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Water Quality Information


Finbert
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I use seachem safe. It's like prime but a concentrated powder. Works out to be a cheaper route. But getting back to your original question, no, chloramine is a stable compound, it will stay in the water for weeks. That's why they use it.

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  • 1 month later...

Is the spring run-off / flooding in my area having an effect on the amount of cholrine concentration flowing from my tap?

I am noticing a lovely 'swimming pool smell' even when filling the sink lately.

Would this necessitate extra water conditioner ?

Am I imagining things ?

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  • 2 months later...

Seasonal fluctuations in the water going into the system require adjustments and yes, spring run off is usually met with higher concentrations of additives by the city. I know Edmonton and Calgary both post online their daily water readings so I would call your water provider and ask if they have a similar thing. Or even just ask what the concentration of chlorine is for today. That'll give you a pretty good idea of what dose adjustments should be made. While you've got someone on the phone, clarify if they use chlorine or chloramine as well.

They may not like you calling every day, but if you drop a line once in a while I'm sure they'll appreciate the contact. Can't imagine too many people call the chemist at the water treatment plant... seems like it may be a bit of a lonely occupation to me.

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Calgary water is hard and alcaline, to put it mildly. No amount of peat moss seem to be able to correct it. I thought my method of acidifying it and at the same time reducing temporary hardness (KH) might interest people.

I add 3 full teaspoons of Seachem Acid Buffer to a 40 gal bin of tap water. (the amount has been figured out experimentally) http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/AcidBuffer.html

At this point the pH drops below 6.0. This is expected. With such low concentrations the chemical reaction will take time and pH reading is misleading - most of free H+ ions triggering the reading have not yet reacted with the carbonates in tap water. Then I run air through the water to speed up the reaction. Warming it up helps too. Within a few hours the pH bounces to above 6.0; within a day to ~6.4 and in a couple of days it reaches ~6.8 and then it stays there. The KH is about 2. The GH is about 7.

The balance is pretty fragile: make it 3.5 teaspoons and the pH will remain below 6.0. Make it 2.5 and the pH will bounce back above 7.0.

By now I have done this tens of times and it works fine for me. Before I found the balance I needed to either add a bit of the buffer or to add a couple of gallons of water and leave it for another day or two.

The Seachem's suggestion to put the buffer straight into the tank I do not agree with - the fluctuations of pH will be huge - I don't think your fishes will like it.

Lastly, there exist seasonal fluctuations of hardness, but they are gradual and slow. You will notice them from water change to water change and slightly adjust the amount of buffer. It is 3 teaspoons now, but it was 2 and 1/2 in July.

Edited by Znaika
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  • 1 year later...

Unsure of general hardness out here in Medicine Hat but must be like liquid rock. Tried to adjust the ph in my tap water over the weekend; after five progressively stronger dosings managed to get ph down to 7.4from 7.8 and it's holding but to convert to dosing my 36g tank it would take about 100ml of api's 9.6 % sulphuric acid to get it there let alone down to neutral

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Pretty sure I could get stronger acids, work for veg packing plant and greenhouse grower supply out here, but would it be safe for the critters to even attempt and it would only last til next WC. Like you say just have to live with 7.8. Found it hard to believe "greenhouse capital" has such horrid water

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  • 2 years later...

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