Habitat - Indoor :: creek water vs. purified water

[tjurhs]

Hi guys,

Often when I do a water change (I always use "purified water for this) I'll add in 1 jug of creek water (always taken from the "rapids" part of the creek). Somehow I just feel that Thor's "natural water" has to be good for him, goofy maybe, idk.

Anyways, tonight I decided to do a water test on Thor's tank and on creek water, and I took extreme care in performing the tests. Here's what I got:

Thor's pH = 7.5
creek water = 7.9

Thor's Ammonia = 0.1ppm
creek water = 0.1ppm

Thor's Nitrite = 0.0ppm
creek water = 0.0ppm

Thor's Nitrate = 40.0ppm
creek water = 2.0ppm

I didn't do a test for hardness

I was surprised that the pH was higher and the Nitrate's were lower (by the way, with that high of Nitrates he got a water change right after the test).

So what do you think?

Are there other "good stuff" in creek water, that justifies my: "Somehow I just feel that Thor's 'natural water' has to be good for him" thinking

Todd

[steve]

Interesting results. I think there was a discussion or two about it before, and I think the main concern was where is the source of the water. If your city has a good municipal water supply, and you need to do is add a little bit carbon to your filter media.

[tjurhs]

The previous posting did not include any water chemistry tests. I think the water chemistry tests do make a difference in the question asked because I think that the water chemistry tests do show that creek water may be useable.

When you go to the creek and get creek water it has a "color" about it, it's not crystal clear, so presumably there are some other minerals, or other "water stuff" which not being educated about water, I don't really know what else to call "water stuff" but "water stuff".

But if the creek water tests good for the stuff we know (or at least that I know) the pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate tests, then why not use it? I would think that since the creek is where Thor came from, the creek water must have some good "water stuff" for him (presuming that there are no refineries or such upstream that I rescued him from, which there is not).

So the question is still pending, is there good "water stuff" in creek water that would be good for our RESs

Thanks for your thoughts, Todd

[steve]

I would think if the creek water is potable, then it'll be fine to use. LIke you touched upon, there are many things we can't test for or control, like micro organisms, chemicals and other elements in the water.

[Eric]

Did you actually get Thor from that same creek?