# Moving into a house



## Guest (Nov 9, 2008)

What's up everyone? I am going to be moving into a house soon and it has well water. I just want to know what life is like with well water. What would I do If the water has nitrates, and what are some other possible problems I could face with well water? Also how would I fix them. Oh, I am not sure if we are going to get a water softener or if the house has one, but how would a water softener effect my tank? Thanks for helping me out.


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer (Aug 22, 2006)

I've heard well water is good for a freshwater aquarium and you wont have to use conditioner and such


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## Guest (Nov 9, 2008)

speakyourmind said:


> I've heard well water is good for a freshwater aquarium and you wont have to use conditioner and such


I heard this too, now I can buy more food... for this fish of course. I just hope there isnt any ammonia or other crap. Oh, this isn't really for the fish but, where can i get my water checked for everythng? I mean everything because there are some places that got contaminated by big business's and the water has radioactive crap, lead, and other random toxic waste.


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## Ægir (Jan 21, 2006)

Simply ask the owner of the house for a water test... if they have already had it done you will get a printout of every trace metal and such, and if not request that they pay for one before you move in... i have a well at my house also, and the only time you should really have to worry about Nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia is a large runoff in the spring, full of dead or decaying plant matter and such, but even then it should be untraceable... if you have soft water, you need to find a faucet thats not softened (outside the house typically) or add a valve you you can fill your topoff water BEFORE the softener... Its been some time from taking chemistry, but i think the salt in softeners (removes calcium ions and replaces with sodium) causes massive fluctuation in PH which can be stressful...


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## Plowboy (Apr 9, 2008)

I think skunkbud pretty much covered it.

All the water softeners ever used at my parents place only ran once or twice every month, but the water there wasn't very hard at all. So you just had to give the tap water a quick taste before you changed water. If it tasted like salt then you just have to wait a couple hours and then fill, or run a couple loads of laundry or dishes before you refill. This only works if your don't have a softener that's on all the time! If its on all the time you'll never taste the salt because it won't be in high enough concentrations

A faucet plumbed in before the softener would be the safest route tho

Also if the house doesn't have one your probably going to want to put one in. It helps keep the pipes clean, and it makes cleaning a lot easier no matter if its dishes, laundry or your own hair.

Sorry i couldn't help more!


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## Guest (Nov 9, 2008)

Yeah... i can't really ask the owners of the house because it's bank owned. I have no clue how wells work, i didn't know the water chemistry could change like that. Thanks for the help, I will make sure my mom get a non softened faucet next to the tank now.


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## Canso (Jun 19, 2005)

I'm on well water
the only problem I have is my ph8.2, but the fish are fine with it.
reverse osmosis is also a possibility.


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## Guest (Nov 9, 2008)

Canso said:


> I'm on well water
> the only problem I have is my ph8.2, but the fish are fine with it.
> reverse osmosis is also a possibility.


 i would have to buffer my water if i had a R/O system right?


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## Canso (Jun 19, 2005)

yes you would need to play with it untill you get the correct results.

maybe a 50/50 mix with tap and RO water with some slight buffer to keep it consistant.

you would be surprised at what they can adapt to, this would only be if the water is extremly bad.

my vote would be just using your tap water the way it is.


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## Guest (Nov 9, 2008)

Canso said:


> yes you would need to play with it untill you get the correct results.
> 
> maybe a 50/50 mix with tap and RO water with some slight buffer to keep it consistant.
> 
> ...


that probalbly what i am going to do, i will just check the hardness and all the other stuff.


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

Water softeners run through a ton of sodium which isnt recommended for fresh water fish keeping. You can always bypass the softener for your water changes if necessary. You may not need a softener depending on the pH. I have well water here in the Pocono Mts., and all I can say it is better than any other water I have tried including NYC water which comes from the Catskills. I have 3dkH and a pure 7.0 pH. I can only speak for myself but for Piranha hobby my water couldnt be better for maybe higher kH would be nice. I never heard of nitrates in well water before so idk.


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## Ægir (Jan 21, 2006)

Wittlestguy said:


> Yeah... i can't really ask the owners of the house because it's bank owned. I have no clue how wells work, i didn't know the water chemistry could change like that. Thanks for the help, I will make sure my mom get a non softened faucet next to the tank now.


