My Water Source Parameters

[SilverB]

Hi Everyone

I'm looking to build my empty nano (21 litre/5 gallon) into a potential shrimp tank. I'm looking to set up something simple so I can work on some core skills in the fish keeping world.

I took a look at my local water provider and the stats they have on the water in my area. The key ones I picked out were:
Water Hardness: Hard 254 ppm
Ammonium (NH4): 0.17 ppm
Chloride: 51.1 ppm
Nitrate (NO3): 33.6 ppm
Nitrite (NO2): 0.02 ppm

Based on the above, I'm thinking it would be best for me to use RO water and remineralise with a shrimp specific solution if I head for Shrimps, but I also wanted to ask if the amount of Nitrate here could have been a contributing factor the amount of challenges I had with algae when this tank was previously set up (note I was not using CO2 either so that wasn't helping!).

Thanks!

 

[seangee]

You could just mix 2 parts RO with 1 part tap water then you would not need to re-mineralise.

 

[Essjay]

Chloride: 51.1 ppm

Just to point out that this is chloride not chlorine. ChloriDe is not harmful whereas chloriNe is.

 

[SilverB]

You could just mix 2 parts RO with 1 part tap water then you would not need to re-mineralise.

Thanks for this. I had considered it, but part of me wants to have a clean slate when it comes to water. Maybe I'm convincing myself that it will be the answer to everything, but I'm really keen to do things as right or well as I possibly can.

Just to point out that this is chloride not chlorine. ChloriDe is not harmful whereas chloriNe is.

Thanks for this too. I purposefully shared Chloride as I imagined that it might have more of a direct impact on the level of water hardness (and potentially other things I don't know about). The Chlorine in my source water is trace levels.

I tried to find some indications on Silicons, Carbonates and Phosphates but didn't have any success in that department.

But - if I were to use the source water as it is (with a de-chlorinater of course) would I be correct in my understanding that it would be a bit too hard for shrimps and tropicals? For optimum environments in any case? I'm not sure of the impact on plants to be honest.

 

[Essjay]

Chloride is not measured as part of hardness. GH is a measure of mainly calcium and some magnesium with trace amounts of other divalent metal ions. It does impact plant health though.

At 254 ppm, it is too hard for a lot of nano fish. You might get away with a few male endlers, but fish like the various Boraras species need soft water. It is at the top end of the hardness needed by cherry shrimps so they might be do-able. Amano shrimps are OK at this hardness, though they don't breed in fresh water (the larvae need salt water to survive) Green babaulti shrimp are OK as well.

 

[hansgruber7]

I had a similar problem except that the ammonia in my water source was much higher than yours (05. ppm). I went with RO and it has been great. My fish are healthier and algae is lower. It's a little tricky to get navigate remineralizing, etc, but it's doable. You just have to do a lot of testing at the early stages to make sure it's right.

 

[SilverB]

Chloride is not measured as part of hardness. GH is a measure of mainly calcium and some magnesium with trace amounts of other divalent metal ions. It does impact plant health though.

Thanks essjay - appreciate it. I'm still getting a bit confused with all of the components at the moment!

I had a similar problem except that the ammonia in my water source was much higher than yours (05. ppm). I went with RO and it has been great. My fish are healthier and algae is lower. It's a little tricky to get navigate remineralizing, etc, but it's doable. You just have to do a lot of testing at the early stages to make sure it's right.

I'm really looking to going to RO, if only to have a clean slate to work with. What do you use to re-mineralise? I've seen a few things around, but as with anything, lots of mixed opinions!

 

[seangee]

Thanks essjay - appreciate it. I'm still getting a bit confused with all of the components at the moment!



I'm really looking to going to RO, if only to have a clean slate to work with. What do you use to re-mineralise? I've seen a few things around, but as with anything, lots of mixed opinions!

This is what I use https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06Y5QZBTL/?tag=
Dissolves easily, you only need one product and the mixture is consistent so your water always comes out exactly the same. Shop around, you can often find better prices than Amazon. One teaspoon (measuring spoon supplied) in 10 litres of water. A 750g tub lasts me well over a year doing 75% weekly changes in a 15G - I use 3 scoops a week for 30 litres.

 

[SilverB]

This is what I use https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06Y5QZBTL/?tag=
Dissolves easily, you only need one product and the mixture is consistent so your water always comes out exactly the same. Shop around, you can often find better prices than Amazon. One teaspoon (measuring spoon supplied) in 10 litres of water. A 750g tub lasts me well over a year doing 75% weekly changes in a 15G - I use 3 scoops a week for 30 litres.

Thanks Seangee, that's helpful - do you have a shrimp tank or would that product work well for fish as well?

I'll need to have a think about the quantities, since the tank I have will be <5 gallons planted, I'll probably only be taking out 1-2 litres a change. I'm assuming I can't remineralise, say, a bucket of water, to use over the course of a month - I'm sure still, stagnant water won't be very good either?

 

[seangee]

Thanks Seangee, that's helpful - do you have a shrimp tank or would that product work well for fish as well?

I'll need to have a think about the quantities, since the tank I have will be <5 gallons planted, I'll probably only be taking out 1-2 litres a change. I'm assuming I can't remineralise, say, a bucket of water, to use over the course of a month - I'm sure still, stagnant water won't be very good either?

I have shrimp and fish in that tank. The plants are thriving too. In my case the recommended dosage is perfect and gives me dGH 6 and dKH 3.
For 5G 10 litres would be my WC volume, but I guess you could use a 5l bucket and half a scoop.

 

[hansgruber7]

I should caution that I am not an expert, but I have been using Seachem Equilibrium and everything seems to be going well for months now.