Well water or SOFT well water?

Just revisiting my previous issues and decisions. 8) I have a clean well (mine only) that has no problems or contaminations EXCEPT high calcium (can't wash the car with it or spots!). I run a quality water softener to remove the calcium. Which source would you use for your tank? :confused1

 

Have you had it tested by a lab? Our well water runs through Florida aquifers and is considered clean. However, there are nitrates and phosphates (farming, spray fields, septics etc.) in it and I am sure fine amounts of trace metals (which aren't necessarily bad for you).

I used well water on my softy tank and it did well, but the algae became unbearable to the point where I left the hobby for a year.

 

Yep! 8) Tested clean, no nitrates, phosphates, iron, or trace bad boys!;D

Which would you use? soft or high calcium? :

 

Well, probably soft if you're mixing in salt too. Hard calcium may cause it too remain quite high. Maybe make a gallon of each and see where your numbers are. Test alkalinity too.

 

I'm sorry, don't quite understand, are you saying the high calcium would make the salt content stay high? Sounds like a good thing

 

I was, but indirectly. I was saying that once you mix your salt in water with high calcium (if you mix it as instructed), you calcium level may be much higher than it will be if you mix it as directed in RODI. Of course that effects your salt level too.

What I am pointing out is you may have to use less salt to get the proper calcium and salinity, which isn't a bad thing. But it also may push your calcium sky high.

I would test two batches (soft and hard) and see where your numbers lie.

 

COOL! 8) That makes sense. Any other issues with using soft water?

 

I would run the softened water through a RO/DI regardless of how clean you think the water may be. Todays modern sea salt mixes are blended to be used with RO/DI or distilled water so all levels, including calcium, are correct.

Do you have a copy of your actual lab analysis results, not just a verbal "all is good"? Coming from a water treatment background statements like that scare me. I like numbers for thinks like calcium, alkalinity, pH, iron, copper, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates, copper, phosphates, langlier index, hardness, total dissolved solids and so on.

Generally domestic wells have high mineral content so the calcium carbonate hardness can be high and not just from calcium and the TDS can be high. Great tasting water but not necessarily good for a reef tank.

 

I pretty much have given up doing a reef tank :-X I'm in the middle of a complete teardown right now due to an overwelming algie / slime / hatefull redleg crab, and a questionable emerald crab. The red leg ate all the mexican turbos (31 in all) and I think he has taught the emerald crab the same habits :-/ I don't have a lot of time to spend with the tank (retired) but love to watch it when I can. We're lucky to live in a mountanious area of southern Oregon where the only industry was logging. Water gets tested every 5 years or so and know (by written report) it's clean. My tribe of fish are living in a 32 gallon drum for the moment and they are anxous to get back into their home ;D I'm going back to a fine sand (siffted coral) and only a little over an inch deep

 

Where can you have your well water tested? I used well water on my nano years ago when it was up and it was a thriving mixed reef. New place now, still use well water, but my old place had lots of lime. This new place has more iron. I use an RO unit though. The last time I used RO/DI was in my nano and it went to hell fast. Always trying to make things better and I end up killing my whole tank that thrived for 4 years on well water.