At my wit's end with water quality... any suggestions?
- Thread starter ryansmith83
- Start date
I'm just going back to this. Honestly, nobody here knows why your tap water is screwed up. You can pursue it all you want to (maybe they'll make a Hollywood movie out of this story too
) but even if you did, if you took it as far as it could go and they eventually completely fixed the problem with the water supply (if they even can!), how long do you think that's going to take? It's something you've had problems with for a while, your neighbors are having problems, you're losing prized fish...
Just take that tax return and spend $300 and buy one of these (and a holding container and some supplement for RO water):
http://www.thefilterguys.biz/ro_di_systems.htm
And start putting a ton of house plants on top of your tank (with roots in the water).
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Wow, so sorry to hear that you are still having this problem.
Back in July when you started your previous discussion about this I suggested that you get hold of the supervisor/manager of your local water treatment facility, and see if he/she can elaborate as to why you are experiencing constant discolored water from your tap. Did you have any luck with that?
And then there was this ........
Florida Water Quality: Drowning in Pollution
http://www.theledger.com/article/20110722/EDIT01/110729898
Florida sues to block new water-quality standards
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...rules-water-quality-standards-clean-water-act
Study: Orlando’s water quality poor
http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2009/12/21/daily24.html
The minerals and levels of those minerals would be more than adequate from any commercial feed, you can safely scratch that from your list of possibilities. Ditto to chloramine levels, unless they are exceeding the EPA standards there's no way in hell that chloramine is causing deaths in your fish. (not when using Prime, even if you were underdosing)
After reading the links above it seems clear to me that the water quality issue in your area is FAR more serious than what most people realize - and most of these contaminants are not going to show up on your municipal water quality report, or possibly even in an independent analysis. I suggest that you ask about various pollutants before you pay for a test.
Considering all of the above, I would tend to agree with Jeff. (clockworkorange)
If excessive organics are suspected in your filter pipes etc then I would recommend using one of the commercial sludge/organic waste removers such as API's StressZyme on a regular basis. These types of probiotic bacteria can make a huge difference in the volume of organic waste in a system. It might be worth experimenting with. I've also used dry commercial septic system bacteria - most are from the Bacillus genus, as are the ones sold under aquarium/pond labels.
Back in July when you started your previous discussion about this I suggested that you get hold of the supervisor/manager of your local water treatment facility, and see if he/she can elaborate as to why you are experiencing constant discolored water from your tap. Did you have any luck with that?
And then there was this ........
Florida Water Quality: Drowning in Pollution
http://www.theledger.com/article/20110722/EDIT01/110729898
Florida sues to block new water-quality standards
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...rules-water-quality-standards-clean-water-act
Study: Orlando’s water quality poor
http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2009/12/21/daily24.html
The minerals and levels of those minerals would be more than adequate from any commercial feed, you can safely scratch that from your list of possibilities. Ditto to chloramine levels, unless they are exceeding the EPA standards there's no way in hell that chloramine is causing deaths in your fish. (not when using Prime, even if you were underdosing)
After reading the links above it seems clear to me that the water quality issue in your area is FAR more serious than what most people realize - and most of these contaminants are not going to show up on your municipal water quality report, or possibly even in an independent analysis. I suggest that you ask about various pollutants before you pay for a test.
Considering all of the above, I would tend to agree with Jeff. (clockworkorange)
If excessive organics are suspected in your filter pipes etc then I would recommend using one of the commercial sludge/organic waste removers such as API's StressZyme on a regular basis. These types of probiotic bacteria can make a huge difference in the volume of organic waste in a system. It might be worth experimenting with. I've also used dry commercial septic system bacteria - most are from the Bacillus genus, as are the ones sold under aquarium/pond labels.
So Neil would this be the same bateria that is found in products like Rid-X to break down waste in a septic system? If that's the case you can do this pretty cheap.
Yes Tom, same stuff. Each manufacturer has their own proprietary blend, but most are based on the same non-pathogenic bacteria strains. Just make sure that it does not contain any type of surfactants, perfumes, etc, and is safe for aquatic organisms. In that regards I have used the following product to kick start new tanks (many years ago) and I am currently experimenting with it for assisting the break down of organic waste in my filters etc. http://septobac.com/
I posted a couple of my usual long winded diatribes on probiotic bacteria in the following past discussion. (if anyone is interested)
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...cs-in-fish-feed-and-Oscars-are-true-omnivores
Miguel - I add it directly to my tank water, but in the sump would be fine as well. The bacteria will circulate & populate where they best see fit, just like any other bacteria in the water column.
Here's a few links with an easy to understand explanation for how the process works. The last one is a bulk supplier.
http://www.sunburstchemicals.com/food/bacterial.html
http://wateralchemy.blogspot.ca/2012/03/probioticbeneficial-bacteria-for.html
http://www.bio-cat.com/products
I posted a couple of my usual long winded diatribes on probiotic bacteria in the following past discussion. (if anyone is interested)
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...cs-in-fish-feed-and-Oscars-are-true-omnivores
Miguel - I add it directly to my tank water, but in the sump would be fine as well. The bacteria will circulate & populate where they best see fit, just like any other bacteria in the water column.
Here's a few links with an easy to understand explanation for how the process works. The last one is a bulk supplier.
http://www.sunburstchemicals.com/food/bacterial.html
http://wateralchemy.blogspot.ca/2012/03/probioticbeneficial-bacteria-for.html
http://www.bio-cat.com/products
RO/DI water is not a "simple solution" when I use about 750 gallons of water a week. My water bill is already $80 just from standard water changes. Now imagine buying an RO unit which produces waste water at a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio...
I do have pothos in all of my tanks with no measurable differences.
My only real option is whole house filtering, but first I have to figure out if a simple carbon-based system will even correct the issues I'm having, otherwise that's a waste of time and money.
Pollutants, particularly pesticides, would not surprise me. I live in a highly agricultural area where people have been dumping fertilizers and pesticides on crops for 40+ years.
I do have pothos in all of my tanks with no measurable differences.
My only real option is whole house filtering, but first I have to figure out if a simple carbon-based system will even correct the issues I'm having, otherwise that's a waste of time and money.
Pollutants, particularly pesticides, would not surprise me. I live in a highly agricultural area where people have been dumping fertilizers and pesticides on crops for 40+ years.
An efficient rodi filter can do 2:1 and the waste water can still be used to water your lawn among other things.
