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[APD] City water sample/ what else do I ask them?



Hi all,
I currently am using RO water 60% or more/city 40% in order to keep neons and a blackwater tank. The primary problem from what I understand with our water here is the GH is very high. I have not seen a way to "fix" a high GH so far. Since I have to bring in RO water if I start to use one of the fert supplements like pmdd or Toms I will have to carry in about 40 gallons of water a week in order to do 50% water changes on all three of my tanks! (currently I do 20% water changes per week)


Anyway I had the city send me this months water lab report and would like some of you to read over what they have sent me and tell me what else I need to know that they don't list. They may have the information as another source if I ask for specific readings.

Regardless of whether I can actually use this water totally I still need to understand what is in it that may affect my attempts to add ferts. Hopefully at some point one of the "planted tank guru's" can suggest by the information presented what I would _likely_ need to supplement as far as making pmdd and or using toms method. (for example if I am using tap water and it is high in phosphates I may not have to add them)


Sample Source : Finished water total hardness 284 total alkalinity 100 magnesium hardness 124 phenol alkalinity 0 sulfates 225 chlorides 260 ph 7.9 iron 0.207 fluoride 0.24

total dissolved solids 892.383
(he told me on the phone that they try to keep it around 500ish but that if it doesn't rain soon they will be adding water from lake texoma and that TDS would jump as high as 1000)
chlorine residual 3.4


Ca cations 3.2
Mg anions 0
CO3 anions 0
HCO3 anions 2
SO4 anions 7.32394
Na cations 8.33144

Ionic constituents
calcium 64
magnesium 29.76
carbonates 0
bicarbonates 122
sulfate 225
chloride 260
sodium 191.623

he also told me that they do sometimes flush the system with "free chlorine"
and that they do at times add calcium carbonate (I think) to "chalk over the pipes"
if its not suggested above I am pretty sure they do use ammonia or chloramines even if not as an every day thing.


I know I need to find out the phosphates if they have access to the info, what else do I need to find out? If need be I'll have a sample sent off but I don't know if its needed at this point.

I live North of Dallas near the river in Grayson county, from what I understand the Dallas system gets their water from the same sources we do so I assume it would be very similar.

On another note I did find out that the "red clay" here is high in iron not aluminum, when I called the county ag office they were quick to ask me "where do you think iron ore creek got its name" funny thing is they couldn't tell me at what concentration in the soil or clay but are sending me a report.

Thanks
Candy

*still sitting in the confused corner*

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