Sydney Water issues?

[The cichlid Man]

Hi All,

Just wondering if anyone has been experiencing issues in the past 2-3months after doing a water change? Either on cichlid or normal discus/tropical tanks?

Example: Water goes cloudy after 24-48hrs and fish start dying or water goes cloudy and ammonia skyrockets off the chart resulting in fish at the surface etc

Any feddback is appreciated.

[Buccal]

Always first test your tap water when you notice issues.

Also test for chlorine as you may live close to a injection station where it's dosed.

You can also call the water board if ammonia and chlorine is present and find out if there's a particular day when it's usually at its lowest and do water changes those days,,,,, I know someone who lives in the hills here in Perth that faces these difficulties from time to time.

You can put new water into a barrel and really, really heavily aerate it intensely with air stones or 24 hours, and this will release most ammonia from the water.

Seachem prime or safe works well,,, but keep in mind it only lasts for 24 hours.

It may be a benefit to not feed on water change days to allow the filters to convert the water change ammonia more effectively rather than having to convert fish waiste ammmonia at the same time.

[Link2Hell]

did you do filter maintenance when you did the water change ?

[The cichlid Man]

Hi Chris,

No filter maintenance conducted.

Water change done from stored water that has aeration and stored for 2-4 days or water change done from tap into buckets with treatment added then added to aquarium. African and discus tanks being impacted currently. And this is happening in Alexandria, Surry Hills, Baulkham Hills, West Pennant Hills, Rouse Hill, Drummoyne all in the last 3 months. Most tanks are serviced every 4,5 or 6 weeks.

We did water changes in Parramatta, Campsie, Kingsgrove, Glebe, St Marys, Merrylands, Epping, Oatlands all within in this period and nothing was impacted.

Water testing conducted from the tap water to the tank water before water change and after water change. Ammonia seems to get stuck and skyrockets off the chart and stays that way! Using API Nitrazorb and ammonia remover + Ammo-lock + safe etc but nothing seems to work.

We use Seachem Safe, Seachem Stability, Any buffer reqyuired is seachem. Swithed out to API Stress Coat and Stress Zyme when we started getting problems just to eliminate a chemical issue.

[Josh]

Can you test the water for ammonia from the tap and then after you treat it with declorinator?

[intern1]

I will test mine today I am close to Drummoyne and provide a test results I will be using Sera test kit

[Link2Hell]

check weather patterns for the dates to see if there was rain

waterboard used to boost chloramine and alum during wet periods

maybe try and contact someone that can advise what the current

dosing parameters are on the storage dams in the related areas

[The cichlid Man]

Hi Josh, I am testing before and after and everything checks out. pH is lower than usual at around 7.0 - 7.2. I have caught acid water pH 4-4.5 coming out at West Pennant Hills last week and Alexandria 4 weeks ago. Drummoyne tested pH of 7.0 last friday.

Intern1. Thanks! I also am using the sera test kits

Chris, Speaking with a scientist at Sydney water who has stated that there have been no major changes to water parameters and or new chemicals being used. He did state that chlorine levels were a tiny bit higher but nothing that would cause major disruption.

I just cleaned out tank at West Pennant Hills today due to the cloudy issue and off the chart ammonia and freshly starting it again with no fish. After filling the tank I tested the pH 7.0 and ammonia 10mg/l. I did notice though again very micro air bubbles (or that is what they look like) throughout the tank. I have added Sera Auqatan and 1 capful of stability and changed the filter to only have eheim noodle, Seachem Carbon Matrix, Seachem Matrix, API Nitrazorb and wool. I am using some filter media as I usually would but introducing carbon matrix and the api nitrazorb just to see if it makes a difference. Aslo not using seachem safe instead gone sera aquatan and only added 1 capful of stability to a 200lt tank which is underdosed.

Will see what happens with the tank.

This has got me stumped!

[simy696]

is it possible these added chemicals build up at the end of pipe lines when there not being used ie empty house.

[intern1]

Water tested

Five Dock

17/02/15 07:28 p.m.

pH 8.0

kH 5

NH4/NH3 0 mg/L

NO2 0 mg/L

Hope that helps

[Josh]

Has there been recent work carried on the mains, in the areas affected. I do know that Sydney water has, in the last few months, changed the testing required after new mains are installed. This basically mean all new mains are not required to be decloriated before being connected to the mains and a chemical is used instead of chlorine to "clean" the main.

I am unsure of what this chemical is. I only know this as I work for a company in the construction side of this process and we have been informed this is how it is now done.

This probably wouldn't affect small scale works, but if a new subdivision has been connected or a major upgrade has been done then it could be a cause.

[The cichlid Man]

Intern1, Thanks for the update. You water looks good!

Josh, Thanks for the insight. The areas that this has occured are in established areas and no develpoments near that I am aware of. After speaking with Sydney Water today there has been no major woirk being conducted or been conducted on any mains is these areas.

[Jim]

I had this problem last year, water was cloudy for about 2 weeks, had the water tested, all was ok

Cause was put down to mains were connected up in a new estate in my area

I was double dosing with safe at the time....did not effect the fish at all