How to Treat Well Water in Aquarium

Hi,
My daughter (10) is setting up her first aquarium (10 gallons) for a single male betta. We just started the cycling process but I am not sure what we should be treating the water with since we are on a well. The pH is 7.6 and we have a UV light on the well to kill any pathogens as well as a water softener. Typically it is recommended to treat tap water with a dechlorinator but I am wondering if that step is necessary with well water? Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

Do you add chlorine or chloramine to the well water at any point? As I guess that's not the case this should answer your question.

 

Hi,
My daughter (10) is setting up her first aquarium (10 gallons) for a single male betta. We just started the cycling process but I am not sure what we should be treating the water with since we are on a well. The pH is 7.6 and we have a UV light on the well to kill any pathogens as well as a water softener. Typically it is recommended to treat tap water with a dechlorinator but I am wondering if that step is necessary with well water? Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I'm not sure if well water contains some minerals that are dangerous for your fish, but yes, buy some kind of dechlorinator from the pet store and use it every time you add new water to the tank. Skipping this step could kill your fish. Good luck with the tank!

 

I've pondered a similar question, my lawn sprinklers are on a well and I have a pump and a series of faucets for it. I could technically turn on the pump and fill my tank off the well instead of city water.

I suppose a step one would be to test the water for the basics, see if that falls in line, for sure it leaves the rust stains on the house where the sprinklers hit so it's probably high in Iron maybe magnesium, but I wonder about calcium ect....

Not sure I want high iron water in my tank..... I just use it for the grass, I won't put it in the pool and certainly don't drink it..... hmmmm. free water though... now I want to hit it with the test kit!

 

Yes, buy some kind of dechlorinator from the pet store and use it every time you add new well water to the tank. Skipping this step could kill your fish. Good luck with the tank!

Are you even aware what being on a well means?

 

Hm, I am on a private well with no additives. I just put the water straight into the tank. Fish and plants are great.

 

Hi,
My daughter (10) is setting up her first aquarium (10 gallons) for a single male betta. We just started the cycling process but I am not sure what we should be treating the water with since we are on a well. The pH is 7.6 and we have a UV light on the well to kill any pathogens as well as a water softener. Typically it is recommended to treat tap water with a dechlorinator but I am wondering if that step is necessary with well water? Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

First, bypass the water softener and then treat with any water conditioner that has EDTA. This is just a general safety precaution.

 

I dont treat my well water either. It definitely has a fair amount of iron and sulphur, and about 1ppm phosphates, and it is not killing my fish. Finding the right nutrient balance for plants is a bit tricky, thats all.

 

I don't treat my well water either, but we did have a test done when it was installed, so I know exactly what the trace element levels are (or were a year ago). I do highly recommend getting a test done, as (if nothing else) it gave me peace of mind when I started using it that everything would be alright, and it's also good to know that you are not drinking any toxic compounds...

 

I do highly recommend getting a test done

I agree, if you have a well, you have a lot of advantages, but all of them crumble to nothing if the groundwater has massive amounts of Nitrates or heavy metals in it.

 

Thx for the replies and advice. From my tap (well water that has gone through water softener and UV light) the readings are as follows:

pH - 7.6
Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - between 0-5ppm
How do those sound for starting points?

I test for total coliforms and E. Coli regularly. I am wondering if I should also test for trace minerals or if my water softener will take care of that itself?

 

I test for total coliforms and E. Coli regularly. I am wondering if I should also test for trace minerals or if my water softener will take care of that itself?

Your softener will remove minerals, important minerals like magnesium and calcium. So need to bypass it if possible.

 

I am wondering if I should also test for trace minerals or if my water softener will take care of that itself?

A water softener usually produces water not ideal for fish. The ratio of GH and KH is switched, water softener water is usually quite alkaline. Plus yes, the important minerals are mostly removed.
I would definitely do the one-time investment of a water analysis from a laboratory. For the treated and the untreated water from the well. I mean, you not only use it for the fish, you drink it, too. You should want to know what's in it. I would probably repeat the analysis every 2-3 years.

 

A water softener usually produces water not ideal for fish. The ratio of GH and KH is switched, water softener water is usually quite alkaline. Plus yes, the important minerals are mostly removed.
I would definitely do the one-time investment of a water analysis from a laboratory. For the treated and the untreated water from the well. I mean, you not only use it for the fish, you drink it, too. You should want to know what's in it. I would probably repeat the analysis every 2-3 years.

Thank you. We did an analysis 5 years ago when we moved to this property and will repeat it now. I can easily bypass my water softener which I will do, I’m just not sure if I will also be bypassing the UV light and if I am, If that will have any effects that could be harmful for my tank. Looking to get seriously into this hobby and want to learn as much as I can.