Actually, you can ask the bank and they are required by law to give it to you, or go down to your city hall and ask... before a well can be used it HAS to be tested, and they keep all that stuff on record... worth a few minutes of your time to call even

And typically outside faucets arent softened, its a waste of the salt so unless the origional plumber was a DA, or the softener was added later in the life of the house and feeds the entire water system, you could just go outside for your water...


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## Guest (Nov 9, 2008)

Dr.G your water sounds to be pretty good. Mine here is like 7.2-7.4, so its alright. I can't wait until I move in now, this is off topic but i was thinking of replacing my tank and getting a properly built one. That is good news though, thanks for all the info. I will call the bank or go to city hall to check my water for kH levels aswell since I dont have a tester for that.


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## Guest (Nov 13, 2008)

ok bad news, i just found out that every water source in the house is softened. the only one that isnt softened isn't heated. so how would i be able to water changes? when I go to see the house I will check out the plumbing. If this doesn't work I will have to sell my fish, so don't be surprised if you see some caribas for sale.
I just went and googled water softener bypass, i got this site Click Here , it shows a picture of how most water softeners are setup. Can I go throught the bypass valve so hard water flows to the water heater, then do a load of dishes and laundry so I can get rid of the softened water to do a water change?


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## stackbrickz (Feb 22, 2008)

just add the cold water? or get a large tub and have it sit for a day with a heater in it.


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## CichlidAddict (Jul 1, 2005)

I have well water and I just do water changes right out of the tap (after the softener). I've never had a problem with any nitrates or pH fluctuations. I've never lost a fish due to water changes and they're all healthy and colorful.
I personally don't think softened water hurts fish at all. Maybe mine are just tougher than average fish.


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## Guest (Nov 13, 2008)

I dont know how I will add cold water at first when the tank gets over there. I will have too keep my fish in a bucket for a while before I put them in the tank. I am not sure if i want to find out if the fish can live through the softened.


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## Ægir (Jan 21, 2006)

Well i used softened water for topoff ONCE because i was too lazy to go outside ... My Ph skyrocketed and killed my 5" rhom i had raised from around 1/2"... Granted i was using CO2 and it was a planted tank, which creates even more possibilities to create fun things that are highly acidic, and if you had a small stray current from a power head or heater you are creating hydrogen... you now have all the building blocks for most corrosive acids in your fish tank, its only a matter of time before proportions are correct...

If you are going to take the time to purge the water heater and crap every time, take 20 minutes and shut the water supply off to the softener, just after that valve add another you can put a hose on, and attach it back together... you now have an un softened source of water inside... or fill a bucket outside 24 hours ahead of time and let it sit inside with a heater like i did for 3 or 4 years


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## Guest (Nov 14, 2008)

Skunkbudfour20 said:


> Well i used softened water for topoff ONCE because i was too lazy to go outside ... My Ph skyrocketed and killed my 5" rhom i had raised from around 1/2"... Granted i was using CO2 and it was a planted tank, which creates even more possibilities to create fun things that are highly acidic, and if you had a small stray current from a power head or heater you are creating hydrogen... you now have all the building blocks for most corrosive acids in your fish tank, its only a matter of time before proportions are correct...
> 
> If you are going to take the time to purge the water heater and crap every time, take 20 minutes and shut the water supply off to the softener, just after that valve add another you can put a hose on, and attach it back together... you now have an un softened source of water inside... or fill a bucket outside 24 hours ahead of time and let it sit inside with a heater like i did for 3 or 4 years


wow... too much work, anyone want my fish?.... haha. Could i just check the water from the tap, like the ph and what now and see if it would be safe for my fish? if so i need to know the safe ranges for the kH and other crap. i just thought, i have a 40 gallon tank, I can try heating it for 2 days then transfering the water... man that is soo much work though.


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## Ægir (Jan 21, 2006)

Wittlestguy said:


> Well i used softened water for topoff ONCE because i was too lazy to go outside ... My Ph skyrocketed and killed my 5" rhom i had raised from around 1/2"... Granted i was using CO2 and it was a planted tank, which creates even more possibilities to create fun things that are highly acidic, and if you had a small stray current from a power head or heater you are creating hydrogen... you now have all the building blocks for most corrosive acids in your fish tank, its only a matter of time before proportions are correct...
> 
> If you are going to take the time to purge the water heater and crap every time, take 20 minutes and shut the water supply off to the softener, just after that valve add another you can put a hose on, and attach it back together... you now have an un softened source of water inside... or fill a bucket outside 24 hours ahead of time and let it sit inside with a heater like i did for 3 or 4 years


