well water in VA

HI,
After hauling several hundred gallons of water around and reviewing the cost of buying a decent ro/di system I decided to do research on well water being I have a shallow well for watering plants,
I have pulled 5 gal in a bottle to allow precip and aging.
I went to a rather well written forum about several wells in tidewater, VA beach, that discusses water issues with shallow wells and read all the major ingredients. ( note some wells in FLA have high nitrites and organo phos due to excessive farming contamination.)
here are some
Calcium carbonate and Sodium carbonate, mag, Cl, and others.
now myonly concern is iron its pretty high around 3,800 to 23,000 depending on you water .
I have reviewed a well written article about Hydrogen Sulfide using up iron as it convert to a harmless insulable mineral in you dsb.
I may buy an iron kit and test my water as I add well water watch my inverts and see how quickly the DSB precip/ chelate's the iron out of the water.
Hey it beat lugging 5 gal jugs.
And the ca/mag could be a plus in the water.
And iron is used to chelate phos too.
so we will see.
If the crabs look pissed or the anemone start barfing I'll run for some ro/DI
I ve notice that many people have their own ways to add water some have zero problems with even tap why not try well.
Article on iron oxide chelate's.
Iron Oxide Hydroxide (GFO) Phosphate Binders by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
and another on DSB and the removal of hydrogen sulfate by iron in solution
Hydrogen Sulfide and the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

I'll try and keep a diary.

 

first pour off

Hi,
well we added 2.5 gals of well water to the sump,
water clouded alittle and then went clear in about an hour,
must have precip out or dissolved that calcium,
plants look greener and the shrimp seem hungry,
day 1.
Doug

 

I have been using well water for my tanks as well with no side effects. I even used water from our creek to fill my 210g. I live in western va. and was concerned about minerals in our well as the water can taste quite strong at times. After 9 months of well water, my reef tank is crystal clear with no algae problems and my corals are thriving. The cost of an ro/di unit is not in my budget and I knew I was taking risks using the well but, luck has been on my side and my tanks look fantastic. Hope your luck is as good as mine.

 

Well you would not get away with the water in Chesterfield or Henrico Co area's with a shallow well. Or any area nearer to Richmond

 

I added about 2.5 gals

Hi,
I added about 2.5 gals and the water was pretty milky for about 20 mins then crystal clear, that calium went into solution and the iron into the dsb probably bound more of the hyrdorgen sulfite into a ironsufite thats very stable. ca 550, mag 1340,phos -.1 all other's within normal limits.

Doug

 

Lets hope so.. My daughter and her Husband live near to Bottoms bridge and I gave them a tank its the one I have here now. Well they ran a R/O and let it go unserviced on well water and the Rocks where so full of Phosphates and minerals Its been almost 10 months and I change the Ferric oxide in the reactor weekly at double the amount needed and a metal sponge polymer in another reactor and recharge that biweekly and tonight was the first time I got a good PO4 reading.. The County supplied water in Sandston Near Byrd airport is so loaded with sulfur you can't drink it for the rotten egg small ): a community well feeds that area. You must have a deep bored well like 200 ft maybe ???