is that if you are in an agricultural area you are apt to get fluctuations over the course of the year depending on the depth of your well and the water table in your area. It may be deep enough that surface activity has no effect; or you could get runoff from fertilizer or livestock input during growing season. Keep testing your tap water before use is the best strategy. If no fluctuations you are good to go. If you do see ammonia or nitrite at other than zero in your incoming tap water you will want to treat it. Chlorine is of course not going to be a factor in non-municipal sources.

best of luck. :)
 
XanAvaloni said:
Hi z, welcome aboard...(waves in easterly direction). I'm on the other side of the state from you, halfway between Memphis and Nashville. I have well water too and have been running freshwater tanks with it, untreated, for several years now without issue. Ammonia and nitrite of course are the important readings; as long as your is zero you are basically all set, could start up a tank tomorrow with it. Naturally you would want to cycle to build up the good bacteria in your filter, either fishless or adding fish slowly to give it time to adjust.

The only thing to consider with well water is that if you are in an agricultural area you are apt to get fluctuations over the course of the year depending on the depth of your well and the water table in your area. It may be deep enough that surface activity has no effect; or you could get runoff from fertilizer or livestock input during growing season. Keep testing your tap water before use is the best strategy. If no fluctuations you are good to go. If you do see ammonia or nitrite at other than zero in your incoming tap water you will want to treat it. Chlorine is of course not going to be a factor in non-municipal sources.

best of luck. :)
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Hello! -Waves west- Yeah, I'm going to do a fishless cycle with either some pure ammonia or some dead shrimp. Good to know I'm generally set. I'm wanting to do a Lake Malawi tank, so I'm going to have to test hardness, etc.

Thankfully, I live up in the Smokies and on top of a mountain to boot. I AM the runoff. -laugh- I re-tested the pH a little while ago and my pH went up to 7.6, so I have a feeling that water changes are going to interesting, since I'll have to leave the water out overnight.
 
I am on a well, I think it is considered a deep well. I think you will be fine. What sort of substrate are you going to use? Your substrate and decorations will help to keep your PH up for those Malawi. Stay away from wood.
 
johnlarson66 said:
I am on a well, I think it is considered a deep well. I think you will be fine. What sort of substrate are you going to use? Your substrate and decorations will help to keep your PH up for those Malawi. Stay away from wood.
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Glad to know you think I'll be fine. :) I don't know about substrate. I just re-tested again and now it's reading 7.8...I wonder what it'll be in 24 hours. Regardless, it'll definitely be Mbuna worthy, right? What would you recommend for substrate?
 
I like sand.
 
Well, I tested again and we are at 8.0 pH now.

johnlarson66 said:
I like sand.
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Yeah, I was thinking pool filter sand with maybe just a tad bit of crushed coral as a buffer.....I could be totally wrong though.
 
I like crushed coral, some people hate it. One of my tanks has crushed coral mixed with gravel. I would not stress too much on the pH. Temperature swings I think stress out fish more than small pH swing from water changes. Your fish will adjust to the water you use. Stay away from pH up and pH down products. With your well water, you will not need a bunch of chemicals. Feel lucky you do not have the issues that others have. I know I am glad to be back in a place that has well water.
 
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