Becca
Members
We are looking at buying a new house - if I love my fish and want more, thousands and thousands of gallons more, should this be a deal breaker?
mchambers
Former CCA member
Not necessarily. Will depend on the well water parameters. The parameters may suggest that you keep certain types of fish. In brief, African lake fish prefer/need hard water; South American fish typically prefer/need soft water. Central Americans tend to be in the middle.
In any event, you won't need dechlorinator.
In any event, you won't need dechlorinator.
jonclark96
Past CCA President
I'm on well water now. I'm running 700 gallons, doing 50% water changes weekly and haven't had any issues or concerns with running the well dry. The biggest pain is that your water pressure doesn't compare to city water. I can drain my 12 tanks upstairs in less than 25 minutes, but it takes 90 minutes to fill them back up.
I'm not sure if it is possible to find out what a well is rated for in terms of gallons per hour or gallons per day. Theoretically, as long as it rains, you shouldn't run out of water.
I'm not sure if it is possible to find out what a well is rated for in terms of gallons per hour or gallons per day. Theoretically, as long as it rains, you shouldn't run out of water.
QuarterMiler
Members
I'm on a well here. I love it because there is nothing for me to worry about. It comes out naturally hard with a pH of about 8, so I use no additives or conditioners. And no farmland nearby(farm runoff can cause high nitrates from fertilizers). I'm also maintaining upwards of 700 gallons. Minimum 50% weekly water changes, usually more though, like 60-70%. Never an issue. I would ask how deep the well is also. One of my neighbors had to switch to city because hers was just too shallow. Mine is down about 125 feet.
msjinkzd
invert junkie
i have a well 
. That being said, I have to do some water changes each day, rather than a marathon day out of courtesy to my family (they like to bath and be able to use the bathroom)
. That being said, I have to do some water changes each day, rather than a marathon day out of courtesy to my family (they like to bath and be able to use the bathroom)
Becca
Members
I love it! I especially love the "man cave" chair since my husband is convinced that the basement in a new place will be his designated hidey hole...
Jefft
Members
It is a sad day for mankind when women folk begin laying claim to the basement and man caves. Is nothing sacred anymore?
Becca
Members
Avatar
Plenipotentiary-at-large
DougGosnell
Members
Be sure to test the water. I am on a well and bordered by many farms. The nitrates are off the chart, well over 100ppm and I actually have to cut the tests with distilled to even get that approximation. I ended up building a 98 gallon "aquaripure" type setup as even out of the RO it was still over 10ppm.
Hope all works for you.
Hope all works for you.
dogofwar
CCA Members
Avatar
Plenipotentiary-at-large
EPA's position on safe nitrate levels
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of nitrate as nitrogen (NO3-N) at 10 mg/L (or 10 parts per million) for the safety of drinking water. Nitrate levels at or above this level have been known to cause a potentially fatal blood disorder in infants under six months of age called methemoglobinemia or "blue-baby" syndrome; in which there is a reduction in the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood. The symptoms of blue-baby syndrome can be subtle and often confused with other illnesses. An infant with mild to moderate blue-baby syndrome may have diarrhea, vomiting, and/or be lethargic. In more serious cases, infants will start to show obvious symptoms of cyanosis: the skin, lips or nailbeds may develop a slate-gray or bluish color and the infant could have trouble breathing. A sample of the infant’s blood can easily confirm a diagnosis of blue-baby syndrome. It is difficult to determine the true incidence of blue-baby syndrome in Washington State because it is not a reportable disease.
Others at risk from excess nitrates in drinking water are:
Pregnant women
Individuals with reduced gastric acidity, and
Individuals with a hereditary lack of methemoglobin reductase.
In addition, some health studies have suggested that exposure to high levels of nitrates could lead to some forms of cancer, but results are inconclusive.
