# city water compared to well water?



## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

I currently have city of Kingston water for my tanks and I might be moving in a few months and then be using well water.

Should I be extra careful acclimating fish to well water?

Also, is there much of a difference between city water and well water in general for plants? I assume well water probably has more minerals in it for the plants to use and therefore probably better. Anyone ever had the chance to compare a city water to well water before?

If I do move, the logistics of moving multiple tanks over an hour away will be a nightmare. But I just might be able to move a couple at a time to closer temporary locations to make things a little easier, but would then have to depend on others to care for those tanks.

At least all my fish can be combined into two groups, community and semi aggressive so at least I won't have too much trouble combining them into just a few tanks temporarily.


----------



## bob123 (Dec 31, 2009)

Yes there will be a difference between well water and city water, also the ph may be different. I found that the well water I was using had a greater amount of calcium in it and left more calcium on the glass tops. Some plants did very well with well water others not so good. My African cichlids did great with well water. As for moving fish tanks fish can endure a great deal if they are healthy such as being out of they tanks for twelve plus hours. When you move make sure you take time to acclimatize fish to well water, just like buying new fish. Good luck you can manage.


----------



## JNSN (Nov 4, 2013)

Makes me wonder, what about captured rain water? Anyone try?


----------



## george (Apr 11, 2009)

I live in Acton and the city uses well water. The PH is at 8.4 and I do get more calcium residue than most people which I have compared to. However, if you keep cichlids, that is great as they like hard water.

Captured rain water? That is very delicate as most of the time it will contain all the toxic stuff in the air. If you live in a remote area, you may have more luck but most people are against the practice. I am not saying it is not possible but you have to pay attention to what you are doing.


----------



## bob123 (Dec 31, 2009)

The big thing with rain water is not just the pollutants in the air but if you collect it from your roof it may contain pollutants from bird droppings and who knows what else.


----------



## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

Rain water has been used by many when really soft, mineral free water is needed, or wanted. There is lots of disagreement on it's safety because of the pollution in the atmosphere. I would use it but would collect it in the middle of a rain and probably run it through a carbon filter first.


----------



## george (Apr 11, 2009)

Bill, I am not sure if you can remove all the bad stuff the rain carries with carbon. All the smoke, gas pollution may not be absorbed by it.


----------



## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

Perhaps, but all that stuff ends up in the tap water too, plus a lot more. People I have spoken to that have used it had no problems. In fact one who now has an RO unit, says he feels he had better luck using rain water. Gary Elston spoke of using melted snow and rain water for years to breed apistos, before he got an RO unit.


----------



## bob123 (Dec 31, 2009)

One thing I forgot to mention well water has no hazardous flouride added to it like city water. Flouride is a hazardous waste chemical if you could the skull and cross bone symbol on the container of fluoride you would think twice about drinking this city water, a further note this waste chemical is not allowed to be disposed of in the land fill so why put it in the city water.


----------