wow... too much work, anyone want my fish?.... haha. Could i just check the water from the tap, like the ph and what now and see if it would be safe for my fish? if so i need to know the safe ranges for the kH and other crap. i just thought, i have a 40 gallon tank, I can try heating it for 2 days then transfering the water... man that is soo much work though.
[/quote]
heating a bucket of water doesnt take more than a few hours man... if i put in all the spare heaters i have 2- 100 w, 1 150w, and a 200w into my 20 gal storage bin for RO DI thats 38 deg out of the well... it only takes 4-6 hours to heat that to 78 ish... worst case scenario you have to wait overnight for your water to heat that you BRING IN FROM OUTSIDE OR BEFORE THE SOFTENER... or buy one big heater and do it in an hour... really it would take 60 seconds to install a valve depending on what kind of plumbing is in the house, copper would take a pro plumber, but pex or anything else could be done by you, in no time at all.... and the shutoffs will be within reach of the softener... done in half the time it takes to purge, or even test the PH and KH levels of your water

Kinda funny we just installed our water softener today... haha


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## Guest (Nov 14, 2008)

I think there is a bypass valve but isnt it straight from the well anyways? I thought the water flows like this, Well, then water softener, then heater. so wouldnt the water still be cold no matter if i put in a bypass valve?


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## Ægir (Jan 21, 2006)

Wittlestguy said:


> I think there is a bypass valve but isnt it straight from the well anyways? I thought the water flows like this, Well, then water softener, then heater. so wouldnt the water still be cold no matter if i put in a bypass valve?


yeah, but its in the house already, even sitting in a room the water will only take around 24 hours to heat to room temp... it just depends which is closer to your tank, outside faucet or the water heater... The bypass valve just diverts the water from the intake (well) to the output of the softener (your house)... if the softener output just goes to the heater, then only the hot water is softened and you could use the cold side of any faucet in your house


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## Guest (Nov 14, 2008)

Skunkbudfour20 said:


> I think there is a bypass valve but isnt it straight from the well anyways? I thought the water flows like this, Well, then water softener, then heater. so wouldnt the water still be cold no matter if i put in a bypass valve?


yeah, but its in the house already, even sitting in a room the water will only take around 24 hours to heat to room temp... it just depends which is closer to your tank, outside faucet or the water heater... The bypass valve just diverts the water from the intake (well) to the output of the softener (your house)... if the softener output just goes to the heater, then only the hot water is softened and you could use the cold side of any faucet in your house
[/quote]
i dont really know where i will keeo a honding tank though because the aquarium is going in my living room. I can either go from out side or the valve before the water hits the softener. How do you guy deal with high iron water though? Do chlorine removers take it out or is there a whole seperate thing for that?


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

Wittlestguy said:


> I think there is a bypass valve but isnt it straight from the well anyways? I thought the water flows like this, Well, then water softener, then heater. so wouldnt the water still be cold no matter if i put in a bypass valve?


yeah, but its in the house already, even sitting in a room the water will only take around 24 hours to heat to room temp... it just depends which is closer to your tank, outside faucet or the water heater... The bypass valve just diverts the water from the intake (well) to the output of the softener (your house)... if the softener output just goes to the heater, then only the hot water is softened and you could use the cold side of any faucet in your house
[/quote]
i dont really know where i will keeo a honding tank though because the aquarium is going in my living room. I can either go from out side or the valve before the water hits the softener. How do you guy deal with high iron water though? Do chlorine removers take it out or is there a whole seperate thing for that?

[/quote]
Thats good you brought up the iron. Personally i never even thought of that and may explain the stains left on my tanks, hood, lights,,etc... I need to test for that myself







Anyways I'm not sure if the presence of iron is bad for the fish per se, but will be a positive in a heavily planted aquarium. Yes, most conditioners do neutralize many metals including iron, AquaSafe for one.


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## Guest (Nov 17, 2008)

haha, my mom actually brought up the issue of iron, its good she did because i would have been mighty pissed if i could not find out why my stuff was turning orange. I should be getting plants some time, so I might not have to worry anyways. I still need to check out the house though. I will keep you guys posted.


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## Guest (Nov 26, 2008)

YOOOO, i already moved in but i dont have internet at my place yet so I am at school right now. The water was pretty nasty and yellow before I put my filters and stuff on the tank. I will get some pics up of how I moved the fish, all I can say is... it was pretty interesting.


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