Sourcing Water for Large Water Changes

[Dsoars]

I have been using my well water for water changes for over 2 years with no issues, but noticed my Dayi eel head jerking and swimming in circles yesterday. Then he would stop and return to normal but did not eat. I did a quick water change although I did 50% only a week ago. I tested the new water while I was at it and it tested 40 ppm for nitrates. I’ve had no issues with sick fish but knowing the eels are more sensitive I decided to just check the well water and I’m glad I did. I don’t know if the water has been at 40 ppm for sometime or if this is new but like I said there has been no issues for a while. I need advice or methods of doing 100+ gallon water changes effectively from water sources somewhere besides their home. My only two options I’ve come up with so far is lugging a giant tub around in my truck and spending a fortune on water at the store, or adding an absurd amount of houseplants to keep up with my bio load. I have several large Pothos vines growing out of the tank already but not nearly enough for a 300 gallon system. Thanks in advance

 

[deeda]

Do you have the option of capturing rain water from your house roof? You could use it to dilute the well water with high nitrate by mixing the two together.

 

[Dsoars]

Do you have the option of capturing rain water from your house roof? You could use it to dilute the well water with high nitrate by mixing the two together.

That’s a good option I definitely could rig something up. Good idea

 

[duanes]

Used to use rain water for soft water species I kept, because my tap water was hard, with high pH.
And would soak drift wood in the rain barrels to add tannins for its antibacterial qualites


I found the dirt and other heavy stuff would get sequestered in the blue barrel, and sink, and only the supernate would overflow into the white barrel.


I would raise scuds in the barrels
During heavy rains the barrels would overflow into my pond, where at cetain times daphnia populations automatically appear, would grow and provide extra food

 

[Dsoars]

Used to use rain water for soft water species I kept, because my tap water was hard, with high pH.
And would soak drift wood in the rain barrels to add tannins for its antibacterial qualites

View attachment 1561413View attachment 1561412View attachment 1561414
I found the dirt and other heavy stuff would get sequestered in the blue barrel, and sink, and only the supernate would overflow into the white barrel.

View attachment 1561415
I would raise scuds in the barrels
During heavy rains the barrels would overflow into my pond, where at cetain times daphnia populations automatically appear, would grow and provide extra food
View attachment 1561416

So tube halfway up the barrel for the clean water to overflow into another barrel. Most of the fish in my tank prefer soft to medium hard water so that should work pretty good I’m gonna give this a try, thank you

 

[duanes]

Yes a PVC tube collects surface water, allowing roof grit to settle out.

Another strategy to use in combating elevated nitrate, is the use of heavily planted sumps
Because my tank are cichlid heavy ( plant eaters),
I maintain separate heavily planted sumps, so use an extra 6 ft planted sump attached to the main cichlid tank,that use nirate as fast as it is generated.
The sump below.

The result is a low nitrate consentration , even though the tank is quite overcrowded.

Average nitrate reading below, I usually test nitrate on the tank, once per week.

It is no surpise that the eel is acting strange, elevated nitrates have been linked to chronic disease.
Some of the latest research below.

The recommended freshwater nitrate toxicity guidelines are:,Guideline Type Grading
Nitrate concentration (mg NO3-N /L)

Surveillance Nitrate (mg NO3-N /L)


Description of Management Class
Environment which are measurably degraded and which have seasonally
elevated concentrations for significant periods of the year (1-3 months).
Acute 20 30 Environments which are significantly, degraded.
Probable chronic effectsn on multiple species.

 

[Dsoars]

Yes a PVC tube collects surface water, allowing roof grit to settle out.

Another strategy to use in combating elevated nitrate, is the use of heavily planted sumps
Because my tank are cichlid heavy ( plant eaters),
I maintain separate heavily planted sumps, so use an extra 6 ft planted sump attached to the main cichlid tank,that use nirate as fast as it is generated.
The sump below.
View attachment 1561418
The result is a low nitrate consentration , even though the tank is quite overcrowded.
View attachment 1561420
Average nitrate reading below, I usually test nitrate on the tank, once per week.
View attachment 1561419
It is no surpise that the eel is acting strange, elevated nitrates have been linked to chronic disease.
Some of the latest research below.

The recommended freshwater nitrate toxicity guidelines are:,Guideline Type Grading
Nitrate concentration (mg NO3-N /L)

Surveillance Nitrate (mg NO3-N /L)


Description of Management Class
Environment which are measurably degraded and which have seasonally
elevated concentrations for significant periods of the year (1-3 months).
Acute 20 30 Environments which are significantly, degraded.
Probable chronic effectsn on multiple species.

My tank is 8 ft and the sump is 6 feet so I’ll definitely try getting some lights for the sump and loading it with plants. And fortunately I have a carport in my backyard that is metal so clean water runs off the side of it. I’m going to line up all my 5 gallon buckets under it when it rains and then dump them in my 55 gal drum as they fill. And I agree, the eel is usually very calm and hardly moves until I feed the tank so I knew something was up when he was swimming around the tank. He seems ok for now but still looks like he is almost trying to scratch his head on his tail or something every once in a while. But thankfully his behavior caught my attention before the other fish started to be affected

 

[Dsoars]

Yes a PVC tube collects surface water, allowing roof grit to settle out.

Another strategy to use in combating elevated nitrate, is the use of heavily planted sumps
Because my tank are cichlid heavy ( plant eaters),
I maintain separate heavily planted sumps, so use an extra 6 ft planted sump attached to the main cichlid tank,that use nirate as fast as it is generated.
The sump below.
View attachment 1561418
The result is a low nitrate consentration , even though the tank is quite overcrowded.
View attachment 1561420
Average nitrate reading below, I usually test nitrate on the tank, once per week.
View attachment 1561419
It is no surpise that the eel is acting strange, elevated nitrates have been linked to chronic disease.
Some of the latest research below.

The recommended freshwater nitrate toxicity guidelines are:,Guideline Type Grading
Nitrate concentration (mg NO3-N /L)

Surveillance Nitrate (mg NO3-N /L)


Description of Management Class
Environment which are measurably degraded and which have seasonally
elevated concentrations for significant periods of the year (1-3 months).
Acute 20 30 Environments which are significantly, degraded.
Probable chronic effectsn on multiple species.

What are some plants you recommend? I have Pothos and just picked up some lucky bamboo, ferns, and might try spider plant

 

[danotaylor]

Since you're in FL, you could pump well water into 275 or 330 gal IBC totes, or a kiddies pool, outdoors and use duck weed for the nitrate removal. Duck weed is amazing at nutrient removal and even removes heavy metals. A very versatile plant, and if you have chickens you can feed to over growth to them...

 

[duanes]

Agree
Whatever plant that works well in your situation can be used.
I have filled shallow overhead sumpa with duckweed, and salvinia.

Above tank tank shallow sumps with duckweed (left) with water Hyacinth rght (above right)
Below tank sumps with Crtyptocorne

Crypts above, and the same sump during a water change (right)
For me, its whatever grows best for the sitiation.

Above Papyrus (Umbrella palm) above tank sump a window box
Below, Daiffenbachia bare root, emergient above the sumps water surface, just roots hanging below the water line

What ever plant grows, and sucks up nitrate, with the light provided, is the rght plant.