Brine solution?

[Colin_T]

For everyone jumping on the band wagon, the OP is not just doing this because there is a trace of ammonia. There appears to be an issue with their water supply and we are hoping that by filtering the water through carbon and zeolite, we can remove any chemicals that might be killing her fish.

Having floating plants in the holding containers should remove the ammonia but if there are heavy metals or some sort of contaminant, it needs to be filtered with carbon before being added to the tank.

 

[cowgirluntamed]

Given these numbers, I think I might just use Prime as the water conditioner and not bother with any pre-filtering....and as mentioned, if it's a planted tank (especially fast growing floating plants), the ammonia would also be taken care of. Prime would bind the ammonia (48~hours) rendering it harmless until the bio-filter (or plants) can process it.
Granted your source water would not be 'as good' as nitrate free water, but it's low enough so that if you were to increase the frequency/volume of weekly water changes (over what might be done with nitrate free water) it should be fine.

What Colin said....lol. the filtering isn't just for the ammonia but possibly other things as well, just in case. I've been having lots of new fish deaths from an order from live aquaria. I think they probably came with something but the well water also seemed to be having weird issues. (During one 80% water change two glowlight tetras started acting weird and I tested for 0.50ppm ammonia....after the change). So just trying to cover all by bases. The fish I've had the longest are all doing well and all but the bristlenose was from petsmart.

For everyone jumping on the band wagon, the OP is not just doing this because there is a trace of ammonia. There appears to be an issue with their water supply and we are hoping that by filtering the water through carbon and zeolite, we can remove any chemicals that might be killing her fish.

Having floating plants in the holding containers should remove the ammonia but if there are heavy metals or some sort of contaminant, it needs to be filtered with carbon before being added to the tank.

Thanks Colin. I just pulled out another harlequin today. It was fine yesterday, dead today. So now one left. Cories in the same tank still seem to be fine.

 

[AbbeysDad]

Thanks for the clarification.
Prime would also address/neutralize heavy metals.
(I well know first hand the 'pain' of pre-filtering water due to high nitrates - I would have gladly adopted an easier alternative!)
Just curious - is the well water used for drinking, cooking, and/or bathing?

Footnote: I would try Prime during water changes, treating for the entire tank volume.

 

[AbbeysDad]

Also...Since Zeolite only removes ammonia, I would use API Nitra-Zorb as it removes ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. I have a lot of experience with Nitra-Zorb and it's long use life.
When I first proposed my idea of using the Tap Water Filter filled with Nitra-Zorb to API Tech Support. They said they didn't know if/how well it would work as the product had not been tested in that way. The pouches of product were intended for use in a filter. But they also indicated that the use life was shortened due to detritus coating the resin. But this is not the case in my filter, or what the OP is planning in fresh water tub/bins. I have been using the same Nitra-Zorb resin since 2/2013 and just keep recharging as necessary!

 

[cowgirluntamed]

Thanks for the clarification.
Prime would also address/neutralize heavy metals.
(I well know first hand the 'pain' of pre-filtering water due to high nitrates - I would have gladly adopted an easier alternative!)
Just curious - is the well water used for drinking, cooking, and/or bathing?

Footnote: I would try Prime during water changes, treating for the entire tank volume.

Yes, I was raised on this water and it's used for everything. Tastes great to us. Nobody has had any issues (people or animals). We are not next to any agriculture. My dad said the well is 400ft deep with the pipe going down around 100ft.

If I prefilter though, wouldn't prime be almost pointless?

Also...Since Zeolite only removes ammonia, I would use API Nitra-Zorb as it removes ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. I have a lot of experience with Nitra-Zorb and it's long use life.
When I first proposed my idea of using the Tap Water Filter filled with Nitra-Zorb to API Tech Support. They said they didn't know if/how well it would work as the product had not been tested in that way. The pouches of product were intended for use in a filter. But they also indicated that the use life was shortened due to detritus coating the resin. But this is not the case in my filter, or what the OP is planning in fresh water tub/bins. I have been using the same Nitra-Zorb resin since 2/2013 and just keep recharging as necessary!

I've got a big container of the zeolite but I will for sure keep this in mind though when it runs out! Might be worth it. I'm also hoping in the future to maybe distill some of my well water and soften it for my fish since I like soft water fish.....lol. it would give me more options too.

 

[AbbeysDad]

If I prefilter though, wouldn't prime be almost pointless?

My point was that (especially with your low test numbers) if you used Prime, you would likely not need to pre-filter water for water changes, From the Seachem site:

Prime® is the complete and concentrated conditioner for both fresh and saltwater. Prime® removes chlorine, chloramine and detoxifies ammonia. Prime® converts ammonia into a safe, non-toxic form that is readily removed by the tank’s biofilter. Prime® may be used during tank cycling to alleviate ammonia/nitrite toxicity. Prime® detoxifies nitrite and nitrate, allowing the biofilter to more efficiently remove them. It will also detoxify any heavy metals found in the tap water at typical concentration levels. Prime® is non-acidic and will not impact pH.

So it detoxifies ammonia, nitrites, nitrates AND heavy metals!

According to Marineland docs, the Zeolite you're using only deals with ammonia. But your well water also has nitrates and perhaps nitrites, and activated carbon is not very effective at removing heavy metals....so your pre-filtering isn't doing all that's really needed.

