Metals in tap water

[fishguy306]

Does anyone know at what point metals in the water become an issue? I like to think of myself as a fairly advanced hobbyist, but for whatever reason I have issue after issue keeping my rays alive. They'll be great for months, suddenly it'll just die on me. Before giving them up for good I am hoping to figure out why this is happening.

I live within a block of my city's water treatment plant, my thought is maybe I'm getting an extra heavy dose of whatever is treating the water? I'll like my water report below, if someone smarter than me could take a look, in particular the metals and see if they see problems I'd appreciate it.

I'm considering a whole house filter at this point if it comes to that, but if not I'd rather save the money.

https://www.villageofbloomingdale.org/DocumentCenter/View/1981/Water-Quality-Report-

 

[squint]

Being closer to the treatment plant might mean higher chlorine levels. Lead, iron, and copper come from pipes closer to home or inside the home. Did you have a thread about the stingray deaths?

UIUC veterinary hospital isn't terribly far away. Might be worth having a necropsy performed or getting a consult.

 

[duanes]

I read thru your cities water quality report, and as I expected it looks very similar to the one I'd get in Milwaukee, because the source is Lake Michigan, and the treatment type is very similar.
Your plant does not add metals from what I can see, other than chlorine/chloramine, fluoride, maybe ozone, and these tend to make lake Michigan water less alkaline, and take the pH down from @8.5, into the high 7s..
I never had trouble with any fish that came from hard water areas like Central America, or the African rift lakes.
I did however find it difficult to successfully raise any Amazonian, or other soft water species. The larger riverine species tended to survive albeit, often be affected by chronic maladies as adults, and spawning was at times difficult. They did better when I added tannin infused water to water changes. I am out of my element with rays, so I am replying in very general terms, but an infusion of tannins may be a seasonal condition they have evolved to need.
There may also be leaching of copper or lead from the composition of your home plumbing depending on how old the plumbing is(?) which may or may not be problematic.

 

[fishguy306]

I can't remember if I posted a thread here or on the ray FB group, but last year about this time I had four P14s suddenly stop eating, over the course of three weeks all four died. Nothing new had been added to the tank, water all tested fine. I was running a drip on the system through a sediment filter and two carbon blocks.

Now this year I just lost a hybrid and am on the verge of losing a pearl. Once again water tests fine, rays were eating well a week ago.

I'll look into the necropsy, though I don't think it'll be possible with the hybrid as she is already in the freezer. If the pearl doesn't make it I will do so.

duanes , thank you for the details. As you mentioned I am on Lake Michigan water as well. I'm not sure at what point metals in the water become toxic to rays or other fish for that matter. I know levels are safe for human consumption, but fish are obviously a whole different story.

It might just be time to go with a nice RO unit, filter everything out and start over. Just wondering how fancy the system needs to be.

House was built in the 80's, all copper in the house.

 

[squint]

Yeah, fish should be refrigerated only for necropsy.

Did you test for total chlorine? I think it's essential when relying on carbon to remove chlorine/chloramine.

I had issues with chlorine breaking through the carbon stages of my RO. I had to switch to catalytic carbon (due to chloramine) and add extra stages to prevent breakthrough (especially after I added a booster pump and 2nd RO membrane).

 

[fishguy306]

I've been using these to test for chlorine I believe-

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/insta-test-free-total-chlorine-strips-lamotte.html

The test for total and free chlorine.

My current thought is a sediment filter, followed by dual chloramine blocks-

https://www.filtersfast.com/Pentek-CRFC20-BB-GAC-Filter.asp

followed by RO and DI stages. Maybe it'll be overkill, but with now nearly $7k worth of rays in my freezer from the last year I'm tired of dealing with it.