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Re: Water changes and dying fish



> t only happens sometimes, so I think the idiots at the water company are
>  adding something to the water intermittently.  What, if anything is it?
>  
Of course, without water analysis and parameter measurements, anything I say 
will be pure wild speculation and generalizations.  However, water 
departments do occasionally add chemicals to stabilize their water lines.  
Specifically what those might be for YOUR water, I have no idea.  They could 
include algicides, various chemicals to coat the pipes and cut back on 
corrosion, etc.  An anecdote:  I used to live in a city that added a witch's 
brew of chemicals on the 1st day of every month, to include algicides and 
various additives.  After losing fish from water changes done between the 1st 
and 5th of the month, local aquarists figured it out.  Local fish stores 
posted warnings to aquarists not to use city tapwater for the first 5 days of 
the month to allow time for the chemicals to dissipate through the 
distribution system.  Local fish deaths plummeted.  Best bet:  call the 
Quality Control department of your local water department and discuss the 
problem with them.  Most water quality departments seem to have one guy there 
who is really knowledgeable about special problems of fish, and who really 
wants to help you.  Once you learn their schedule for these additives, you'll 
know when NOT to do water changes.  Of course, I am presuming you know to use 
dechlorinators and dechloraminators, adjusting the temperature, etc.  And you 
might benefit from putting your change water in 5 gallon plastic buckets, 
then aerating it overnight with an airstone to drive off possible volatile 
gases.  One other possible approach would be to do smaller water changes more 
frequently, so that you are adding back a minimal volume of city water at any 
given change.  (Now switching wild speculation mode to Off...)