Mont. Co tap water - is that the problem?

[treesprite]

Does anyone around my area (Gaithersburg Mont. Co) use tap water and experienced some serious problems lately?

 

I usually use RODI, but when my hand injuries were making things difficult, I was topping off with tap water - now suddenly I am wondering if that's why the majority of my zoas and palys stopped opening and have died off (I guess starvation 'cause they seem to have no disease). I'm not having any problem with SPS or LPS, or the clown tank's softies, just the zs & ps.

 

The apt complex where I live had some underground pipe problems here a couple times during the past couple months, when I was topping off with tap, so maybe there was something wrong because of that?

 

I want to replace my z's & p's, but think I will wait until I've done enough water changes to get rid of the tap water.

[Jon Lazar]

If you're correct and there are contaminants in your tank from the tap water, it will take a long time to remove them through routine water changes.

 

I would use carbon and a polyfilter instead for better results.

[treesprite]

If you're correct and there are contaminants in your tank from the tap water, it will take a long time to remove them through routine water changes.

 

I would use carbon and a polyfilter instead for better results.

I put new carbon in yesterday. What I don't really know is how often I should replace it - usually I leave it about a month, about a cup of carbon for a 100 gal system. I've got Black Diamond, Aqua Tech, and the stuff I put in yesterday is one of those large-sized Aqua Clear filter carbon pouches - not sure which is better but they're all supposed to not leach phosphate.

[tischdog32]

Im in Bethesda, and a cannister in my RODI unit cracked two weeks ago and Ive been topping off with water from the tap, and I have not seen any problems from it ... that being said, Id say maybe 15 of the 100 gallons my system has is tap water

[dshnarw]

The apt complex where I live had some underground pipe problems here a couple times during the past couple months, when I was topping off with tap, so maybe there was something wrong because of that?

 

Sounds like you know the source of your problem. Most likely some heavy metal contamination if there are metal pipes anywhere along that stretch. When water pipes are disturbed or replaced, they no longer have a slime coating of organics (aka lots of small organisms) that prevent the metals in the pipes from leaching into the water. It takes some time - probably on the order of a month or two - in order for the organic coating to build back up sufficiently.

[angel not fish]

the nitrate in MC tap water comes around 30-40. Be aware.

[treesprite]

the nitrate in MC tap water comes around 30-40. Be aware.

Where did you get that information?

[Hoyden]

the nitrate in MC tap water comes around 30-40. Be aware.

 

This made me curious so I tested the water that comes out of the tap at my house in Rockville this morning. It tested at 1 to 2.5 on a Salifert kit, Having said that I don't drink it and wouldn't use it in my fish tanks. I have used it for years in an African clawed frog tank with no problems - but I don't think I could kill those guys unless I tried hard:).

 

Jackie

[Jon Lazar]

I've had very high levels of nitrite in my tap water at times. I used carbon-filter tap water in my QT, and discovered the high nitrite when fish got sick and water changes made nitrite worse.