My Water Supply Is Contaminated... Help!

[Kittiee Katt]

So, I just got a message from the water company and due to recent flooding our water supply has been deemed "unfit for human consumption". We now have to boil our water and let it cool before drinking it. Apparently its safe for pets (cats, dogs, birds etc) because there's a chance they will drink from puddles etc anyways so it shouldn't hurt them. It said nothing about fish on their website so I rang them. The lady I spoke to told me that the tests they've ran have come back positive for contamination, but they don't know what its been contaminated with yet, she took my email address and said she would email me as soon as they know what's contaminating the water. She also advised against changing my fish tanks (she has fish herself apparently and lives in the same general area as me that's the decision she made) until they at least know what's going on.
But I have a problem with that, it could take up to two weeks for them to fix it! I do daily changes on my bettas tank, I can't not change it for a fortnight! I also have a little silver dollar in qt who gets daily changes as well, how the hell am I going to boil 140ltrs of water every day? The biggest pot I have is only 3ltrs! Then there's the other three tanks that need their weeklys.. Fmgdl!

So, help me out here peeps, how the hell am I going to do my water changes? Because the best I can think of is borrowing the in-laws ute and taking an hour drive to the hubby's grandparents and giving them some coin to fill up giant tubs since they're on a different water supply to us. But there has to be an easier (or at least more time efficient) way than that...

Mfk brainstorm, go!

 

[Red Aimara]

Reduced the feedings first so you can prolong the water changes period.

Check with your local LFS that are affected as well - perhaps they have alternative sources for clean water.

All the best.

 

[Kittiee Katt]

Reduced the feedings first so you can prolong the water changes period.

Check with your local LFS that are affected as well - perhaps they have alternative sources for clean water.

All the best.

Someone's a clever cookie now aren't they? I never thought about ringing a lfs to see what they're doing about it. Unfortunately its going to have to wait until 9:00 tomorrow morning as all the pet shops closed 5 mins ago.
But thanks heaps for the idea.

 

[convict360]

move your betta into a much larger tub for the time being, then you won't have to do a daily water change.

For the silver dollar, don't feed him; this is really the best you could hope for. Though when you say you need 140 litres of water, is that for all of your fish? Cause otherwise that sounds like a huge hospital tank

 

[Fat Homer]

Im guessing only other option maybe to install something like an RO unit to filter the water before use... Not ideal by any means, but probably the only way to guarantee the watef is clean...

 

[Ihsnshaik]

Don't do a water change until the water company says don't boil your water. What kind of crap is that anyways? This isn't a third world country or flint lol

 

[Kittiee Katt]

move your betta into a much larger tub for the time being, then you won't have to do a daily water change.

For the silver dollar, don't feed him; this is really the best you could hope for. Though when you say you need 140 litres of water, is that for all of your fish? Cause otherwise that sounds like a huge hospital tank

Firstly, I don't think they sell tubs bigger than 120ltrs in my price range, or at least at a price I'm willing to pay for a plastic tub right now. The daily water changes are for the bettas 120ltr (50%+ = 60+ltr daily) and the hospital tank is 150ltrs (50%+ = 75+ltr daily) 60 + 75 = 135ltrs daily, so any tub would have to hold at least 140ltrs.

Im guessing only other option maybe to install something like an RO unit to filter the water before use... Not ideal by any means, but probably the only way to guarantee the watef is clean...

Yeah, that seems like a huge investment for a two week period.. and I don't know how I'd go pulling $1k out of my tushie in a fortnight. Our water would most likely be fixed by the time I had the money.

 

[Kittiee Katt]

What kind of crap is that anyways? This isn't a third world country or flint lol

Lol!!! We've had a ton of rain over the last few weeks (more than usual) and all the water running from the banks into the rivers is causing the water to go icky from what I can gather... It's driving me bonkers. I have to boil the kettle twice before having coffee! It has to boil and cool before being considered "drinkable" then I have to boil it again for my damn coffee! Grrr. :/ lol

 

[convict360]

that seems like a massive water changing schedule...how much bioload is in the betta tank?

If its a single silver dollar in the quarantine tank, I can't imagine why daily changes would really be needed; even once a week with fresh water would have a negligible amount of nitrates in that body of water from one fish; unless its part of the medication routine?

 

[predatorkeeper87]

you change your water far to often for fish with such a small bioload lol...as all others have said, reduce feedings and let the water changes slide until the water company gives you the ok.