Does well water kill fish?

Question

The local pet store owner told me that I shouldn't use well water in our aqaurium. We've had fish die, but a couple that have lived for a few years. Does anyone know if well water is safe for our fish?

Answer 1

Well water in and of itself is not bad for the fish at all. What is bad it rapid changes in water. Your well water maybe significantly different from the tap water the shop uses and this rapid change could kill fish. Also, the water chemistry in some wells can change radically during a year. Monitor the pH and nirtrates of your well water regularly for sudden changes due to weather, draught, or other things you might not even be aware of.

MM

Answer 2

I agree with most of these answers, and personally dealing with well water in my own home, my fish seem to do okay if you slowly change the water. If you buy the purified water like someone else on here sugested then slowly add well water then usually the fish do okay. However, as was also previously stated, a lot depends on what is in your water. You should monitor pH and Nitrate levels if you are really concerned. Usually you can get pH test kits at a pet store or water specializing stores (ex. garden pond stores).. Also we have had more success with using well water in a tank that runs and sits for about a week or two before fish are put into it. It seems to give the tank a chance to balance and stay at safe levels for the fish without having to mess with slowly changing the water. I also recomend using a carbon filter setup to help keep these levels more constant.

Answer 3

This all depends on your well water. My parents have it and we had mixed results. My father has a freshwater tank and has generally had an over population problem with fish so I guess I'd say it works well for them. I started a marine tank and could only keep hardier fish alive. My anenomes and butterfly fish never lasted very long until I started getting city water from a friends house. NOTE: My parents water has a noticeable sulfur smell (rotten eggs) so maybe the sulfur was too high for more the sensitive fish.

Answer 4

I would treat the water just to be on the safe side just because that is what the fish are "used to" in the pet store and where they were bread.

Answer 5

id depends on what fish you have if the fishes are marine dont even think about it,,,if it is freshwater good this is the best water to rear the fishes you dont need to add salts which normal tap water requires i myself have 20 golds and 8 angels doing well for past 2 years using well water i think there is no harm in it

Answer 6

Overall I agree with MM, but Suspendor also brings up a good point. Are there farms around you that may use fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, etc. that could get into the groundwater? Do you know if the bedrock in your area slopes from any farms toward your well (a USDA soil service office or county extension office should be able to help you with this is you don't know).

Answer 7

Well water can contain a lot of heavy metals that are not good for fish at all. Unless you have a filtering system I wouldn't suggest using well water.

Good luck.
E.

Answer 8

I have been using it for years.
Nobodies belly up. I guess
it depends on the water. It
can be really hard at times.
You have no way to know
what gets in it. I use a double
charcoal filter system.
Maybe you can get it tested.

Answer 9

It depends on what's in that water. Wells are notorious. They can be very clean, or they can be downright dangerous. Have the water tested, if only for your OWN safety and peace of mind.

Answer 10

No...does the water from your house come from well? If so and your tank is small, I would purchase gallons of purified water from the store.