 

[cowgirluntamed]

My point was that (especially with your low test numbers) if you used Prime, you would likely not need to pre-filter water for water changes, From the Seachem site:

Prime® is the complete and concentrated conditioner for both fresh and saltwater. Prime® removes chlorine, chloramine and detoxifies ammonia. Prime® converts ammonia into a safe, non-toxic form that is readily removed by the tank’s biofilter. Prime® may be used during tank cycling to alleviate ammonia/nitrite toxicity. Prime® detoxifies nitrite and nitrate, allowing the biofilter to more efficiently remove them. It will also detoxify any heavy metals found in the tap water at typical concentration levels. Prime® is non-acidic and will not impact pH.

So it detoxifies ammonia, nitrites, nitrates AND heavy metals!

According to Marineland docs, the Zeolite you're using only deals with ammonia. But your well water also has nitrates and perhaps nitrites, and activated carbon is not very effective at removing heavy metals....so your pre-filtering isn't doing all that's really needed.

Thankfully I don't have any nitrites in the water. And I honestly thought carbon removed a lot from the water. I never did truly research it though. I always hated dosing prime and right now I can't remember how. Lol. I'm sure it could be figured out.

Though I do have some questions. You say to dose prime for the quantity of the entire tank? Not just for the new water added? Why is this? (I know some people do it that way and others just do for what they put it).

Also...plants.....how would I dose the liquid fert? Can it be done on the same day or does it have to be a different day? (I'm thinking different?) I'm using aquarium co-op easy green and just seachem root tabs. Though....I have plants in my 55 but haven't "planted" them yet! Lol.

And if I did decide to use the prime instead of prefiltering....I can always get use out of these trash cans by trying my hand at making distilled water! Lol.

 

[Colin_T]

Activated carbon will do a lot more to remove (via absorption) heavy metals dissolved in water (or air) than any water conditioner. And we're not even sure what is in the water besides what has been mentioned. Theoretically it should be clean considering where it is coming from but due to the number of fish losses we're assuming there is something else that has contaminated the water supply.

If activated carbon is not very effective at removing heavy metals then millions of people around the world are being ripped off when buying water & air filters because most of them contain activated carbon.

Try the carbon and zeolite for a month and see how things go. If it doesn't work then try something else.

 

[cowgirluntamed]

Activated carbon will do a lot more to remove (via absorption) heavy metals dissolved in water (or air) than any water conditioner. And we're not even sure what is in the water besides what has been mentioned. Theoretically it should be clean considering where it is coming from but due to the number of fish losses we're assuming there is something else that has contaminated the water supply.

If activated carbon is not very effective at removing heavy metals then millions of people around the world are being ripped off when buying water & air filters because most of them contain activated carbon.

Try the carbon and zeolite for a month and see how things go. If it doesn't work then try something else.

I'm still going to try the zeolite and carbon for sure. It's already set up for it.

As for the fish deaths.....I still think they came in with something. But the weird water tests did throw me off. So I'd rather be safe than sorry. I've had glowlight tetras before from petsmart that did really well, even without prefiltering the water like I'm trying now.

And my "older" fish still seemed fine with the water changes. The new cories seemed fine with the water changes. Just the tetras and rasboras were possibly not....but I'm wondering if that was only because they were already stressed from whatever they could have.

And the fact that maybe the pH change was hard to handle. (Going from 7.5ish straight from tap during water change and by next day going back to normal 8.2). That's another reason I don't mind filtering the water first. It will stop that from happening.

Anyway, tomorrow should hopefully be water change day. I will test the water in the cans before hand of course and make sure temps match.

(An FYI if you weren't following my other post. The tetras start going nose up or down, then start swimming funny like in their sides before going on their side on the bottom until they died. They also seemed a bit on the pale side. The harlequins, in another 10 gallon tank, are fine one day, dead the next.....but the 10 cories in that tank with them are fine.)

 

[seangee]

This is what I have. I use it as a pre-filter. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06WP7CQ5F/?tag=

(i.e. I filter the tap water into containers and then use those containers to fill the tank)

 

[cowgirluntamed]

This is what I have. I use it as a pre-filter. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06WP7CQ5F/?tag=

(i.e. I filter the tap water into containers and then use those containers to fill the tank)

I see what you mean. It's basically an empty RO filter that you add stuff to. Mine actually needs time for this ammonia stuff to work though. A couple of days is what I'm trying right now. But cool idea!

 

[cowgirluntamed]

Ok, test results from prefiltered water.

Ph- 8.2
GH- 13
KH- 13
Ammonia- under 0.25 but not quite yellow
Nitrite- 0
Nitrate- 5

So everything seems in a normal range that I was used to seeing a while ago. I need to wait one more day due to forgetting to put a heater in....lol. so I will retest ammonia tomorrow to see where it is at. Another tetra is swimming funny as well (remember, no water change for 2 weeks, just food added). Hopefully tomorrow I can add some salt to it after the water change.

 

[AbbeysDad]

Salt and elevated temperature is a cure for ick, but normally you don't want/need salt in the water (unless you have a brackish tank).

 

[NickAu]

Prime® converts ammonia into a safe, non-toxic
Prime® detoxifies nitrite and nitrate, allowing the biofilter to more efficiently remove them.

Prime will bind ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate for 24-48 hours. At which point, if they are still present, will be released.

 

[cowgirluntamed]

Salt and elevated temperature is a cure for ick, but normally you don't want/need salt in the water (unless you have a brackish tank).

Salt is like my last thing right now. I don't know what's wrong with them. They just keep dying.