If the nitrates are that high then there's a distinct likelihood that there are other potentially even more dangerous things in the water associated with agriculture - pesticide and herbicide residues in particular leap to mind that pose a whole host of serious health impacts including neurological disorders, endocrine disruption, etc. - pretty much just the worst kind of damage (often enduring) to bodily systems/function. This is the much vaunted "better living through chemicals" coming full circle. You should absolutely consider your water unhealthful if not in fact toxic until remediated/proven otherwise and invest in a serious purification unit. The nitrates are almost surely a consequence of fertilizer use, but there are far far worse/more toxic compounds in common use on American farms. "Stewards of the land" my a**.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of nitrate as nitrogen (NO3-N) at 10 mg/L (or 10 parts per million) for the safety of drinking water. Nitrate levels at or above this level have been known to cause a potentially fatal blood disorder in infants under six months of age called methemoglobinemia or "blue-baby" syndrome; in which there is a reduction in the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood. The symptoms of blue-baby syndrome can be subtle and often confused with other illnesses. An infant with mild to moderate blue-baby syndrome may have diarrhea, vomiting, and/or be lethargic. In more serious cases, infants will start to show obvious symptoms of cyanosis: the skin, lips or nailbeds may develop a slate-gray or bluish color and the infant could have trouble breathing. A sample of the infant’s blood can easily confirm a diagnosis of blue-baby syndrome. It is difficult to determine the true incidence of blue-baby syndrome in Washington State because it is not a reportable disease.
Others at risk from excess nitrates in drinking water are:
Pregnant women
Individuals with reduced gastric acidity, and
Individuals with a hereditary lack of methemoglobin reductase.
In addition, some health studies have suggested that exposure to high levels of nitrates could lead to some forms of cancer, but results are inconclusive.
If the nitrates are that high then there's a distinct likelihood that there are other potentially even more dangerous things in the water associated with agriculture - pesticide and herbicide residues in particular leap to mind that pose a whole host of serious health impacts including neurological disorders, endocrine disruption, etc. - pretty much just the worst kind of damage (often enduring) to bodily systems/function. This is the much vaunted "better living through chemicals" coming full circle. You should absolutely consider your water unhealthful if not in fact toxic until remediated/proven otherwise and invest in a serious purification unit. The nitrates are almost surely a consequence of fertilizer use, but there are far far worse/more toxic compounds in common use on American farms. "Stewards of the land" my a**.
It is relatively easy to make soft water hard, but much more difficult to make hard water soft.
zackcrack00
Members
I use well water and my cichlids spawned in it.
jonclark96
Past CCA President
Not all well water is created equal. It's all about where you are and what is feeding into the local water table.
I also have well water. It is relatively neutral pH wise, but hard as a rock. Not bad for central americans. Tough on the ones used to soft, acidic water.
DougGosnell
Members
My well is 140 hardness and almost all of that is nitrate. Nothing but clay once you get about 6 feet down. I thought the EPA made the water companies issue alerts at 3ppm but who knows. I do know that when I went to a local wastewater treatment plant in a nearby town they said they release back into the stream at 1ppm or less which is pretty remarkable considering what they have to process. They also said the much bigger ones release at 0 and have no issue getting there. I used so bacteria we harvested to get my nitrate filter seeded and it worked great. There are areas like mine where the nitrate in groundwater is well above what is considered safe, but there is really nothing that can be done. I would think almost everyone out here thinks their well is ok when in fact it is not.
Jmoore
Members
I don't know, but my parents are Realtors... Haha
Avatar
Plenipotentiary-at-large
Being a victim is often a choice
That's almost never true, but the solutions almost always rely on people taking a stand rather than just taking it. There's the legislatures, the EPA, the courts, and the ever-available court of public opinion. Farming is probably one if not the most unregulated concern on the planet, but the fact remains that if heavy nitrate use above ground is decreased/eliminated the water tables will purge themselves and the groundwater will revert back to being "pure" or at least to the extent that some other industry isn't busy contaminating it.
This is the third millennium - if you can imagine it and you/enough people really want it, it's a pretty good bet that you can do/have it. Thus do I imagine.
That's almost never true, but the solutions almost always rely on people taking a stand rather than just taking it. There's the legislatures, the EPA, the courts, and the ever-available court of public opinion. Farming is probably one if not the most unregulated concern on the planet, but the fact remains that if heavy nitrate use above ground is decreased/eliminated the water tables will purge themselves and the groundwater will revert back to being "pure" or at least to the extent that some other industry isn't busy contaminating it.
This is the third millennium - if you can imagine it and you/enough people really want it, it's a pretty good bet that you can do/have it. Thus do I imagine.
